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Objetivo: Avaliar mudanças do perfil inflamatório de adultos com obesidade grave (graus II e III) submetidos a tratamento com dieta hipocalórica via internação hospitalar. Método: Estudo de coorte retrospectivo de natureza descritiva com dados de prontuários eletrônicos de pacientes com obesidade graus 2 e 3 internados entre 2016 e 2022 em um hospital especializado no tratamento da obesidade. Resultados: Houve predominância de pacientes do sexo feminino, a maioria dos pacientes tinha comportamento sedentário. A comparação entre admissão e alta após 3 ou 6 meses revelou que os valores de PCR, ferritina, peso e percentual de gordura corporal apresentaram reduções significantes após a internação (p

A PID control for electric vehicles subject to input armature voltage and angular velocity signal constraints is proposed. A PID controller for a vehicle DC motor with a separately excited field winding considering the field current constant was tuned using controlled invariant set and multiparametric programming concepts to consider the physical motor constraints as angular velocity and input armature voltage. Additionally, the integral of the error, derivative of the error constraints, and λ were considered in the proposed algorithm as tuning parameters to analyze the DC motor dynamic behaviors. The results showed that the proposed algorithm can be used to generate control actions taking into account the armature voltage and angular velocity limits. Also, results demonstrate that a controller subject to constraints can improve the electric vehicle DC motor dynamic; and at the same time it protects the motor from overvoltage.

A list of aquatic and semiaquatic Heteroptera from a collecting trip to Pitinga, a village in a mining area in the County of Presidente Figueiredo in the Central Amazon is presented. Identified were fifty five species of Heteroptera, distributed in 13 families. Among the insects collected, some are new records for this Amazonian region and in addition 3 apparently undescribed species of Microvelia and one of Paravelia remain for further study.Uma lista de heterópteros aquáticos e semi-aquáticos coletados durante uma viagem a Pitinga, uma área de mineração no município de Presidente Figueiredo, na Amazônia Central, é apresentada. Foram coletadas 55 espécies de Heteroptera, distribuídas em 13 famílias. Entre os insetos coletados, alguns são registros novos para essa região amazônica.

Introduction: Very low-calorie diets with hospitalization have demonstrated promise as a viable therapeutic option for severe obesity and its associated comorbidities. However, large studies providing a comprehensive longitudinal observation of patients undergoing this therapy are lacking. We evaluated the effectiveness of treating severe obesity in hospitalized patients, using very low-calorie diets and clinical support to develop lifestyle changes. Methods: This study was a retrospective cohort comparing exposure variables in a secondary data analysis with a pre-post treatment design. Data were obtained from medical records of patients with severe obesity (grade II or III) treated in a Brazilian obesity specialist hospital from 2016 to 2022. The patients underwent a very low-calorie diet (500–800 kCal/day) and immersive changes in lifestyle habits, monitored by a multidisciplinary team. At 3 months, 777 patients presented complete data and 402 presented complete data at 6 months. The study compared changes in bioimpedance and laboratory tests, between men and women and age groups. Results: Three months of hospitalization yielded significant reductions in weight, body mass index (BMI), body fat, skeletal muscle mass, glucose, inflammatory, and lipid parameters. These reductions were more pronounced after 6 months, nearly doubling those observed at 3 months. In women, BMI and fat mass reduced by 10.4% and 15.2% at 3 months and 20.4% and 31.3% at 6 months, respectively. In men, BMI and fat mass decreased by 12.9% and 25.3 at 3 months and 23.6% and 45.3% at 6 months, respectively. Elderly individuals (aged ≥ 60 years) had smaller reductions in BMI and fat mass than non-elderly individuals (aged < 60 years) but still presented significant improvements. Conclusion: This study suggests the viability of treating severe obesity by hospitalization with low-calorie diets and immersive lifestyle changes. This treatment modality significantly improves anthropometric measurements, glucose, lipids, and inflammatory markers, thereby reducing cardiovascular risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Este estudo incide na intersecção entre Inteligência Artificial (IA) e arte contemporânea. Centra-se na exposição Unreliable Memories de Lev Manovich como caso de estudo, propondo-se analisar como Manovich utiliza a IA para expandir as fronteiras visuais e conceituais da arte, bem como a confiabilidade das representações sintéticas produzidas por essas tecnologias. O documento está dividido em três partes principais. Inicia com uma contextualização teórica abrangente sobre a estética da IA e os desafios associados à criação artística com ferramentas de geração de imagens. Analisa, em seguida, a exposição em si, descrevendo as diversas séries de obras, desde desenhos manuais dos anos 80 até criações recentes geradas por IA – abrangendo séries específicas como Drawing Rooms e In the Garden – com as peculiaridades visuais e as imperfeições que refletem a natureza efêmera e fragmentada da memória. Discute, por fim, como as imperfeições e peculiaridades das imagens geradas por IA refletem a falibilidade da memória, desafiando normas perceptivas tradicionais. Esta pesquisa fornece informações sobre Estética da IA para a comunidade artística e acadêmica, oferecendo bases para futuras pesquisas acadêmicas e artísticas na área.

Nanotechnology is undoubtedly our century's leading scientific and technological breakthrough since it encounters applications in several fields. In parallel, modern societies are facing drawbacks related to environmental concerns. For this reason, several areas are attempting to make the production process eco-friendly. In this direction, the first work using plant extracts to obtain cerium oxide nanoparticles (CNPs) was published in 2011. After more than 10 years, many advances were achieved regarding this green synthesis (GS) route, using a variety of plant types. However, some critical issues remain unclear or with less experimental evidence, such as the role of plant extracts during the synthesis (reducing, oxidizing, chelating, stabilizers, or capping agents) and difficulties in obtaining CNPs with shapes different from spherical ones. Considering the broad possible applications of these nanoparticles in many fields and the importance of their properties, this review aims to critically discuss some uncovered/unsolved issues related to the role of phytocompounds during the CNPs green synthesis and the shape of the produced nanoparticles. Environmental and scale-up aspects are also briefly discussed. The main limitations found are the lack of agreement about the mechanisms of formation of CNPs by plant-mediated green synthesis and the difficulty in obtaining morphologies like nanocubes, nanotubes, and nanowires. Despite the challenges, the various suggestions and insights presented may help overcome these limitations and expand the potential of CNPs.

ABSTRACT: Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) concentration and number of recovered oocytes (ROOC) are phenotypic parameters associated with in vitro embryo production (IVEP). More recently, anogenital distance (AGD) has been proposed as a proxy for fertility in dairy cattle that is easy to collect at a low cost. The aim of this study was to characterize the AGD and its phenotypic and genetic associations with AMH and IVEP in Bos indicus Gyr dairy cattle. The hypothesis was that the number of ROOC, in vitro–produced embryos, and AMH concentration would increase as the AGD decreases. From July to December 2021, a single morphometrical measurement of AGD was collected in 552 donors from 6 herds in Brazil. A subset of donors had AMH assayed on the same day. Only ovum pick-up events that occurred up to 12 mo preceding and 7 mo succeeding the AGD measurement were used to assess the association between AGD, AMH, and IVEP. Thus, 472 donors (1,551 ovum pick-up events and 140 donors with AMH) were considered in the analysis. A raw average was calculated for each individual donor's ROOC, viable oocytes, total produced embryos, viability rate, and embryo rate (defined as total produced embryos/viable oocytes). Comparisons were conducted within the age categories of 3 to

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Abstract Climate change has been associated with both latitudinal and elevational shifts in species’ ranges. The extent, however, to which climate change has driven recent range shifts alongside other putative drivers remains uncertain. Here, we use the changing distributions of 378 European breeding bird species over 30 years to explore the putative drivers of recent range dynamics, considering the effects of climate, land cover, other environmental variables, and species’ traits on the probability of local colonisation and extinction. On average, species shifted their ranges by 2.4 km/year. These shifts, however, were significantly different from expectations due to changing climate and land cover. We found that local colonisation and extinction events were influenced primarily by initial climate conditions and by species’ range traits. By contrast, changes in climate suitability over the period were less important. This highlights the limitations of using only climate and land cover when projecting future changes in species’ ranges and emphasises the need for integrative, multi-predictor approaches for more robust forecasting.

Abstract Background Arts-based pedagogical tools have been increasingly incorporated into medical education. Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) is a research-based, constructivist teaching methodology that aims to improve visual literacy, critical thinking, and communication skills through the process of investigating works of art. Harvard Medical School pioneered the application of VTS within medical education in 2004. While there are several studies investigating the use of VTS, there is a need to systematically assess the different programs that exist for medical education and their efficacy in improving relevant clinical skills. This systematic review aims to critically analyse the available evidence of the effectiveness of VTS in medical education to guide future research and provide a framework to adapt medical curricula. Methods A systematic search of PubMed, PsycINFO, and Cochrane CENTRAL databases (through November 2022) was conducted to identify studies of VTS-based interventions in undergraduate and postgraduate medical education. Two reviewers independently screened citations for inclusion criteria, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias. The extracted data was then narratively synthesized. Results Of 5759 unique citations, 10 studies met the inclusion criteria. After reference review, one additional study was included. Therefore, 11 studies were included in our review. Of these, eight reported VTS-based interventions for undergraduate medical students and three reported interventions in residency training, specifically in dermatology and ophthalmology. The main goal of most studies was to increase observational or visual diagnostic skills. Three of the studies in undergraduate medical education and two in postgraduate achieved a statistically significant improvement in observational skills in post-course evaluations. Some studies reported increased tolerance for ambiguity and empathy. Conclusions Although the studies varied considerably in study design, learning objectives, and outcomes, findings consistently indicate that the VTS approach can serve as a vehicle to develop crucial clinical competencies, encouraging more in-depth visual analysis that could be applied when observing a patient. Despite some limitations of the included studies (lack of control groups, self-selection bias, or non-standard outcome measures), the results of this review provide support for greater inclusion of VTS training in the medical curriculum.

Closed-loop neuronal stimulation has a strong therapeutic potential for neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease. However, at the moment, standard stimulation protocols rely on continuous open-loop stimulation and the design of adaptive controllers is an active field of research. Delayed feedback control (DFC), a popular method used to control chaotic systems, has been proposed as a closed-loop technique for desynchronisation of neuronal populations but, so far, was only tested in computational studies. We implement DFC for the first time in neuronal populations and access its efficacy in disrupting unwanted neuronal oscillations. To analyse in detail the performance of this activity control algorithm, we used specialised in vitro platforms with high spatiotemporal monitoring/stimulating capabilities. We show that the conventional DFC in fact worsens the neuronal population oscillatory behaviour, which was never reported before. Conversely, we present an improved control algorithm, adaptive DFC (aDFC), which monitors the ongoing oscillation periodicity and self-tunes accordingly. aDFC effectively disrupts collective neuronal oscillations restoring a more physiological state. Overall, these results support aDFC as a better candidate for therapeutic closed-loop brain stimulation.

O texto apresenta uma perspetiva pessoal sobre a importância do Silêncio para a compreensão do processo de trabalho e da obra de Francisco Laranjo. O silêncio apresenta-se como uma condição empírica, mas, igualmente, como conceito associado ao transcendente e ao sagrado, sendo chave para a reflexão e contemplação da obra do artista, recentemente desaparecido. Neste contexto, o silêncio assume-se como figura do desconhecido onde operam diversos estados de associação, interpretação e performance, na sua prática artística. Desta forma, propõe-se que as suas obras sejam compreendidas como território em si, que não se referem a algo concreto, mas que operem como espelho para pensar o mundo. Assim, propõe-se que as obras sejam entendidas como um lugar, como paisagem, sugerindo-se a designação de paisagem-pintura para caracterizar as obras de pintura realizadas por Francisco Laranjo.

O artigo apresenta, de forma resumida, um projeto de investigação focado na experiência da Natureza e o potencial pedagógico no Ensino Básico, especificamente do primeiro e do segundo ciclos. É aqui refletido sobre o contato reduzido das crianças com os espaços naturais exteriores e a sua exploração, situação que tem vindo a aumentar acentuadamente em Portugal, sendo mencionados alguns dos fatores que encaminham para a perda sucessiva desse contato. Procura-se perceber, a partir de estudos internacionais e nacionais, o tempo despendido em atividades pedagógicas ao ar livre, em que o recreio surge como principal elemento de relação com o exterior; dados sobre as atividades pedagógicas realizadas no exterior; e o tipo de contatos com a Natureza. Esta investigação reúne, ainda, o estudo de três projetos pedagógicos, nomeadamente: “Dia de aulas ao ar livre”, “Limites invisíveis: educação na natureza” e “Escola da Floresta Bloom” que abordam, em Portugal, a aproximação das crianças com o espaço natural como essencial para o desenvolvimento cognitivo, motor e social. Pretende-se compreender quais as razões que estão na base da criação destes projetos, quais os seus objetivos, programas e resultados, avaliando potenciais utilizações ou melhorias, no âmbito laboratorial da investigação a ser desenvolvida no Doutoramento em Educação Artística.

O presente artigo discute o modo como, no contexto da Arte Atual, linguagens e processos consubstanciados em suportes de documentação – Arquivo – têm vindo a funcionar como uma importante modalidade criativa, ao nível das estratégias de construção autoral. À luz de propostas como “Herbário de Plantas Artificiais” (2002-) do artista colombiano Alberto Baraya, “New Pictures from Paradise” (1998-) do artista alemão Thomas Struth e “Trajeto de um corpo” (1976-1977) do artista português Alberto Carneiro, desenha-se uma visão em torno do “gesto arquivista” – das suas diversas formas, registos e estratégias de “apropriação” simbólica e conceptual – como um instrumento diacrónico de atuação e captação da identidade do lugar, analisando as experiências reais dos artistas “in situ” e as suas traduções e implicações estéticas e poéticas na construção e “re-significação” desses “extratos” de território – tanto discursivos, quanto mnemónicos e imagéticos.

Background: Açaí (Euterpe oleracea) has a rich nutritional composition, showing nutraceutical and protective effects in several organs. In this study, the effects of an açaí-enriched diet on motor performance, anxiety-like behavior, and memory retention were deeply investigated. Methods: Eight-week male Wistar rats were fed with an Euterpe oleracea (EO) pulp-enriched diet, an olive oil-enriched (OO) diet (polyunsaturated fatty acid [PUFA] fat control diet), or a chow diet for 31 days (28 days pre-treatment and 3 days during behavioral tests). Afterward, animals were submitted to a battery of behavioral tests to evaluate spontaneous motor behavior (open-field test), anxiety-like behavior (elevated plus maze and open-field test), and memory retention (step-down). Oxidative stress in the hippocampus was evaluated by a lipid peroxidation assay. Results: EO-enriched diet did not influence the body weight and food intake but increased the glucose plasmatic level after 31 days under this diet. However, a similar fat-enriched diet stimulated a marked weight gain and reduced the food intake, followed by changes in the plasmatic lipid markers. EO-enriched diet preserved the motor spontaneous performance, increased the exploration in the aversive environment (anxiolytic-like effects), and elevated the latency to step-down (improved memory retention). The EO-enriched diet also reduced the level of lipid peroxidation in the hippocampus. These positive effects of EO-enriched diet can greatly support the usage of this diet as a preventive therapy. Conclusion: Taken together, the current study suggests that Euterpe oleracea-enriched diet promotes anxiolytic-like effects and improves memory consolidation, possibly due to the reduced levels of lipid peroxidation in the hippocampus.

The goal of this paper was to synthesize and characterize core–shell iron-carbon nanoparticles. For this purpose, nanoparticles were synthetized via a hydrothermal co-precipitation route, applying a 22 factorial experimental design with a central point, and varying both the concentration of the iron precursor (iron nitrate) and the reaction temperature. The nanoparticles were characterized via the following analysis: vibrating sample magnometry (VSM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), high resolution field emission gun scanning electron microscopy (SEM/FEG) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis. The results showed that the hydrothermal co-precipitation synthesis route enabled the production of Fe3O4–Fe2O3@C core–shell nanoparticles with dimensions between 4 and 8 nm. An increase in iron nitrate concentration and temperature during synthesis entailed a decrease in the remnant field and the magnetization of the nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resumo: O presente artigo reflete em torno do modo como, no contexto da Arte Atual, o ato ou ação do “caminhar” se tornou numa importante modalidade prática do pensamento para os territórios da teoria e da prática artística. À luz destas ideias, que tomam a caminhada enquanto instrumento de experimentação estética, procurar-se-á refletir acerca do seu uso, revisando alguns momentos da História da Arte, com o intuito de, a partir do trabalho de alguns autores, perspetivar essa linha de pensamento que unifica num só raciocínio - o envolvimento fenomenológico, afetivo e cinestésico do artista com o lugar, - e as questões estratégicas de intervenção e transfiguração física, simbólica e conceptual do território. Palavras-chave: Caminhada; Natureza; Percurso; Arte; “Land Walk”