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Aluminum‐doped zinc oxide Al:ZnO (AZO) is a non‐toxic material applied as a transparent conductive oxide film. In this study, we report on the structural, optical, and electrical properties of AZO films obtained by thermally oxidizing aluminum‐doped Zn films produced by a versatile and low‐cost method of doping using the magnetron sputtering technique deposition. We use aluminum wire above the zinc target to produce Al:Zn films. The influence of r.f. power and different Al wire lengths on the AZO film properties were studied. The resulting AZO films exhibited Al concentrations of up to 2.85% and an optical gap between 3.22 and 3.29 eV. The transmittance was greater than 80% for all samples, and the electrical resistivity decreased by two orders of magnitude with Al doping. As a result, the sample with an aluminum concentration of approximately 1% had the lowest resistivity. In this work, it was possible to relate the lower resistivity with larger grain size and smaller concentrations of defects or vacancies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of GeSec: Revista de Gestao e Secretariado is the property of Sindicato das Secretarias e Secretarios do Estado de Sao Paulo (SINSESP) 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.)

Background: Esterases (EC 3.1.1.X) are enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis ester bonds. These enzymes have large potential for diverse applications in fine industries, particularly in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and bioethanol production. Methods and results: In this study, a gene encoding an esterase from Thermobifida fusca YX (TfEst) was successfully cloned, and its product was overexpressed in Escherichia coli and purified using affinity chromatography. The TfEst kinetic assay revealed catalytic efficiencies of 0.58 s−1 mM−1, 1.09 s−1 mM−1, and 0.062 s−1 mM−1 against p-Nitrophenyl acetate, p-Nitrophenyl butyrate, and 1-naphthyl acetate substrates, respectively. Furthermore, TfEst also exhibited activity in a pH range from 6.0 to 10.0, with maximum activity at pH 8.0. The enzyme demonstrated a half-life of 20 min at 70 °C. Notably, TfEst displayed acetyl xylan esterase activity as evidenced by the acetylated xylan assay. The structural prediction of TfEst using AlphaFold indicated that has an α/β-hydrolase fold, which is consistent with other esterases. Conclusions: The enzyme stability over a broad pH range and its activity at elevated temperatures make it an appealing candidate for industrial processes. Overall, TfEst emerges as a promising enzymatic tool with significant implications for the advancement of biotechnology and biofuels industries. [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.)

This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to analyze the effects of ingesting non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on physical performance, muscle strength, and muscle damage in three different moments: immediately, 24 and 48 h after resistance exercise practice. Relevant studies were researched in three databases (PubMed, Web of Science and SPORTDiscus) in April 2023. After excluding duplicates, the decision to include or exclude studies was made by two independent investigators in the following steps: (I) the study title; (II) the study abstract; and (III) the complete study manuscript. The following characteristics were recorded: (I) first author, (II) year of publication, (III) sample size, (IV) method of NSAIDs administration, (V) exercise protocol, and (VI) analyzed variable results. The studies selected were divided into trials that evaluated the effects of NSAIDs ingestion on performance indices of resistance exercise, endurance exercise and resistance training. The meta-analysis, based only on resistance exercises, revealed that both performance and muscle strength were similar between placebo or NSAID treatment immediately and 24 h after resistance exercise practice. An ergolytic effect was found 48 hours after resistance exercise (mean effect size (ES) = −0.42; 95% CI: −0.71, −0.12; p = 0.132), as well as reduced muscle strength (ES = −0.50; 95% CI: −0.83, −0.16; p = 0.072). Additionally, NSAID use did not prevent muscle waste as seen by the unchanged CK plasma concentration at all timetables. The data of the present meta-analysis indicate that NSAID use is ineffective in improving resistance performance and muscle strength, as well as exercise recovery. When considering the practical application of using NSAIDs to improve exercise capacity and strength gains, the present data supports that consumption of analgesic drugs as an endurance performance enhancer or as a muscle anabolic must not be recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of GeSec: Revista de Gestao e Secretariado is the property of Sindicato das Secretarias e Secretarios do Estado de Sao Paulo (SINSESP) 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.)

Plant-based diets have emerged as athletic performance enhancers for various types of exercise. Therefore, the present study evaluated the effectiveness of plant-based diets on aerobic and strength/power performances, as well as on BMI of physically active individuals. This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted and reported according to the guidelines outlined in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement. A systematic search of electronic databases, including PubMed, Web of Science and SPORTDiscus, was performed. On the basis of the search and inclusion criteria, four and six studies evaluating the effects of plant-based diets on aerobic and strength/power performances in humans were, respectively, included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. Plant-based diets had a moderate but positive effect on aerobic performance (0·55; 95 % CI 0·29, 0·81) and no effect on strength/power performance (–0·30; 95 % CI −0·67, 0·07). The altogether analyses of both aerobic and strength/power exercises revealed that athletic performance was unchanged (0·01; 95 % CI −0·21, 0·22) in athletes who adopted plant-based diets. However, a small negative effect on BMI (–0·27; 95 % CI −0·40, –0·15) was induced by these diets. The results indicate that plant-based diets have the potential to exclusively assist aerobic performance. On the other hand, these diets do not jeopardise strength/power performance. Overall, the predicted effects of plant-based diets on physical performance are impactless, even though the BMI of their adherents is reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fires are one of the main sources of disturbance in fire-sensitive ecosystems such as the Amazon. Any attempt to characterize their impacts and establish actions aimed at combating these events presupposes the correct identification of the affected areas. However, accurate mapping of burned areas in humid tropical forest regions remains a challenging task. In this paper, we evaluate the performance of four operational BA products (MCD64A1, Fire_cci, GABAM and MapBiomas Fogo) on a regional scale in the southwestern Amazon and propose a new approach to BA mapping using fraction images extracted from data cubes of the Brazilian orbital sensors CBERS-4/WFI and CBERS-4A/WFI. The methodology for detecting burned areas consisted of applying the Linear Spectral Mixture Model to the images from the CBERS-4/WFI and CBERS-4A/WFI data cubes to generate shadow fraction images, which were then segmented and classified using the ISOSEG non-supervised algorithm. Regression and similarity analyses based on regular grid cells were carried out to compare the BA mappings. The results showed large discrepancies between the mappings in terms of total area burned, land use and land cover affected (forest and non-forest) and spatial location of the burned area. The global products MCD64A1, GABAM and Fire_cci tended to underestimate the area burned in the region, with Fire_cci underestimating BA by 88%, while the regional product MapBiomas Fogo was the closest to the reference, underestimating by only 7%. The burned area estimated by the method proposed in this work (337.5 km2) was 12% higher than the reference and showed a small difference in relation to the MapBiomas Fogo product (18% more BA). These differences can be explained by the different datasets and methods used to detect burned areas. The adoption of global products in regional studies can be critical in underestimating the total area burned in sensitive regions. Our study highlights the need to develop approaches aimed at improving the accuracy of current global products, and the development of regional burned area products may be more suitable for this purpose. Our proposed approach based on WFI data cubes has shown high potential for generating more accurate regional burned area maps, which can refine BA estimates in the Amazon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Language teaching allows teachers to give students the chance to occupy spaces in different spheres. Some learn a language for personal tastes, others for professional reasons. When we learn another language, in addition to the linguistic aspects, we get to know cultural nuances and the way a society conceives the world based on its experiences and formulates its vision according to social identification. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to present and discuss the use of idiomatic expressions for teaching Portuguese to Spanish speakers, as well as contrasting them with expressions in the Spanish language. We believe that phraseology, which is the combination of words with a degree of idiomaticity, contributes to the communication of interlocutors (CORPAS-PASTOR, 1996; ZULUAGA, 2003; XATARA, 2013; ORTIZ ALVAREZ, 2014; MONTEIRO-PLANTIN, 2014). In this way, we show Brazilian Portuguese expressions that are used in everyday communication and that can be used in teaching Portuguese to natural Spanish speakers. Making use of phraseological elements in foreign/additional language classes can be a challenge for teachers who are already accustomed to the way they are taught. However, we would like to point out that teaching Portuguese as a mother tongue (PLM) is different from teaching it as a foreign/additional language (PLE), and seeking training is necessary in order to incorporate elements that are widespread in the culture and language in which the learners are inserted, since they contribute to their mastery of the language. In this way, we conclude that using idiomatic phraseology in the classroom is a support for teachers, since language and culture are inseparable, and presenting elements such as jargon, slang, proverbs, among others, enriches language learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Anuario Colombiano de Historia Social y de la Cultura is the property of Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Facultad de Ciencias Humanas, Departamento de Historia 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.)

An introduction is presented in which editor discusses various articles within the issue on topics including climate, with its variations; history of the New Kingdom of Granada and importance of the climate issue in Brazil in the 19th century.

The article discusses the degradation of the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta, attributed to logging, land use changes, and pollution, despite some remediation efforts. It mentions that urban expansion has encroached on forested areas, while climate change threatens low-lying regions with flooding and salinity intrusion, emphasizing the need for strengthened protection measures and conservation efforts involving public-private partnerships and targeted strategies.

Heterocíclicos contendo oxigênio apresentam pronunciada bioatividade. Em especial, destaca-se o heterocíclico do tipo lactona, que possui amplo potencial farmacológico, incluindo atividades antibacterianas, antivirais e anti-inflamatórias. As lactona são de interesse para as áreas medicinais, agroquímicas, industriais, e por esse motivo, diversificados métodos são desenvolvidos a fim de obter compostos com núcleo lactona com complexidade estrutural. O presente trabalho objetiva a síntese de híbridos de fenazina lactona e inicialmente, procedeu-se à síntese do ácido de meldrum e fenazina (seguindo método da literatura). Posteriormente, os derivados lactona foram sintetizados usando um balão de fundo redondo (25 mL) e adicionando 0.2 mmol de benzaldeído, 0.2 mmol de ácido meldrum, 0.2 mmol de fenazina em 70°C por 2 horas de reação com diferentes catalisadores do tipo ácidos e bases de Lewis e Bronsted-Lowry (SnCl2.2H2O e p-TSOH), incluindo líquidos iônicos (MAI.Cl, MSI, diácido imidazol e PEI.LI). Utilizou-se solventes polares próticos (etanol, água, metanol, butanol) e apróticos (DMF, acetato de etila, THF e acetonitrila). Com aplicação das diversas condições de reação, foi possível obter melhores rendimentos usando o catalisador MAI.Cl e utilizando etanol como solvente para obtenção 90% de rendimento. Essas condições reacionais serão aplicadas na síntese de diferentes derivados de fenazina-lactona que posteriormente terão sua bioatividade avaliada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A síntese de compostos benzodiazepínicos por meio de reações multicomponentes (RMCs) vem ganhando destaque na química orgânica, especialmente por seu potencial farmacológico, que abrangem uma variedade de propriedades terapêuticas: atividade psicoterápicas sedativas, hipnóticas, anti-helmínticas e anti-inflamatórias. O presente trabalho objetiva sintetizar derivados benzodiazepínicos, por meio da escolha das melhores condições reacionais. A síntese foi realizada utilizando 1 mmol de o-fenilenodiamino, 1 mmol de dimedona, 1 mmol de benzaldeído em 20 mol% de catalisador, 2 mL de solvente, em 65°C por 2 horas de reação. Diferentes catalisadores foram testados em condições variadas, incluindo ácidos e bases de Lewis/Bronsted-Lowry (Ácido p-tolueno sulfônico e SnCl2.2H2O) e líquidos iônicos (MAI.Cl, diácido de imidazol, MSI e PEI.LI). Os melhores rendimentos foram usando diácido de imidazol e SnCl2.2H2O, que devido a facilidade de purificação, optou-se pelo uso do líquido iônico (22%). Quando aumentado a quantidade do catalisador para 50 mol%, o rendimento aumentou para 51%, confirmando a importânica do uso de líquidos iônicos na síntese de derivados benzodiazepínicos. Essas condições serão aplicadas na síntese de diferentes derivados de benzodiazepínicos, que terão grupos inseridos nas cadeias aromáticas com intuito de aumentar a relação da estrutura-atividade para busca de compostos mais ativos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of carnauba-based wax to preserve the quality of bean grains. Three lots of beans of 25 kg each were used. The first remained without carnauba wax (treatment 0), the second with carnauba wax diluted with water in a 1:1 proportion (treatment 1), and carnauba wax without dilution (treatment 2). Sensory analysis, color, cooking time, absorption capacity, and insect-plague infestation were performed during 8 months of storage. Carnauba wax does not compromise the sensorial quality and color of the beans. Thus, it can be used without interfering with the products acceptance by the consumer. Carnauba wax did not prevent the hard-to-cook damage, which the consumer associates with a longer period of cooking time. Moreover, it was not efficient in controlling the infestation of Acanthoscelides obtectus insects. The water absorption by beans was influenced by wax application, storage period, and hydration temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we conducted an in-depth analysis to characterize potential Acanthamoeba castellanii (Ac) proteins capable of recognizing fungal β-1,3-glucans. Ac specifically anchors curdlan or laminarin, indicating the presence of surface β-1,3-glucanbinding molecules. Using optical tweezers, strong adhesion of laminarin- or curdlancoated beads to Ac was observed, highlighting their adhesive properties compared to controls (characteristic time τ of 46.9 and 43.9 s, respectively). Furthermore, Histoplasma capsulatum (Hc) G217B, possessing a β-1,3-glucan outer layer, showed significant adhesion to Ac compared to a Hc G186 strain with an α-1,3-glucan outer layer (τ of 5.3 s vs τ 83.6 s). The addition of soluble β-1,3-glucan substantially inhibited this adhesion, indicating the involvement of β-1,3-glucan recognition. Biotinylated β-1,3-glucan-binding proteins from Ac exhibited higher binding to Hc G217B, suggesting distinct recognition mechanisms for laminarin and curdlan, akin to macrophages. These observations hinted at the β-1,3-glucan recognition pathway's role in fungal entrance and survival within phagocytes, supported by decreased fungal viability upon laminarin or curdlan addition in both phagocytes. Proteomic analysis ident ified several Ac proteins capable of binding β-1,3-glucans, including those with lectin/glucanase superfamily domains, carbohydrate-binding domains, and glycosyl transferase and glycosyl hydrolase domains. Notably, some identified proteins were overexpressed upon curdlan/laminarin challenge and also demonstrated high affinity to β-1,3-glucans. These findings underscore the complexity of binding via β-1,3-glucan and suggest the existence of alternative fungal recognition pathways in Ac. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Recent scientific literature points out that religiosity and spirituality play a relevant role in many aspects of life, including health issues. We aimed to evaluate the healthcare students' perceptions about approaching spirituality in their training and patient care in Brazilian universities., Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted following the STROBE guidelines. Through an anonymous online survey, adult healthcare students from two universities in the city of Pelotas (Brazil) answered a questionnaire about their perceptions on approaching spirituality in their training and patient care. Chi-squared tests were performed, and P ≤ .05 was considered statistically significant., Results: A total of 163 students were included in the analysis. Most believed that spirituality is important for their training (74.8%) and patient care (84%). However, a minority had had contact with the theme of spirituality during their training (48.5%) or had experienced a situation in which the spiritual aspects of a patient were addressed (47.2%). The students from the private university had more contact with the theme of spirituality in healthcare during their training. Nursing students had significantly more contact with the theme of spirituality in healthcare (P = .008) and had experienced more situations in which the spiritual aspects of a patient were addressed (P = .031) than other students., Conclusion: Most students believed that the theme of spirituality in healthcare is important for their training and patient care. However, they still had insufficient contact with it during their education. More studies with greater statistical power are needed to better understand this situation globally.