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Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic affected neuro-oncological patients and their caregivers regarding tumor care and emotional functioning, including Quality of Life (QoL). This study aimed to understand how COVID-19 affected their psychological state and the relations between patients and health personnel in neuro-oncology. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on neuro-oncological patients and their caregivers. Results: A total of 162 patients and 66 caregivers completed the questionnaire. Altogether, 37.5% of patients perceived a greater risk of contracting COVID-19 compared to the general population. On a 0–10 scale, the patients’ tumor-related anxiety score was 5.8, and their COVID-19-related score was 4.6. The caregivers reported 7.7 and 5.5, respectively. QoL was described as at least good in 75% of both patients and caregivers; the caregivers’ care burden increased in 22.7% of cases during the pandemic, with no correlation with QoL. Future perception often changed, both in patients and caregivers. In 18% of cases, the cancer treatment schedule was changed, either by patient decision or by medical decision. However, 93.5% of patients were satisfied with their overall care. Conclusions: A considerable proportion of patients and caregivers still perceived the tumor disease as more burdensome than the pandemic, and their future as more uncertain. Such data suggest the need to build a productive alliance between patients and health professionals.

Portugal's early seaside holiday camps emerged prior to the Estado Novo era, serving as summer destinations for underprivileged children even before the implementation of national educational programs. Educational and charitable associations, supported by private philanthropy and the working class, played a pivotal role in the development of these facilities. Newspapers and cooperatives like Voz do Operário spearheaded social initiatives to address the challenges of the late nineteenth century, targeting workers and their families. These initiatives involved hundreds of children each summer, primarily between June and October, for the care of childhood tuberculosis and the recreation of young guests. These projects found space in existing buildings or gave rise to new buildings along a mostly pristine coastline, often at a considerable distance from urban centers. A significant example is the O Século seaside children's holiday camp, funded by private and public funds, operational since 1927 in S. Pedro do Estoril, between Lisbon and the renowned Cascais. The project went through at least three construction phases, influencing city public life and benefiting from the support of Lisbon’s famous Feira Popular, in operation until a few years ago. Archival documents, historical photographs, and blueprints testify to the evolution of these facilities over time. Transformations between 1944 and 1945 highlight the importance of this camp in the collectivity, its strategies of funding, and its needs, staff, and the children it hosted. Over the years, many of these facilities disappeared due to the tourism expansion in the area, unlike the case of O Século, which still partly continues programs dedicated to childhood.

Sampah yang dihasilkan di daerah perkotaan telah meningkat selama bertahun-tahun karena pertumbuhan populasi, perkembangan ekonomi lokal dan perubahan perilaku konsumen dan gaya hidup masyarakat. Dirjen Pengelolan Sampah, Limbah, dan B3 KLHK menyatakan bahwa seluruh jumlah sampah Indonesia pada tahun 2019 mencapai 68 juta ton dimana perkiraan sekitar 9,52 juta ton atau kisaran 14 persennya merupakan sampah plastik. Tujuan dilakukannya program kegiatan ini adalah peningkatan pengetahuan mengenai pemilahan sampah melalui edukasi Gerakan Peduli Sampah (GPS). Metode yang digunakan adalah ceramah, Emotional Demonstration (Emo-Demo), dan penyuluhan door to door serta pemberdayaan. Hasil dari kegiatan ini adalah terdapat peningkatan pengetahuan dan perubahan perilaku oleh siswa SDN 29 Pebayan Penggalangan dan warga sekitar sekolah. Hal ini membuktikan bahwa pendekatan Komunikasi Antar Kelompok dan Individu dengan penerapan metode ceramah, Emotional Demonstration, dan penyuluhan door to door dalam peningkatan pengetahuan siswa dan masyarakat mengenai sampah sudah efektif.

After a detailed description of orexins and their roles in sleep and other medical disorders, we discuss here the current clinical evidence on the effects of dual (DORAs) or selective (SORAs) orexin receptor antagonists on insomnia with the aim to provide recommendations for their further assessment in a context of personalized and precision medicine. In the last decade, many trials have been conducted with orexin receptor antagonists, which represent an innovative and valid therapeutic option based on the multiple mechanisms of action of orexins on different biological circuits, both centrally and peripherally, and their role in a wide range of medical conditions which are often associated with insomnia. A very interesting aspect of this new category of drugs is that they have limited abuse liability and their discontinuation does not seem associated with significant rebound effects. Further studies on the efficacy of DORAs are required, especially on children and adolescents and in particular conditions, such as menopause. Which DORA is most suitable for each patient, based on comorbidities and/or concomitant treatments, should be the focus of further careful research. On the contrary, studies on SORAs, some of which seem to be appropriate also in insomnia in patients with psychiatric diseases, are still at an early stage and, therefore, do not allow to draw definite conclusions.

Reflection plays an important role in language learning. Through reflection, students are encouraged to learn how to learn to acquire deeper learning. This study investigates students’ perceptions of digital reflective journals as a means of reflective practice in their ESP classroom. This study involved 45 students who enrolled in a Business English class where they were required to write reflective journals digitally at the end of the teaching and learning process. This study used questionnaires and semi-structured interviews as the instruments to collect the data. The quantitative data from the questionnaire were analysed with the assistance of SPSS to examine the frequency of students’ responses to each statement listed on the questionnaire. Meanwhile, the qualitative data from semi-structured interviews were analysed through the steps of data condensation, data display, and conclusion. The findings of this study revealed that students admitted to the beneficial roles of digital reflective journals. It helped them raise their self-awareness, and develop their critical and problem-solving skills. Besides, they also assumed that writing reflective journals digitally was more convenient because it offered ease of access and flexibility. Therefore, digital reflective journals can serve as valuable tools to improve the quality of language learning that can be considered to be utilized in language classrooms.

Abstract The genitourinary symptom of menopause (GSM) affects up to 65% of women, resulting in symptoms such as vulvovaginal dryness, discomfort, and dysuria, which significantly impacts quality of life. The current assessment methods rely on subjective questionnaires that can be influenced by individual differences, as well as invasive measurements that are time-consuming and not easily accessible. In this study, we explore the potential of a non-invasive and objective assessment tool called diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and imaging (DRSI) to evaluate tissue chromophores, including water, lipid, oxyhemoglobin, and deoxyhemoglobin. These measurements provide information about moisture content, lipid levels, oxygen saturation, and blood fraction, which can serve as surrogate markers for genital estrogen levels. Our findings reveal distinct differences in these chromophores among pre, peri, and postmenopausal subjects. By using lipid and blood fraction tissue chromophores in a K-Nearest Neighbour classifier model, we achieved a prediction accuracy of 65% compared to vaginal maturation index (VMI) that is clinically used to assess estrogen-related hormonal changes. When age was included as the third feature, the accuracy increased to 78%. We believe that by refining the study protocol and configuring the fiber probe to examine tissue chromophores both in the superficial vulva skin for epidermal water content and the deeper layers, DRSI has the potential to provide objective diagnosis and aid in monitoring the treatment outcome of GSM.

This study addresses the challenge of optimizing powdered water kefir's fermentation and preservation processes to enhance its physical-chemical, microbiological, and technological characteristics. The main objective was to determine the best fermentation conditions and evaluate the efficacy of different drying methods. The optimal fermentation conditions were 5 % kefir grains, 10 % brown sugar, and an incubation temperature of 25 °C. Remarkably, the microbiological analysis revealed high abundances of Zymomonas mobilis (grains: 94.31 % and beverage: 91.68 %), Sporolactobacillus spathodeae (grains: 3.00 % and beverage: 5.42 %), and Liquorilactobacillus satsumensis (grains: 1.47 % and beverage: 0.62 %) among bacteria, and Lachancea fermentati (grains: 95.54 % and beverage: 67.53 %), Wickerhamomyces anomalus (grains: 3.00 % and beverage: 26.77 %) among fungi. The study innovatively demonstrates that lyophilization preserves the viability of these microorganisms, making it a promising method for producing stable, probiotic-rich powdered kefir. Although spray drying resulted in a logarithmic reduction of 3 logs CFU/g, it maintained sufficient microorganism counts, proving its viability as an alternative drying method. These methods retain the ideal physical-chemical properties and expand the accessibility and practical applications of water kefir. This research underscores the potential for powdered water kefir to deliver health benefits conveniently and versatilely, paving the way for broader industrial and academic applications.

Down syndrome (DS) is a segmental progeroid genetic disorder associated with multi-systemic precocious aging phenotypes, which are particularly evident in the immune and nervous systems. Accordingly, people with DS show an increased biological age as measured by epigenetic clocks. The Ts65Dn trisomic mouse, which harbors extra-numerary copies of chromosome 21 (Hsa21)-syntenic regions, was shown to recapitulate several progeroid features of DS, but no biomarkers of age have been applied to it so far. In this pilot study, we used a mouse-specific epigenetic clock to measure the epigenetic age of hippocampi from Ts65Dn and euploid mice at 20 weeks. Ts65Dn mice showed an increased epigenetic age in comparison with controls, and the observed changes in DNA methylation partially recapitulated those observed in hippocampi from people with DS. Collectively, our results support the use of the Ts65Dn model to decipher the molecular mechanisms underlying the progeroid DS phenotypes.