Search

Azobenzenes are a class of compounds presenting photoisomerization capabilities that allow the writing and erasure of birefringence along a desired direction. This feature enables applications requiring polarization control, which although have been extensively investigated in the visible light spectrum, poor emphasis has been paid to the infrared region. In this paper, a systematic characterization of induced birefringence creation and relaxation dynamics has been carried out in azopolymers thin films in the infrared telecommunications region of 1550 nm. This study covers both birefringence characterization in terms of wavelength and irradiance of birefringence writing beams. Preliminary results revealed remarkable maximum birefringence values as high as 0.0465 attained during the recording phase, that stabilized at 0.0424 during the relaxation phase, which is quite promising for many applications.

Bioradar systems, in general, refer to radar systems used for the detection of vital signs. These systems hold significant importance across various sectors, particularly in healthcare and surveillance, due to their capacity to provide contactless solutions for monitoring physiological functions. In these applications, the primary challenge lies in the presence of random body movements (BMs), which can significantly hinder the accurate detection of vital signs. To compensate the affected signal in a timely manner, portions of BM must be correctly identified. To address this challenge, this work proposes a solution based on the Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise (DBScan) algorithm to detect the occurrence of BM in radar signals. The main idea of this algorithm is to cluster the radar samples, aiming to differentiate between segments in which the subject is stable and segments in which the subject is moving. Using a dataset involving eight subjects, the proposed method successfully detects three types of body movements: chest movement, body rotation, and arm movement. The achieved results are promising, with F1 scores of 0.83, 0.73, and 0.8, respectively, for the detection of each specific movement type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ischemic preconditioning (IP) is a powerful cellular protection mechanism. The cellular pathways underlying IP are extremely complex and involve the participation of cell triggers, intracellular signaling pathways, and end-effectors. Experimental studies have shown that sodium-glucose transport protein 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors promote activation of 5′-adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK), the main regulator of adenosine 5′-triphosphate homeostasis and energy metabolism in the body. Despite its cardioprotective profile demonstrated by numerous clinical trials, the results of studies on the action of SGLT2 inhibitors in IP are scarce. This study will investigate the effects of dapagliflozin on IP in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods: The study will include 50 patients with multivessel CAD, ischemia documented by stress testing, and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Patients will undergo four exercise tests, the first two with a time interval of 30 min between them after washout of cardiovascular or hypoglycemic medications and the last two after 7 days of dapagliflozin 10 mg once a day, also with a time interval of 30 min between them. Discussion: The role of SGLT2 inhibitors on IP is not clearly established. Several clinical trials have shown that SGLT2 inhibitors reduce the occurrence cardiovascular events, notably heart failure. However, such studies have not shown beneficial metabolic effects of SGLT2 inhibitors, such as reducing myocardial infarction or stroke. On the other hand, experimental studies with animal models have shown the beneficial effects of SGLT2 inhibitors on IP, a mechanism that confers cardiac and vascular protection from subsequent ischemia–reperfusion (IR) injury. This is the first clinical study to evaluate the effects of SGLT2 inhibitors on IP, which could result in an important advance in the treatment of patients with stable CAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United Nations (UN) has considered water a human right since 1977. However, freshwater available for consumption represents less than 1% of all water on Earth. Groundwater represents one of the largest reserves of drinking water and is susceptible to chemical contamination, especially from pollutants that seep into the soil, such as atrazine, bisphenol A, and tetracycline. These substances, along with Escherichia coli, were selected to simulate contamination in groundwater samples and evaluate the efficiency of electrochemical oxidation using boron‐doped diamond anodes and four different anion salts to analyze their impact on the treatment process. After electrolysis, the degradation of tetracycline, bisphenol A and atrazine was found to increase with decreasing current density, with average values of 77%, 96% and 100% at 15 mA cm−2 and 68%, 83% and 99% at 35 mA cm−2, respectively. Moreover, the mineralization of these substances showed the same behavior, decreasing from 67%, 64%, and 54% at 15 mA cm−2 to 52%, 35%, and 49% at 35 mA cm−2. The analysis of the results showed that the ions present in the solution significantly affect the degradation process and that they interact with the impurities used. For atrazine and tetracycline, the degradation efficiency followed the same pattern, PO43− ${{\mathrm{PO}}_{4}}^{3-}$ < SO42− ${{\mathrm{SO}}_{4}}^{2-}$ < NO3− ${{\mathrm{NO}}_{3}}^{-}$ < Cl− ${\mathrm{Cl}}^{-}$. However, in the case of bisphenol A and E. coli, phosphate showed better results, similar to nitrate. The high efficiency in eliminating bacteria, even at high concentrations, shows that the electrochemical treatment system has a strong bactericidal effect, eliminating bacterial colonies with up to 5 min of treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introdução: A espiritualidade é um aspecto inerente à humanidade, cuja relação com o processo de saúde e adoecimento tem sido demonstrada na literatura. O termo "coping" (enfrentamento) religioso foi apregoado em 2000 e designa como a espiritualidade pode aliviar o processo de adoecimento. Tal conceito consolida-se por meio de evidências científicas como instrumento de minoração de estresse e melhora de desfechos em saúde. Objetivo: Descrever como as crenças e redes de apoio permeiam as etapas do transplante renal em pacientes do Hospital Universitário Pedro Ernesto (HUPE). Metodologia: Aplicação de anamneses espirituais com oito pacientes transplantados renais do HUPE, no primeiro semestre de 2024, compostas por história clínica, fontes de apoio, e na aplicação do questionário HOPE. Realizadas análises epidemiológicas e qualitativas acerca do perfil religioso, espiritual, interpessoal e médico e análise das manifestações positivas e negativas do "coping" espiritual. Resultados: A etiologia da DRC foi HAS (25%), DM e HAS (25%), causas congênitas (37,5%) e indeterminada (12,5%), com faixa etária de 35,3. A Sociedade Brasileira de Nefrologia publicou em 2016 que 34% dos transplantados renais possuem Hipertensão (HAS) e 30% Diabetes (DM) como causa da Doença Renal Crônica (DRC), sendo a média etária de 50,2. O IBGE de 2022 evidencia que 50% da população é católica, 31% evangélica, 10% indeterminados e 0,3% judeus. Esta amostra é formada por 37,5% pacientes sem religião, 37,5% católicos, 12,5% evangélicos e 12,5% judeus. De acordo com as entrevistas, a família e Deus são as principais fontes de apoio, correspondendo a 75% e 25%, respectivamente. Metade dos pacientes relata que as demais relações tornaram-se mais frágeis no processo pré e pós-transplante. Deus é citado como fonte de enfrentamento por 75% dos pacientes. Premissas da fé cristã são citadas como fontes de força, tais como fé, alegria e propósito. Dicotomicamente, sinais de "coping" negativo são percebidos em 62,5% dos pacientes, sendo o principal a culpa. Conclusões: Em resumo, observamos que o perfil epidemiológico e etário da DRC da amostra caracteriza pacientes jovens e predomínio de doenças congênitas, o que reflete o nível quaternário. Tratando-se de religiosidade, foi detectado retrato religioso distinto, em virtude do tamanho da amostra. Destacam-se Deus, a fé e a família como principais meios de apoio em todo permeio do transplante e a culpa como potencial fragilidade da espiritualidade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Brazilian Journal of Health & Biomedical Sciences is the property of Editora da Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (EdUERJ) 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.)