Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare chronic autoimmune disease characterized by vascular abnormalities and connective tissue disorders. In 2021, the multidisciplinary team of the university hospital ...recognized a demand for oral health information among SSc patients. This study aims to describe the development of an SSc oral health booklet and its validation by people with SSc.
For the development of the booklet, the project creators employed the action research methodology involving ten stages. SSc patients evaluated the material by filling out a digital form.
One hundred and thirty-one people with SSc evaluated the booklet. It received an average score of 9.73 (SD: 0.80) in relevance, 9.82 (SD: 0.47) in explicitness, and 9.49 (SD: 0.93) in aesthetics. The final version was emailed to the participants and posted on social media.
This is the first booklet that deeply addresses these issues in Portuguese and constitutes a soft technology to instruct and assist patients with SSc.
The production of high-quality educational materials on oral health for patients with SSc is necessary. The online distribution increased its reach and had great importance in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
•Systemic sclerosis orofacial abnormalities impose challenges to health professionals.•Health education enables patients to self-manage systemic sclerosis.•Educational booklets must use simple language and illustrations to improve patients' understanding.•Patients' suggestions are essential to improve educational booklets.•The online distribution of educational materials improves their reach.
This study investigates the application of random regression models for analyzing multi-harvest data in cacao breeding. The aim was to understand the genetic dynamics over ten harvest years and ...select high-performing genotypes. The trial was conducted in Ouro Preto D’Oeste, Rondônia, Brazilian Amazon. Twenty biparental cacao crosses were evaluated over ten years using random regression models. Models with different polynomial degrees and covariance structures for the residual effects were compared, and the best model was determined using Akaike Information Criterion. We also compared the genetic gains after selecting using three criteria: breeding values, persistence, and area under genotypic trajectories. The best random regression models differed between traits. Genotype-by-harvest interactions were observed, emphasizing the temporal variability in genotype performance. Genetic correlations across harvests illustrated the dynamic nature of genetic expression. Accuracy and heritability fluctuated over successive harvests, emphasizing the complexity of genotype performance prediction. Non-linear genotypic trajectories revealed the presence of unique genetic attributes associated with each trait, with number of healthy fruits showing a tendency towards standardization and dry bean weight displaying a more complex pattern. Consistency in selecting genotypes based on number of healthy fruits highlights reliable selection. Conversely, the variability in choosing top genotypes for dry bean weight underscores the need for cautious selection strategies, as it is a more complex trait to optimize. Despite these insights, future research should consider specific environmental conditions, management practices, and the integration of genomic information for a more comprehensive understanding of genetic dynamics in cacao breeding.
We report the synthesis of magnetite nanoparticles (MNP) and their functionalization with glycine (MNPGly), β-alanine (MNPAla), L-phenylalanine (MNPPhAla), D-(−)-α-phenylglycine (MNPPhGly) amino ...acids. The functionalized nanoparticles were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), Mössbauer spectroscopy (MS), magnetic hyperthermia (MH), dynamic light scattering and zeta potential. The functionalized nanoparticles had isoelectric points (IEP) at pH ≃ 4.4, 5.8, 5.9 and 6.8 for samples MNPGly, MNPAla, MNPPhGly and MNPPhAla, respectively, while pure magnetite had an IEP at pH 5.6. In the MH experiments, the samples showed specific absorption rate (SAR) of 64, 71, 74, 81 and 66 W/g for MNP, MNPGly, MNPAla, MNPPhGly, and MNPPhAla, respectively. We used a flow cytometric technique to determine the cellular magnetic nanoparticles plus amino acids content. Magnetic fractionation and characterization of Resovist® magnetic nanoparticles were performed for applications in magnetic particle imaging (MPI). We have also studied the antiproliferative and antiparasitic effects of functionalized MNPs. Overall, the data showed that the functionalized nanoparticles have great potential for using as environmental, antitumor, antiparasitic agents and clinical applications.
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•The magnetite nanoparticles have an average size of 11.4 nm.•Magnetite nanoparticles were functionalized with amino acids.•The functionalized nanoparticles have SAR values in the range of 64 to 81 W/g.•The functionalized nanoparticles have antiplasmodial activity in the range of concentration of 10−7–10−2 mg/mL.•The functionalized nanoparticles have isoelectric points at pH ranging from 4.4 to 6.0.
The endocannabinoid system has been implicated in several neurobiological processes, including neurodegeneration, neuroprotection and neuronal plasticity. The CB1 cannabinoid receptors are abundantly ...expressed in the basal ganglia, the circuitry that is mostly affected in Parkinson's Disease (PD). Some studies show variation of CB1 expression in basal ganglia in different animal models of PD, however the results are quite controversial, due to the differences in the procedures employed to induce the parkinsonism and the periods analyzed after the lesion. The present study evaluated the CB1 expression in four basal ganglia structures, namely striatum, external globus pallidus (EGP), internal globus pallidus (IGP) and substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNpr) of rats 1, 5, 10, 20, and 60 days after unilateral intrastriatal 6-hydroxydopamine injections, that causes retrograde dopaminergic degeneration. We also investigated tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), parvalbumin, calbindin and glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) expression to verify the status of dopaminergic and GABAergic systems. We observed a structure-specific modulation of CB1 expression at different periods after lesions. In general, there were no changes in the striatum, decreased CB1 in IGP and SNpr and increased CB1 in EGP, but this increase was not sustained over time. No changes in GAD and parvalbumin expression were observed in basal ganglia, whereas TH levels were decreased and the calbindin increased in striatum in short periods after lesion. We believe that the structure-specific variation of CB1 in basal ganglia in the 6-hydroxydopamine PD model could be related to a compensatory process involving the GABAergic transmission, which is impaired due to the lack of dopamine. Our data, therefore, suggest that the changes of CB1 and calbindin expression may represent a plasticity process in this PD model.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Hard Disk Drives (HDD) failure prediction is a challenging topic that has attracted much attention in recent years. Predicting failures in HDD may avoid losing data thus improving data reliability. ...Previous works on failure prediction are based on parametric approaches that model healthy drives with a Gaussian distribution. Although they achieved good results, the Gaussianity assumption may not hold true. The following work proposes a method for fault detection in HDD based on a Gaussian Mixture Model. A self-monitoring, analysis, and reporting technology dataset is used to evaluate the proposed method. Results show that the method outperforms previous works in both fault detection and time before failure.
To evaluate the accuracy between actual outcomes and virtual surgical planning (VSP) in orthognathic surgery regarding the use of three-dimensional (3D) surface models for registration using ...iterative closest point (ICP) algorithm and generated color maps.
Construction of planning and postoperative 3D models in STL files format (M0 and M1, respectively) from CBCT of 25 subjects who had been submitted to bimaxillary orthognathic surgery was performed. M0 and M1 were sent to Geomagic software in semi-automatic alignment surface mesh order of M0 and M1 for registration using ICP algorithm to calculate mean deviation (MD, MD+, MD-, SD) and root mean square (RMS - 3D Error). Color maps were generated to assess qualitative congruence between M0 and M1. From deviation analysis, 3D Error was defined as accuracy measurement. To assess the reproducibility, the workflow was performed by two evaluators multiple times. t-tests were used to assess whether all means of MD, MD+, MD-, SD and 3D Error values would be ≤ - 2 mm and ≥ 2 mm.
High intra and inter evaluators correlation were found, supporting the reproducibility of the workflow. t-tests proved that all MDs and 3D Error values were > - 2 mm and < 2 mm.
3D error mean was within the standards of clinical success lower than 2 mm. ICP algorithm provided a reproducible method of alignment between 3D models and generated color maps to evaluate 3D congruence but did not answer all methodological parameters regarding the assessment of accuracy in orthognathic surgery.
Microbial resistance to drugs is a public health problem; therefore, there is a search for alternatives to replace conventional products with natural agents. One of the potential antimicrobial agents ...is wood vinegar derived from the carbonization of lignocellulosic raw materials. The objectives of the present work were to evaluate the antibacterial and antifungal action of two kinds of wood vinegar (WV), one of
Eucalyptus urograndis
wood and another of
Bambusa vulgaris
biomass, and determine their chemical profile. The antimicrobial effect was assessed against
Staphylococcus aureus
,
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
,
Salmonella enteritidis
,
Escherichia coli
,
Streptococcus agalactiae
, and
Candida albicans
. The minimum inhibitory concentration and the minimum bactericidal and fungicidal concentrations were determined. Micrographs of the microorganisms before and after exposure to both kinds of wood vinegar were obtained by scanning electron microscopy. The chemical profile of the eucalyptus and bamboo vinegar was carried out by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Both types of WV presented significant antimicrobial activity, with the bamboo one having a higher efficiency. Both studied pyroligneous extracts seem promising for developing natural antimicrobials due to their efficiency against pathogens. GC/MS analyses demonstrated that the chemical profiles of both kinds of WV were similar but with some significant differences. The major component of the eucalyptus vinegar was furfural (17.2%), while the bamboo WV was phenol (15.3%). Several compounds in both WVs have proven antimicrobial activity, such as acetic acid, furfural, phenol, cresols, guaiacol, and xylenols. Together, they are the major in the chemical composition of the organic fraction of both WVs. Bamboo vinegar had a more expressive content of organic acids. Micrographs of microorganisms taken after exposure to both kinds of wood vinegar displayed several cell modifications. The potential of both types of wood vinegar as a basis for natural antimicrobial products seems feasible due to their proven effect on inhibiting the microorganisms’ growth assessed in this experiment.
A series of seven chalcone-thiosemicarbazones (
-
) were synthesized and evaluated as potential new drugs (anti-leishmanial effect). Although four of the chalcone-thiosemicarbazones are already ...known, none of them or any compound in this class has been previously investigated for their effects on parasites of the
genus. The compounds were prepared in satisfactory yields (40-75%) and these compounds were evaluated against promastigotes, axenic amastigotes and intracellular amastigotes of
after 48 h of culture. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC
) values of the intracellular amastigotes were determined to be in the range of 3.40 to 5.95 µM for all compounds assayed. The selectivity index showed value of 15.05 for
, whereas pentamidine (reference drug) was more toxic in our model (SI = 2.32). Furthermore, to understand the preliminary relationship between the anti-leishmanial activity of the chalcone-thiosemicarbazones, their electronic (σ), steric (MR) and lipophilicity (π) properties were correlated, and the results indicated that moieties with electronic withdrawing effects increase the anti-leishmanial activity. The preliminary pharmacokinetic evaluation of one of the most active compound (5e) was studied via interaction to human serum albumin (HSA) using multiple spectroscopic techniques combined with molecular docking. The results of antiparasitic effects against
revealed the chalcone-thiosemicarbazone class to be novel prototypes for drug development against leishmaniasis.
In this paper we propose the use a multiobjective evolutionary optimization algorithm to solve the regenerators placement problem. The optical network performance and the capital costs are used as ...optimization objectives. The blocking probability is used as the network performance indicator, which is evaluated by network simulations with an impairment aware routing and wavelength assignment algorithm, whereas the total regenerators cost is the total number of regenerators deployed in the network. Our algorithm finds which network nodes should have regeneration capability and the number of regenerators in each of these regenerating nodes. Our proposal outperformed other well known algorithms found in the literature such as NDF and SQP.
This paper presents the development of two outdoor intelligent vehicles platforms named CaRINA I and CaRINA II, their system architecture, simulation tools, and control modules. It also describes the ...development of the intelligent control system modules allowing the mobile robots and vehicles to navigate autonomously in controlled urban environments. Research work has been carried out on tele-operation, driver assistance systems, and autonomous navigation using the vehicles as platforms to experiments and validation. Our robotic platforms include mechanical adaptations and the development of an embedded software architecture. This paper addresses the design, sensing, decision making, and acting infrastructure and several experimental tests that have been carried out to evaluate both platforms and proposed algorithms. The main contributions of this work is the proposed architecture, that is modular and flexible, allowing it to be instantiated into different robotic platforms and applications. The communication and security aspects are also investigated.
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