The increase of the reduction temperature in direct reduction furnaces has been a recurring tool due to the benefits that it provides to the process. However, its increase cannot be performed without ...taking into account some considerations, since the sticking phenomenon is directly correlated with it and could lead to permeability problems and reactor performance. An analysis of the formation of pellets clusters at different temperatures was carried out with focus on morphological characterization of reduced materials to better understand the causes and effects of these actions. The results showed a correlation between the morphology of the metallic iron present in the samples and the clustering index. At low reduction temperatures, 1123 K (850 °C), the iron formed is eroded and deformed and the cluster hardly remains after tumbling. When forming iron with fibrous structure, 1223 K (950 °C), the clustering index increases because of anchor points which make the material to stick together. Finally, under the effect of high temperature and long time, it generates fresh precipitated iron, enhancing the resistance of the clusters so that they cannot be separated.
Xeroderma pigmentosum is a rare hereditary autosomal recessive genodermatosis. At present, there are many treatment options for xeroderma pigmentosum, covering medical/procedural, surgical and ...combined modalities. However, the quality of these interventions has not been assessed. Our study aimed to perform a systematic review of the literature regarding the treatment of xeroderma pigmentosum. Multiple medical databases were accessed with the Medical Subject Headings terms; "xeroderma pigmentosum," "therapeutics" and "surgical procedures, operative" from January 2000 to April 2019, including articles published in Portuguese, Spanish and English (PROSPERO-CRD42018114858). Two hundred and ninety-eight studies were found in the databases researched, of which, after applying the inclusion criteria, only 33 studies remained. The 33 complete articles were read by three of the authors, having been found: 16 reported medical/procedural and 17 reported surgical treatments. Only one clinical study presented a good level of evidence (EL: 2): a randomized clinical trial using a T4 endonuclease V (T4N5) liposome lotion which reduced the development of skin lesions in patients with xeroderma pigmentosum. Amongst surgical modalities, all studies presented low evidence level (EL: 4). Three illustrative cases are also presented, to emphasize the multiple number of times that surgical modalities may be required in these patients. The therapeutic modalities, both clinical and surgical, for xeroderma pigmentosum presented a low level of scientific evidence which did not allow meta-analysis. More therapeutic studies, both clinical and surgical, with better scientific evidence are needed.
The objective of this study is to assess the efficiency of flood control measures implemented in the Audi-União District, located on the Iguaçu River floodplain in the city of Curitiba, Brazil, by ...the application of hydrological-hydraulic modeling using HEC-HMS and HEC-RAS software packages. The scenarios of the years of 2014, 2024 and 2034 with return periods of 10, 25, 50 and 100 years were analyzed. It was observed that the set of hydraulic structures located upstream of Audi-União District can reduce the peak flow at the beginning of the Iguaçu River by 31.4% and the flood area by 35.1%, considering the period of return of 100 years and the land use of 2014. Regarding the measures implemented directly by the Audi-União District, it was observed that the built levee can control floods in the area, except for a small area that is not protected by the levee, in both 2014 and future scenarios. The creation of the Iguaçu Environmental Protection Area and the relocation of families, which were non-structural measures implemented in the region, also proved to be efficient, considering that these areas would suffer from flooding even for rainfall events with a period of return of 10 years.
Keywords: Flood control, HEC-HMS, HEC-RAS.
In this study, films of chitosan and 2-amino-4,5,6,7-tetrahydrobenzo
thiophene-3-carbonitrile (6CN), a 2-aminothiophene derivative with great pharmacological potential, were prepared as a system for ...a topical formulation. 6CN-chitosan films were characterized by physicochemical analyses, such as Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electronic microscopy (SEM). Additionally, the antifungal potential of the films was evaluated in vitro against three species of
(
,
, and
). The results of the FTIR and thermal analysis showed the incorporation of 6CN in the polymer matrix. In the diffractogram, the 6CN-chitosan films exhibited diffraction halos that were characteristic of amorphous structures, while the micrographs showed that 6CN particles were dispersed in the chitosan matrix, exhibiting pores and cracks on the film surface. In addition, the results of antifungal investigation demonstrated that 6CN-chitosan films were effective against
species showing potential for application as a new antifungal drug.
β-Hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMB) supplementation increases muscle and strength mass in some muscle-wasting disorders. Malnutrition and sarcopenia are often present in liver cirrhosis. We aimed to ...investigate the effects of oral HMB supplementation on changes in body composition and liver status in patients with cirrhosis and malnutrition. In a randomized, controlled, double-blind trial, 43 individuals were randomized to receive twice a day and for 12 weeks an oral nutritional supplement (ONS) enriched with 1.5 g of calcium HMB per bottle or another supplement with similar composition devoid of HMB. Inclusion criteria were liver cirrhosis with at least one previous decompensation and clinical malnutrition. Liver function, plasma biochemistry analyses, and physical condition assessment were carried out at baseline, then after six and 12 weeks of supplementation. A total of 34 patients completed the clinical trial. An improvement in liver function and an increase in fat mass index were observed in both groups. None of the two ONS changed the fat-free mass. However, we observed an upward trend in handgrip strength and a downward trend in minimal hepatic encephalopathy in the HMB group. At the end of the trial and regardless of the supplement administered, fat mass content increased with no change in fat-free mass, while liver function scores and nutritional analytic markers also improved.
In temperate environments, the wheat–soybean Triticum aestivum L.–Glycine max (L.) Merr. double-crop system often improves the capture and use efficiency of radiation and water in relation to single ...crops. Here we assessed the yield and quality of wheat and soybean in relay and sequential double-crops as compared with control sole-crops in the southeastern Pampas of Argentina during two seasons (2000/2001–2001/2002). Soybean controls included crops sown on optimum dates or on dates coincident with those of double-crops. Wheat grain yield and protein concentration were similar in both sowing arrangements of relay (skip row, where one wheat row out of four was unsown) and sequential (solid-seeded) double-crops (yield: 4070 vs. 4100 kg grain ha−1; protein: 164 vs. g kg−1). Yields of relay cropped soybean were 74 to 77% of their respective controls sown on the same date. In contrast, yields of sequentially cropped soybean were 85 to 110% of controls sown on the same date. The land equivalent ratio did not differ between cropping strategies and ranged from 1.58 to 1.82. In comparison to sole-crops, double-cropping increased grain yield and glucose equivalent yield by 58 to 82% and harvest residues by 91 to 143%. Late sowing reduced oil concentration of soybean seed in Year 2, when temperature during seed filling accounted for 58% of the variation in oil concentration. Early growing conditions were critical to the yield of double-cropped soybean. Management of the cropping system to increase soybean shoot biomass at first flower (R1) could further enhance the production and environmental benefits of double crops in temperate environments.
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.
This work intends to describe the physical properties of red blood cell (RBC) membranes in obese adults. The hypothesis driving this research is that obesity, in addition to increasing the amount of ...body fat, will also modify the lipid composition of membranes in cells other than adipocytes. Forty-nine control volunteers (16 male, 33 female, BMI 21.8 ± 5.6 and 21.5 ± 4.2 kg/m
, respectively) and 52 obese subjects (16 male and 36 female, BMI 38.2± 11.0 and 40.7 ± 8.7 kg/m
, respectively) were examined. The two physical techniques applied were atomic force microscopy (AFM) in the force spectroscopy mode, which allows the micromechanical measurement of penetration forces, and fluorescence anisotropy of trimethylammonium diphenylhexatriene (TMA-DPH), which provides information on lipid order at the membrane polar-nonpolar interface. These techniques, in combination with lipidomic studies, revealed a decreased rigidity in the interfacial region of the RBC membranes of obese as compared to control patients, related to parallel changes in lipid composition. Lipidomic data show an increase in the cholesterol/phospholipid mole ratio and a decrease in sphingomyelin contents in obese membranes. ω-3 fatty acids (e.g., docosahexaenoic acid) appear to be less prevalent in obese patient RBCs, and this is the case for both the global fatty acid distribution and for the individual major lipids in the membrane phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and phosphatidylserine (PS). Moreover, some ω-6 fatty acids (e.g., arachidonic acid) are increased in obese patient RBCs. The switch from ω-3 to ω-6 lipids in obese subjects could be a major factor explaining the higher interfacial fluidity in obese patient RBC membranes.
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