Nanocelluloses are bio-based nanoparticles of interest as stabilizers for oil-in-water (o/w) Pickering emulsions. In this work, the surface chemistry of nanocelluloses of different length, ...nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC, long) and cellulose nanocrystals (CNC, short), was successfully tailored by chemical modification with lauroyl chloride (C12). The resulting nanofibers were less hydrophilic than the original and able to stabilize water-in-oil (w/o) emulsions. The combination of the two types of nanocelluloses (C12-modified and native) led to new surfactant-free oil-in-water-in-oil (o/w/o) double emulsions stabilized by nanocellulose at both interfaces. Characterization was performed with respect to droplet size distribution, droplet stability over time, and stability after centrifugation. Nanocellulose-based Pickering emulsions can be designed with a substantial degree of control, as demonstrated by the stability of the chemically tailored NFC double emulsions. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that increased nanofiber length leads to increased stability.
Frailty syndrome is prevalent among hospitalized older adults as are the occurrence of adverse outcomes. This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated whether frailty in older adults at ...hospital admission predicts adverse outcomes. Manual (ProQuest, conferences annals and references) and electronic searches (PUBMED, EMBASE, Web of Science, Lilacs, CINAHL, PsycINFO and Google Scholar) were performed. We included prospective studies of hospitalized older adults. Primary outcomes were functional decline at hospital discharge and mortality after discharge. Other data were considered secondary outcomes. Methodological quality was evaluated by the Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies. Twenty-eight papers were included, corresponding to 19 cohorts (5 cohorts for functional decline and 16 for mortality), with moderate to good methodological quality. Being frail RR: 1.32 (95%CI: 1.04; 1.67) and pre-frail RR: 1.51 (95%CI: 1.05; 2.17) are risk factors for functional decline compared with being nonfrail. Frail individuals had a relative risk for in-hospital mortality and mortality in medium- and long-term compared to nonfrail (in-hospital RR: 8.20, medium RR: 9.49 and long RR: 7.94) and pre-frail (in-hospital RR: 3.19, medium RR: 3.31 and long RR: 3.72). The overall mortality risk in frail individuals is 3.49 and 2.14 times compared to nonfrail and pre-frail, respectively. Length of hospital stay was higher for frail older adults (13.5 days) compared with pre-frail (10.5 days) and nonfrail (8.3 days). Therefore, being frail at hospital admission is a risk factor for in-hospital mortality, long hospital stay, functional decline at hospital discharge, and mortality in the medium- and long-term.
Drought-related disasters are among the natural disasters that are able to cause large economic and social losses. In recent years, droughts have affected different regions of Brazil, impacting ...water, food, and energy security. In this study, we used the Integrated Drought Index (IDI), which combines a meteorological-based drought index and remote sensing-based index, to assess the drought events from 2011 to 2019 over Brazil. During this period, drought events were observed throughout the country, being most severe and widespread between the years 2011 and 2017. In most of the country, the 2014/15 hydrological year stands out due to the higher occurrence of severe and moderate droughts. However, drought intensity and observed impacts were different for each region, which is shown by the different case studies, assessing different types of impacts caused by drought in Brazil. Thus, it is fundamental to evaluate the impacts of droughts in a continental country such as Brazil, where a variety of vegetation, soil, land use, and especially different climate regimes predominate.
Brazil’s Pantanal wetland is one of the most threatened Brazilian ecosystems from direct anthropogenic pressures and climate change. In this study, the overarching research question is to explore ...whether compound drought-heat events (CDHEs) have become more recurrent, intense, and widespread over Brazil’s Pantanal wetland in recent decades. For this, we purpose and tested two different approaches using validated long-term time series of monthly precipitation, temperature, and the satellite-based Vegetation Health Index (VHI) to characterize the spatiotemporal pattern of CDHEs over Pantanal. Firstly, we assessed global gridded precipitation and temperature data sets against ground measurements to choose an appropriate dataset for this study. Then, we calculated the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), Standardized Temperature Index (STI), and Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) from 1981 to 2021. The results showed that using both approaches (CDHE-M1 and CDHE-M2), the frequency of events is higher considering the moderate category, which is expected since the criteria are less restrictive. In addition, the highest frequency of CDHE events occurs between September and November (the end of the dry season). The results also indicated that CDHE events have been more recurrent and widespread since 2000 in Pantanal. Besides, considering all methods for identifying the CDHEs, the probability density function indicates a shift pattern to warmer and drier conditions in the last 40 years. The Mann–Kendall tests also confirmed the assumption that there is a significantly increasing trend in the compound drought-heat events in the Pantanal. Developing methodologies for monitoring compound climate events is crucial for assessing climate risks in a warming climate. Besides, it is expected that our results contribute to the convincing of the urgent need for environmental protection strategies and disaster risk reduction plans for the Pantanal.
Spatial–temporal characterization of droughts in Angola Mateus, Nelson P. A.; Marengo, José A.; Cunha, Ana P. M.A. ...
International journal of climatology,
February 2024, 2024-02-00, 20240201, Letnik:
44, Številka:
2
Journal Article
Recenzirano
This study presents a scientific study conducted in Angola, focusing on the impact and characteristics of drought events in the country. The research endeavours to assess the primary climatic ...conditions linked to drought events within Angola, including an investigation into their spatiotemporal patterns. To achieve this, an evaluation of drought events’ frequency, duration and intensity has been carried out employing the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI). Furthermore, the extent of affected regions has been determined using the Integrated Drought Index (IDI). For this, the frequency, duration and intensity of drought events are evaluated using the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI). The assessment of the affected areas was carried out using the Integrated Drought Index (IDI). The results showed that Angola was repeatedly affected by drought events. The longest drought events were identified in the South and Center regions of the country. In the South region, the longest drought occurred from 1992 to 1997, totaling 83 consecutive months of drought in the region, in the Center the longest event occurred during the years 1994 to 1997, and in the North region between 2003 and 2005, totaling 46 and 23 months, respectively. The climatic conditions evaluated for the drought events studied (1989/1990, 1994/1995, 2014/2015 and 2018/2019) showed that most drought events in the country are associated with the variation of sea surface temperatures in the South Atlantic Ocean. The analysis of the drought category showed that during the years analysed, about 29.7% of the territorial extension of Angola were affected by drought events in the severe to exceptional category.
Impact of drought in Angola.
S-RNase-based gametophytic self-incompatibility (GSI) has evolved once before the split of the Asteridae and Rosidae. This conclusion is based on the phylogenetic history of the S-RNase that ...determines pistil specificity. In Rosaceae, molecular characterizations of Prunus species, and species from the tribe Pyreae (i.e., Malus, Pyrus, Sorbus) revealed different numbers of genes determining S-pollen specificity. In Prunus only one pistil and pollen gene determine GSI, while in Pyreae there is one pistil but multiple pollen genes, implying different specificity recognition mechanisms. It is thus conceivable that within Rosaceae the genes involved in GSI in the two lineages are not orthologous but possibly paralogous. To address this hypothesis we characterised the S-RNase lineage and S-pollen lineage genes present in the genomes of five Rosaceae species from three genera: M. × domestica (apple, self-incompatible (SI); tribe Pyreae), P. persica (peach, self-compatible (SC); Amygdaleae), P. mume (mei, SI; Amygdaleae), Fragaria vesca (strawberry, SC; Potentilleae), and F. nipponica (mori-ichigo, SI; Potentilleae). Phylogenetic analyses revealed that the Malus and Prunus S-RNase and S-pollen genes belong to distinct gene lineages, and that only Prunus S-RNase and SFB-lineage genes are present in Fragaria. Thus, S-RNase based GSI system of Malus evolved independently from the ancestral system of Rosaceae. Using expression patterns based on RNA-seq data, the ancestral S-RNase lineage gene is inferred to be expressed in pistils only, while the ancestral S-pollen lineage gene is inferred to be expressed in tissues other than pollen.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly influential across various sectors, including healthcare, with the potential to revolutionize clinical practice. However, risks associated with AI ...adoption in medicine have also been identified. Despite the general understanding that AI will impact healthcare, studies that assess the perceptions of medical doctors about AI use in medicine are still scarce. We set out to survey the medical doctors licensed to practice medicine in Portugal about the impact, advantages, and disadvantages of AI adoption in clinical practice. We designed an observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach and developed an online survey which addressed the following aspects: impact on healthcare quality of the extraction and processing of health data via AI; delegation of clinical procedures on AI tools; perception of the impact of AI in clinical practice; perceived advantages of using AI in clinical practice; perceived disadvantages of using AI in clinical practice and predisposition to adopt AI in professional activity. Our sample was also subject to demographic, professional and digital use and proficiency characterization. We obtained 1013 valid, fully answered questionnaires (sample representativeness of 99%, confidence level (p< 0.01), for the total universe of medical doctors licensed to practice in Portugal). Our results reveal that, in general terms, the medical community surveyed is optimistic about AI use in medicine and are predisposed to adopt it while still aware of some disadvantages and challenges to AI use in healthcare. Most medical doctors surveyed are also convinced that AI should be part of medical formation. These findings contribute to facilitating the professional integration of AI in medical practice in Portugal, aiding the seamless integration of AI into clinical workflows by leveraging its perceived strengths according to healthcare professionals. This study identifies challenges such as gaps in medical curricula, which hinder the adoption of AI applications due to inadequate digital health training. Due to high professional integration in the healthcare sector, particularly within the European Union, our results are also relevant for other jurisdictions and across diverse healthcare systems.
Drought monitoring in the Brazilian Semiarid region Alvalá, Regina C S; Cunha, Ana Paula M A; Brito, Sheila S B ...
Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências,
01/2019, Letnik:
91, Številka:
suppl 1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Drought is a natural and recurrent phenomenon. It is considered 'a natural disaster' whenever it occurs in an intensive manner in highly populated regions, resulting in significant damage (material ...and human) and loss (socioeconomic). This paper presents the efforts developed to monitor the impact of drought in the semiarid region of Northeast Brazil. In this scope, information from different sources is compiled to support the evaluation and identification of impacted municipalities, with the main objective of supporting emergency actions to mitigate their impact. In the semiarid region of Brazil there are frequent occurrences of dry periods during the rainy season, which, depending on the intensity and duration, can cause significant damage to family-farmed crops, with a farming system characterized by low productivity indices. However, rain-fed agriculture has great economic expression and high social importance due to the region is densely occupied, and contributes to the establishment of communities in the countryside. Specifically, in the present study, the methodology adopted to monitor the impact of agricultural droughts, including an analysis of the hydrological year 2015-2016, is presented, considering different water stress indicators for the identification of the affected municipalities and assessment of the methods and tools developed.
Abstract
Background
Rapid fluid administration may decrease hemoglobin concentration (Hb) by a diluting effect, which could limit the increase in oxygen delivery (DO
2
) expected with a positive ...response to fluid challenge in critically ill patients. Our aim was to quantify the decrease in Hb after rapid fluid administration.
Methods
Our protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42020165146). We searched PubMed, the Cochrane Database, and Embase from inception until February 15, 2022. We selected studies that reported Hb before and after rapid fluid administration (bolus fluid given over less than 120 min) with crystalloids and/or colloids in adults. Exclusion criteria were studies that included bleeding patients, or used transfusions or extracorporeal circulation procedures. Studies were divided according to whether they involved non-acutely ill or acutely ill (surgical/trauma, sepsis, circulatory shock or severe hypovolemia, and mixed conditions) subjects. The mean Hb difference and, where reported, the DO
2
difference before and after fluid administration were extracted. Meta-analyses were conducted to assess differences in Hb before and after rapid fluid administration in all subjects and across subgroups. Random-effect models, meta-regressions and subgroup analyses were performed for meta-analyses. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Assessment Tool. Inconsistency among trial results was assessed using the
I
2
statistic.
Results
Sixty-five studies met our inclusion criteria (40 in non-acutely ill and 25 in acutely ill subjects), with a total of 2794 participants. Risk of bias was assessed as “low” for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and ‘low to moderate’ for non-RCTs. Across 63 studies suitable for meta-analysis, the Hb decreased significantly by a mean of 1.33 g/dL 95% CI − 1.45 to − 1.12;
p
< 0.001;
I
2
= 96.88 after fluid administration: in non-acutely ill subjects, the mean decrease was 1.56 g/dL 95% CI − 1.69 to − 1.42;
p
< 0.001;
I
2
= 96.71 and in acutely ill patients 0.84 g/dL 95% CI − 1.03 to − 0.64;
p
= 0.033;
I
2
= 92.91. The decrease in Hb was less marked in patients with sepsis than in other acutely ill patients. The DO
2
decreased significantly in fluid non-responders with a significant decrease in Hb.
Conclusions
Hb decreased consistently after rapid fluid administration with moderate certainty of evidence. This effect may limit the positive effects of fluid challenges on DO
2
and thus on tissue oxygenation.
The Apiaceae Lindl. (=Umbelliferae Juss.), which includes several economical important vegetables, herbs, and spices, is one of the most numerous plant family. Umbelliferous crops (namely anise, ...fennel, carrot, coriander, parsley, etc.) are also valuable sources of botanical flavoring agents and fragrances. In addition, Apiaceae species yield a wide variety of distinctive specialized metabolites (i.e, volatile phenylpropanoids, furanocoumarins, sesquiterpene coumarins, polyacetylenes, and phthalides), some of them been described as uncommon natural phytochemicals exclusive of the family, which offers a great potential for bioprospection.
Numerous studies have pointed out the outstanding biological activity of extracts and several classes of phytochemicals from Apiaceae species. Emphasis has been given to essential oils (EOs) and their constituents activities, most likely because this type of plant added value product benefits from a larger acceptance and application potential in integrated pest management (IPM) and integrated vector management (IVM) programs. Several species of the family offer a variety of unique compounds with great potential as biopesticidal and/or synergizing agents. Investigations covering their activity toward agricultural pests and phytopathogens have increased in the last years, nevertheless the interest remains strongly focus on arthropod species, predominantly those acting as vectors of human diseases. From our survey, it is patent the gap of knowledge concerning the potential molluscicidal properties of Apiaceae extracts/phytochemicals, as well as their herbicidal activities against invasive plant species.
In this review, we propose to highlight the potential of Apiaceae species as suitable sources of bioactive phytochemicals with great relevance within the frame of plant-based pesticides R&D, and will discuss their applicability in real-world scenarios considering the recent developments regarding the design of stable formulations incorporating Apiaceae bioactive products. We expect that this review will encourage researchers to consider undervalued Apiaceae species as alternative sources of bioactive compounds and will give a contribute to the field by suggesting new research topics.
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•Apiaceae species are interesting sources of botanical pesticides to be explored.•Constituents identified in Apiaceae EOs are exceptionally diverse.•Apiaceae extracts and essential oils are active against several arthropods.•The molluscicidal, nematicidal, and herbicidal potential should be further studied.•Micro/nanoformulations could improve the performance of Apiaceae bioproducts.
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