SARS-CoV-2 infections in households in a peri-urban community of Lima, Peru: A prospective cohort study.

Background: We assessed the prevalence and incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infections in a prospective study of households in Lima, Peru.

Methods: Households with a child, a young adult 18-50 years, and an adult age >50 years in peri-urban Lima were followed with twice-a-week household visits during a 2-month period. Nasal swabs and saliva specimens were collected twice weekly, and nasopharyngeal swabs were collected weekly from each participant, regardless of symptoms.

The Vitamin D Decrease in Children with Obesity Is Associated with the Development of Insulin Resistance during Puberty: The PUBMEP Study.

Obesity and cardiometabolic risk have been associated with vitamin D levels even in children. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the association between insulin resistance (IR), cardiometabolic risk factors, and vitamin D in children from prepubertal to pubertal stages. A total of 76 children from the PUBMEP study, aged 4-12 years at baseline, were included.

The Effects of Vitamin C on the Multiple Pathophysiological Stages of COVID-19.

Currently available anti-viral drugs may be useful in reducing the viral load but are not providing the necessary physiological effects to reduce the SARS-CoV-2 complications efficiently. Treatments that provide better clinical outcomes are urgently needed. Vitamin C (ascorbic acid, AA) is an essential nutrient with many biological roles that have been proven to play an important part in immune function; it serves as an antioxidant, an anti-viral, and exerts anti-thrombotic effects among many other physiological benefits.

Monitoring Arthropods in Azorean Agroecosystems: the project AGRO-ECOSERVICES.

Background: The data we present are part of the AGRO-ECOSERVICES project (Assessing ecosystem services and disservices provided by arthropod species in Azorean agroecosystems). The project aims to evaluate the relative importance of native and non-native organisms as ecosystem services (ES) and disservices (ED) providers, by combining novel, direct and quantitative tools for monitoring agro-biodiversity. Ecosystem services include evaluation of natural pest control by predation, seed predation on weed plants, pollination, decomposition and ecosystem disservices, herbivory and seed predation on crop plants.

Inferences on mobility and subsistence patterns from degenerative joint disease and entheseal changes. Trends in the farmer/forager border (Central-Western Argentina).

This study tests the hypothesis that the incorporation of cultigens about ca. 2000 years BP substantially changed hunter-gatherer subsistence and mobility in the Atuel River valley (Central-Western Argentina), where the frontier of pre-Hispanic domesticated resource dispersion was defined. Degenerative joint disease and entheseal change markers were analyzed on skeletal remains from Cañada Seca-1, a burial archaeological site with commingled skeletal remains dated about .

Simulation of the Physiological Characteristics of Pillar and Modiolar Fibers of the Auditory Nerve.

The study of the physiological characteristics of the auditory nerve fibers is fundamental to understand their capability to encode sounds. These characteristics include their spontaneous firing rate, their threshold, and their dynamic range. Although it is possible to perform in vitro recordings of these characteristics in different cell models, it is complicated to obtain in vivo measurements of them directly from the cochlea.

Danube as a symbol of Europe. Perception of the river from varied geographical perspectives.

The Danube is promoted as a pan-European river, what can be justified for instance by the vast range of its drainage basin, covering 19 countries on both sides of the historical border diving Eastern and Western Europe. Differentiation of imaginations of Danube course from the perspective of 7 European cities, based on research covering 1577 respondents, conducted between 2005-2007 and 2016-2018 has been presented in the paper. Maps presenting the generalized imagination of river course have been generated for each city.

Impact of Physical Activity Intensity Levels on the Cardiometabolic Risk Status of Children: The Genobox Study.

Childhood obesity has been related to metabolic syndrome and low-grade chronic inflammation. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of physical activity intensities and practice on inflammation, endothelial damage, and cardiometabolic risk factors in children. There were 513 participants, aged 6-14 years, recruited for the study.

Solketal Removal from Aqueous Solutions Using Activated Carbon and a Metal-Organic Framework as Adsorbents.

The worldwide rise in biodiesel production has generated an excess of glycerol, a byproduct of the process. One of the most interesting alternative uses of glycerol is the production of solketal, a bioadditive that can improve the properties of both diesel and gasoline fuels. Even with its promising future, not much research has been performed on its toxicity in aqueous environments.

Katz Fractal Dimension of Geoelectric Field during Severe Geomagnetic Storms.

We are concerned with the time series resulting from the computed local horizontal geoelectric field, obtained with the aid of a 1-D layered Earth model based on local geomagnetic field measurements, for the full solar magnetic cycle of 1996-2019, covering the two consecutive solar activity cycles 23 and 24. To our best knowledge, for the first time, the roughness of severe geomagnetic storms is considered by using a monofractal time series analysis of the Earth electric field. We show that during severe geomagnetic storms the Katz fractal dimension of the geoelectric field grows rapidly.

From groove binding to intercalation: unravelling the weak interactions and other factors modulating the modes of interaction between methylated phenanthroline-based drugs and duplex DNA.

Several antitumor drugs base their cytotoxicity on their capacity to intercalate between base pairs of DNA. Nevertheless, it has been established that the mechanism of intercalation of drugs in DNA starts with the prior groove binding mode of interaction of the drug with DNA. Sometimes, for some kind of flat small molecules, groove binding does not produce any cytotoxic effect and the fast transition of such flat small molecules to the cytotoxic intercalation mode is desirable.

Evaluation of Sedentary Behavior and Physical Activity Levels Using Different Accelerometry Protocols in Children from the GENOBOX Study.

Background: Physical activity (PA) has acquired a significant relevance due to the health benefits associated with its practice. Accelerometers are an effective tool to assess PA; however, the diversity of cut-off points used to define different PA intensities through accelerometry could interfere in the interpretation of the findings among studies.

Objectives: The present study aimed to examine the sedentary behavior (SB) and physical activity (PA) levels in children using six selected accelerometry protocols based on diverse cut-off points.

Le Fort I osteotomy and soft tissue response: A retrospective cohort study comparing three different techniques.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the nasolabial soft tissues effects in three different Le Fort I osteotomy techniques using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) evaluation of three-dimensional (3D) volume surfaces. A retrospective study was designed, and three groups were evaluated: group 1, patients who underwent conventional Le Fort I osteotomy; group 2, patients who underwent subspinal Le Fort I osteotomy; and group 3, patients who underwent conventional Le Fort I osteotomy with ANS recontouring or removal. CBCT evaluation was performed at two time points: T0, 1 week before surgery; T1, 6 months after surgery.

Blood Hemoglobin Substantially Modulates the Impact of Gender, Morbid Obesity, and Hyperglycemia on COVID-19 Death Risk: A Multicenter Study in Italy and Spain.

Background: Hyperglycemia and obesity are associated with a worse prognosis in subjects with COVID-19 independently. Their interaction as well as the potential modulating effects of additional confounding factors is poorly known. Therefore, we aimed to identify and evaluate confounding factors affecting the prognostic value of obesity and hyperglycemia in relation to mortality and admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) due to COVID-19.

Multiscale Characterization of an Oxide Scale Formed on the Creep-Resistant ATI 718Plus Superalloy during High-Temperature Oxidation.

The ATI 718Plus is a creep-resistant nickel-based superalloy exhibiting high strength and excellent oxidation resistance in high temperatures. The present study is focused on multiscale 2D and 3D characterization (morphological and chemical) of the scale and the layer beneath formed on the ATI 718Plus superalloy during oxidation at 850 °C up to 4000 h in dry and wet air. The oxidized samples were characterized using various microscopic methods (SEM, TEM and STEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and electron diffraction.

Dietary Patterns, Eating Behavior, and Nutrient Intakes of Spanish Preschool Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Eating behavior problems are characteristic of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) with a highly restricted range of food choices, which may pose an associated risk of nutritional problems. Hence, detailed knowledge of the dietary patterns (DPs) and nutrient intakes of ASD patients is necessary to carry out intervention strategies if required. The present study aimed to determine the DPs and macro-and micronutrient intakes in a sample of Spanish preschool children with ASD compared to typically developing control children.

Study of Food Intake and Physical Activity Patterns in the Working Population of the Uruguayan State Electrical Company (UTE): Design, Protocol and Methodology.

Noncommunicable diseases are the main cause of death globally, and most are potentially preventable; they are long term diseases and generally evolve slowly. In Uruguay 64.9% of the population between 25 and 64 years of age are either overweight or obese.

Unraveling the plant diversity of the Amazonian through DNA barcoding.

The of the Serra dos Carajás, in Eastern Amazon, is home to a unique open plant community, harboring several endemic and rare species. Although a complete flora survey has been recently published, scarce to no genetic information is available for most plant species of the ironstone outcrops of the Serra dos Carajás. In this scenario, DNA barcoding appears as a fast and effective approach to assess the genetic diversity of the Serra dos Carajás flora, considering the growing need for robust biodiversity conservation planning in such an area with industrial mining activities.

Impact of the PdSpm (Spermine) Complex on the Metabolism of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Tumors of a Xenograft Mouse Model.

The interest in palladium(II) compounds as potential new anticancer drugs has increased in recent years, due to their high toxicity and acquired resistance to platinum(II)-derived agents, namely cisplatin. In fact, palladium complexes with biogenic polyamines (e.g.

Volcanic ash-driven worsening of mucosal inflammation in an experimental colitis model.

Particulate matter exposure and related chemical changes in drinking water have been associated with health problems and inflammatory disorders. This study aimed to examine the effect of orally administered ash-water dilution on the gut of mice under normal and inflammatory conditions. Balb/c mice received ash-released soluble and dust-suspended components in the drinking water for 14 days.

The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) in the Russian language - a systematic review of validation efforts and application challenges.

The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) is one of the most frequently used screening instrument for hazardous and harmful use of alcohol and potential alcohol dependence in primary health care (PHC) and other settings worldwide. It has been translated into many languages and adapted and modified for use in some countries, following formal adaptation procedures and validation studies. In the Russian Federation, the AUDIT has been used in different settings and by different health professionals, including addiction specialists (narcologists).

Is Energy Expenditure or Physical Activity Considered When Energy Intake Is Measured? A Scoping Review 1975-2015.

The health-transitions humans have delivered during the 20th Century associated with the nutrition is that from undernutrition to obesity, which perseveres in the current years of the 21st Century. Energy intake (EI) is a contributing factor and therefore a fascination in nutritional sciences. However, energy expenditure (EE) has not been usually considered as a conjoint factor.

Association of Diet, Physical Activity Guidelines and Cardiometabolic Risk Markers in Children.

The aim was to identify different dietary and physical activity (PA) patterns in 5- to 14-year-old children with a high prevalence of overweight and obesity using cluster analysis based on their adherence to the Spanish Society of Community Nutrition dietary guidelines and levels of PA, and to determine their associations with age, sex, body composition, and cardiometabolic risk markers. In 549 children, hierarchical cluster analysis was used to identify subgroups with similar adherence to dietary recommendations and level of PA. Three clusters were identified: Cluster 1, with the lowest level of vigorous PA and adherence to dietary recommendations; Cluster 2, with the lowest levels of moderate and vigorous PA and the highest adherence to dietary recommendations; and Cluster 3, with the highest level of PA, especially vigorous PA and a medium level adherence to dietary recommendations.

Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Biomass as One of the Most Promising Alternatives for the Synthesis of Advanced Liquid Biofuels: A Review.

The use of biofuels offers advantages over existing fuels because they come from renewable sources, they are biodegradable, their storage and transport are safer, and their emissions into the atmosphere are lower. Biomass is one of the most promising sustainable energy sources with a wide variety of organic materials as raw material. Chemical, biochemical, and thermochemical methods have been proposed to obtain biofuels from raw materials from biomass.