Microbiological Safety of Cut Melons Sold in Portuguese Retail Markets: A Pilot Study.

Due to the increasing consciousness of a healthy diet and pursuit of convenience among consumers, the market for fresh fruit is on the rise, and the melon is among the most welcome of fruits for its sensory attributes and nutritional properties. Consumption safety of cut fruit remains an issue of concern that may affect public health. This study aimed to perform the microbiological characterisation of a melon, Cucumis melo L.

Insulin resistance phenotype is associated with vascular risk phenotype at the end of the second decade of life: a population-based study.

We hypothesize that early events of diabetes and cardiovascular disease continuums would be ongoing and associated in adolescents. We investigated the association between the Insulin Resistance Phenotype and the Vascular Risk Phenotype at the end of the second decade of life and indirect pathways from social vulnerability, alcohol consumption, and body fat mass. It is a population-based study in the RPS cohort of 18-19 years (n = 2,515), São Luís, Brazil.

Ubiquitous computing in light of human phenotypes: foundations, challenges, and opportunities.

The interest in human phenotypes has leveraged interdisciplinary efforts encouraging a better understanding of the broad spectrum of psychological and behavioral disorders. Moreover, the usage of mobile and wearable devices along with unobtrusive computational capabilities provides an extensive amount of information that allows the characterization of phenotypes. This article describes the human phenotype through the lens of computational range and reviews state-of-the-art computational phenotyping.

Agreement and predictive performance of fall risk assessment methods and factors associated with falls in hospitalized older adults: A longitudinal study.

Falls in hospitalized older adults are of concern and, despite the availability of fall risk assessment methods and knowledge about factors associated with falls, their validity and agreement remain poorly investigated. In a prospective study, we enrolled 102 hospitalized older adults (median [P25-P75]) 67 (64-73) years, 52 [51%] men, length of stay 20 [8-41] days). Fall risk was assessed at hospital admission using the Functional Independence Measure; Morse Fall Scale; St.

Gastric cancer: histological response of tumor and metastatic lymph nodes for perioperative chemotherapy.

Background: Gastric cancer is the fourth cancer most common in the world and the second cause of cancer-related deaths. Perioperative chemotherapy may reduce tumor burden and decrease lymph node invasion, improving R0 resections rates. On the other hand, administered before surgery, chemotherapy may cause fibrosis and tissue edema, with potential increase of surgical difficulty and in the number of post-operative complications.

Carbon-based materials for water disinfection and heavy metals removal.

The presence of heavy metals and/or harmful bacteria in drinking water represents significant risks to human health. This study aimed to develop a low-cost water treatment technology using synthesized nanocomposites with metal nanoparticles supported on activated carbon (AC) for bacteria and heavy metal removal. In addition, the performance of the developed nanomaterials was compared with that of commercial materials - carbon fibers of three different typologies.

Analysis of ophthalmology subspecialty opioid prescribing patterns during the opioid public health crisis.

Objective: To describe opioid prescribing practices of ophthalmology subspecialties and determine whether opioid prescribing has decreased during the public health crisis.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Participants: Ophthalmologists prescribing at least 11 medications billed to the Medicare Part D prescription drug plan.

Presenteeism in Non-Academic Staff in a Public University Context: Prevalence, Associated Factors, and Reasons to Work While Sick during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Presenteeism negatively affects worker performance. We aimed to know the prevalence of presenteeism in non-academic university staff, identify health problems and associated factors, as well as explore the reasons that led to presenteeism during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional study was conducted with a convenience sample of 332 non-academic staff.

The Impact of Training Time on Understanding the Treatment of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis According to SOSORT International Guidelines: An Online Survey Study.

The lack of knowledge by health professionals in the management of scoliosis can lead to an erroneous diagnosis. The aim of the current study was to understand the influence of length of professional experience on the knowledge of Brazilian physical therapists regarding international guidelines for the treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. The study was conducted using an online questionnaire consisting of 23 questions, divided into 8 questions on sociodemographic data and 15 questions based on information provided by the guidelines in the SOSORT 2016.

Patient Clinical Outcomes in Standalone Versus a Combined Ophthalmology-rheumatology Uveitis Clinic.

Background: To evaluate uveitis care outcomes in standalone versus a combined ophthalmology-rheumatology clinic.

Methods: Participants were patients aged 18 years and older with a minimum 12-month history of chronic uveitis prior to being referred to the combined uveitis clinic at Kresge Eye Institute and who were treated in the combined clinic for at least 6 months. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), objective markers of inflammation, and achieving targeted dose of immunomodulatory therapy (IMT) were compared in the cohort of uveitis patients 6 months prior to and after the initial evaluation in the combined clinic.

Magnesium incorporation in fibrinogen scaffolds promotes macrophage polarization towards M2 phenotype.

The host inflammatory response to biomaterials conditions their capacity to promote tissue repair, and macrophage polarization shift from M1 to M2 is determinant in this process. Previous work showed that extracts of a combination between fibrinogen and metallic magnesium materials acted synergistically to reduce macrophage inflammatory phenotype. The hypothesis underlying the current work was that the ability of magnesium-modified fibrinogen scaffolds to modulate macrophage phenotype depends on the concentration of magnesium.

The inflammasome in biomaterial-driven immunomodulation.

Inflammasomes are intracellular structures formed upon the assembly of several proteins that have a considerable size and are very important in innate immune responses being key players in host defense. They are assembled after the perception of pathogens or danger signals. The activation of the inflammasome pathway induces the production of high levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines Interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18 through the caspase activation.

Comparison of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG Antibody Responses Generated by the Administration of Ad26.COV2.S, AZD1222, BNT162b2, or CoronaVac: Longitudinal Prospective Cohort Study in the Colombian Population, 2021/2022.

To mitigate the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), vaccines have been rapidly developed and introduced in many countries. In Colombia, the population was vaccinated with four vaccines. Therefore, this research aimed to determine the ability of the vaccines introduced in the National Vaccination Plan to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection and induce seroconversion and sought to investigate the longevity of antibodies in the blood.

An Assessment of Mortality among Elderly Brazilians from Alcohol Abuse Diseases: A Longitudinal Study from 1996 to 2019.

Unlabelled: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a worldwide public health problem, being an important aggravating factor of comorbidities found in the elderly, with the potential to increase mortality indicators for this age group.

Objective: To analyze alcohol-induced deaths in elderly people with alcohol-related disorder in Brazil between 1996 and 2019.

Methods: An ecological study was conducted with secondary data obtained from the Brazilian Unified Health System (SIM) Mortality Information System from 1996 to 2019.

The complete organellar genomes of the entheogenic plant (Rubiaceae), a main component of the ayahuasca brew.

(Rubioideae: Rubiaceae), popularly known as , is commonly found as a shrub in the Amazon region and is well-known to produce psychoactive compounds, such as the N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT). Together with the liana , is one of the main components of the Amerindian traditional, entheogenic beverage known as ayahuasca. In this work, we assembled and annotated the organellar genomes (ptDNA and mtDNA), presenting the first genomics resources for this species.

Immunomodulatory biomaterial-based wound dressings advance the healing of chronic wounds via regulating macrophage behavior.

Successful wound healing is a process that has three overlying phases: inflammatory, proliferative and remodeling. Chronic wounds are characterized by a perpetuated inflammation that inhibits the proliferative and remodeling phases and impairs the wound healing. Macrophages are key modulators of the wound healing process.

Meglumine antimoniate was associated with a higher cure rate than liposomal amphotericin B in the treatment of American tegumentary leishmaniasis: A retrospective cohort study from a -endemic area.

Background: Pentavalent antimonials (PAs) are the primary therapeutic option for American tegumentary leishmaniasis (ATL). However, the use of these drugs is complicated by adverse events (AEs), resistance and contraindications. Alternative therapies relative effectiveness is not well established.

SPIN(DLY)-OFF: A tale of conformational change to control DYNEIN.

Barbosa et al. discuss work by Mussachio and colleagues (2022. J.

HbA1c and physical performance in older adults from different aging epidemiological contexts: Longitudinal findings of the International Mobility in Aging Study (IMIAS).

Objective: This study aimed to assess the longitudinal predictions between glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and physical performance scores in different epidemiological contexts of aging.

Material And Methods: Longitudinal data of 1,337 older people from three countries (Canada, Brazil and Colombia) of the International Mobility in Aging Study (IMIAS) were used to assess the relationship between HbA1c and Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) scores between 2012 and 2016. Linear Mixed Models grouped by sex and adjusted by Age, Study site, Chronic Conditions, Anthropometric Measures, and Inflammatory Level were used to estimate the influence of HbA1c and covariates on SPPB scores.