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Introduction People presenting first-episode psychosis (FEP) benefit from early intervention programmes, although they are scarce in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In Brazil, there are just a few of them unequally distributed across the country. Objectives We aimed to describe the workings of the Ribeirão Preto Early Intervention for Psychosis Programme (Ribeirão Preto-EIP) – an outpatient service for first-episode psychosis patients residents in the Ribeirão Preto catchment area in Southeastern Brazil. Methods A retrospective cohort of all patients attended throughout four years (2015-2018) was analysed. We excluded patients who attended only the first consultation and those with an initial diagnosis other than a psychotic disorder. Data was obtained through retrospective analysis of medical records. Results Our service had 358 new referrals during the four-year period, and 237 patients were followed on average (median) by 14 months. Most of the patients were male (64.1%), single (84.8%), with a median age of 23.5 years (age ranged from 9 to 86 years). Schizophrenia was the main diagnosis (43.4%), followed by substance-induced (25.7%) and affective psychosis (18.6%). Taking follow-up diagnoses as gold-standard, initial diagnoses of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia spectrum disorders had the highest positive predictive values, 83% and 81% respectively. Most referrals to our programme were made by tertiary care (63.7%), followed by secondary (28.5%) and primary care (7.8%). Conclusions Here we presented a large sample of FEP patients in a representation as trustworthy to the reality of our programme as possible. Our analysis suggest that Early Intervention Programmes can be successfully implemented in LMICs. Disclosure No significant relationships.

This article aims to outline a panoramic view of the paths taken by researchers, in the last 15 years, in the field of the religious history of the Modern Period in Portugal. Starting from the identification of the scientific production and activities that have achieved a more relevant place in the framework of the study of the religious history in early modern Portugal, since the 1950s, this article draws attention to a set of subjects that urgently need to be debated. It will be argued that research in the area in question continues to constitute a challenge. The focus of this article is the European space of Portugal, not considering productions and research about Portuguese imperial spaces, namely Asia and Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

O futebol baseia sua estratégia de ensino no domínio das habilidades motoras, ou seja, correr, saltar, entre outros, e habilidades técnicas, passe, finalização, recepção, entre outros. As escolinhas de futebol se tornaram muito comuns hoje em dia, em quase todas as cidades do Brasil existem ao menos uma. O professor deve estar alerta ao desenvolvimento dos processos cognitivos necessários do entendimento do jogo, associado diretamente à maturação cognitiva do aluno, e ele deve saber qual a melhor escolha de metodologia segundo sua realidade (Filgueira e Greco, 2008). O estudo buscou identificar, discutir e comparar as metodologias de ensino da tática em escolinhas de futebol de Montes Claros-MG. Utilizando a entrevista como instrumento de pesquisa, foram entrevistados quatro treinadores de escolinhas de Montes Claros-MG, com tempo de duração média de 8:25 minutos. Onde foi constatado que os treinadores adotam as metodologias mais citadas atualmente na literatura, também foi identificado que suas escolhas são semelhantes. Foi recomendado que para pesquisas futuras, investigasse como essas metodologias são utilizadas, ou amentando o número de treinadores analisados e correlacionando o desempenho delas com o nível de instrução do treinador e metodologias utilizadas. ABSTRACT The methodologies of tactical teaching-learning in football schools in Montes Claros-MG Football bases its teaching strategy without mastery of motor skills, that is, running, jumping, among others, and technical skills, passing, finishing, receiving, among others. Football schools have become very common nowadays, in almost every city in Brazil there are at least one. The objective of the study is the development of cognitive processes, as well as the development of cognitive processes, the development of cognitive processes, the development of methodology of their own reality (Filgueira and Greco, 2008). The study sought to identify, discuss and compare as methodologies teaching tactics in football choices in Montes Claros-MG. Using an interview as a research tool, four interviewers were interviewed in Montes Claros-MG, with average duration of 8:25 minutes. Where it was found as coaches adopt as methodologies more cited at present in the literature, it was also identified that their choices are similar. It was recommended for future research to investigate how these methodologies are what is the number of coaches analyzed and correlating their performance with the coach's instructional system and methodologies.

Virus recognition has been driven to the forefront of molecular recognition research due to the COVID‐19 pandemic. Development of highly sensitive recognition elements, both natural and synthetic is critical to facing such a global issue. However, as viruses mutate, it is possible for their recognition to wane through changes in the target substrate, which can lead to detection avoidance and increased false negatives. Likewise, the ability to detect specific variants is of great interest for clinical analysis of all viruses. Here, a hybrid aptamer‐molecularly imprinted polymer (aptaMIP), that maintains selective recognition for the spike protein template across various mutations, while improving performance over individual aptamer or MIP components (which themselves demonstrate excellent performance). The aptaMIP exhibits an equilibrium dissociation constant of 1.61 nM toward its template which matches or exceeds published examples of imprinting of the spike protein. The work here demonstrates that "fixing" the aptamer within a polymeric scaffold increases its capability to selectivity recognize its original target and points toward a methodology that will allow variant selective molecular recognition with exceptional affinity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although plasma treatment can alter polymer surface wettability and adhesiveness, scant attention has been given to plasma effects across scales and their anti‐fouling performance. Herein, the discovery that plasma‐activated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) nanopillar arrays remarkably enhance anti‐fouling behavior, yielding a 98.7% reduction in Escherichia coli adhesion compared to native planar surfaces. The plasma‐activated nanopillar arrays can hold to their anti‐fouling properties for extended periods of storage, still exhibiting more than 65.1% less bacterial colonization than their native planar counterparts after 50 days. The anti‐fouling behavior promoted by plasma activation is significantly enhanced as the structure features reduce in size from macroscale to microscale to nanoscale, revealing an altered plasma activation effect upon confinement at the nanoscale level. It is anticipated that the findings will improve the ability to achieve non‐fouling effects in polymeric materials for a broad range of applications in clinical and industrial settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractBio-nanopatterning of surfaces is a very active interdisciplinary field of research at the interface between biotechnology and nanotechnology. Precise patterning of biomolecules on surfaces with nanometre resolution has great potential in many medical and biological applications ranging from molecular diagnostics to advanced platforms for fundamental studies of molecular and cell biology. Bio-nanopatterning technology has advanced at a rapid pace in the last few years with a variety of patterning methodologies being developed for immobilising biomolecules such as DNA, peptides, proteins and viruses at the nanoscale on a broad range of substrates. In this review, the status of research and development are described, with particular focus on the recent advances on the use of nanolithographic techniques as tools for biomolecule immobilisation at the nanoscale. Present strengths and weaknesses, as well future challenges on the different nanolithographic bio-nanopatterning approaches are discussed.

The kynurenine metabolite is associated with many diseases and disorders, ranging from diabetes and sepsis to more recently COVID-19. Here we report a fluorescence-based assay for the detection of kynurenine in urine using a specific chemosensor, 3-formyl-4-(ethylthio)-7-(diethylamino)-coumarin. The assay produces a linear response at clinically relevant ranges (1–20 μM), with a limit of detection of 0.7 μM. The average standard addition recoveries of kynurenine in synthetic urine samples are near to 100%, and the relative standard deviation values are less than 8%. The established fluorescence assay for quantitative analysis of kynurenine in urine is facile, sensitive and accurate and holds great potential for low-cost and high-throughput analysis of kynurenine in clinical laboratory settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formation of dendronized polymers was demonstrated by acid-base reactions, which showed that the system could be switched to rigid dendronized polymers and flexible polymers reversibly. The investigations revealed good stability even after many cycles of the acid-base switching processes.

Charge interactions play a critical role in the activation of the innate immune system by damage- and pathogen-associated molecular pattern receptors. The ability of these receptors to recognize a wide spectrum of ligands through a common mechanism is critical in host defense. In this article, we argue that platelet glycoprotein receptors that signal through conserved tyrosine-based motifs function as pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) for charged endogenous and exogenous ligands, including sulfated polysaccharides, charged proteins and nanoparticles. This is exemplified by GPVI, CLEC-2 and PEAR1 which are activated by a wide spectrum of endogenous and exogenous ligands, including diesel exhaust particles, sulfated polysaccharides and charged surfaces. We propose that this mechanism has evolved to drive rapid activation of platelets at sites of injury, but that under some conditions it can drive occlusive thrombosis, for example, when blood comes into contact with infectious agents or toxins. In this Opinion Article, we discuss mechanisms behind charge-mediated platelet activation and opportunities for designing nanoparticles and related agents such as dendrimers as novel antithrombotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and folklore are repositories of large amounts of information about the natural world. Ideas, perceptions and empirical data held by human communities regarding local species are important sources which enable new scientific discoveries to be made, as well as offering the potential to solve a number of conservation problems. We documented the gecko-related folklore and TEK of the people of southern Portugal, with the particular aim of understanding the main ideas relating to gecko biology and ecology. Our results suggest that local knowledge of gecko ecology and biology is both accurate and relevant. As a result of information provided by local inhabitants, knowledge of the current geographic distribution of Hemidactylus turcicus was expanded, with its presence reported in nine new locations. It was also discovered that locals still have some misconceptions of geckos as poisonous and carriers of dermatological diseases. The presence of these ideas has led the population to a fear of and aversion to geckos, resulting in direct persecution being one of the major conservation problems facing these animals. It is essential, from both a scientific and conservationist perspective, to understand the knowledge and perceptions that people have towards the animals, since, only then, may hitherto unrecognized pertinent information and conservation problems be detected and resolved.

Abstract Background Cells use filopodia to explore their environment and to form new adhesion contacts for motility and spreading. The Arp2/3 complex has been implicated in lamellipodial actin assembly as a major nucleator of new actin filaments in branched networks. The interplay between filopodial and lamellipodial protrusions is an area of much interest as it is thought to be a key determinant of how cells make motility choices. Results We find that Arp2/3 complex localises to dynamic puncta in filopodia as well as lamellipodia of spreading cells. Arp2/3 complex spots do not appear to depend on local adhesion or on microtubules for their localisation but their inclusion in filopodia or lamellipodia depends on the activity of the small GTPase Rac1. Arp2/3 complex spots in filopodia are capable of incorporating monomeric actin, suggesting the presence of available filament barbed ends for polymerisation. Arp2/3 complex in filopodia co-localises with lamellipodial proteins such as capping protein and cortactin. The dynamics of Arp2/3 complex puncta suggests that they are moving bi-directionally along the length of filopodia and that they may be regions of lamellipodial activity within the filopodia. Conclusion We suggest that filopodia of spreading cells have regions of lamellipodial activity and that this activity affects the morphology and movement of filopodia. Our work has implications for how we understand the interplay between lamellipodia and filopodia and for how actin networks are generated spatially in cells.

Recognition of oligosaccharides is associated with very limited specificity due to their strong solvation in water and the high degree of subtle structural variations between them. Here, oligosaccharide recognition sites are created on material surfaces with unmatched, binary on–off binding behavior, sharply discriminating a target oligosaccharide over closely related carbohydrate structures. The basis for the superselective binding behavior relies on the highly efficient generation of a pure, high order complex of the oligosaccharide target with synthetic carbohydrate receptor sites, in which the spatial arrangement of the multiple receptors in the complex is preserved upon material surface incorporation. The synthetic binding scaffolds can easily be tailored to recognize different oligosaccharides and glycoconjugates, opening up a realm of possibilities for their use in a wide field of applications, ranging from life sciences to diagnostics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]