Interplay between desiccation and oxidative stress responses in iron-oxidizing acidophilic bacteria.

Variations in water availability represent a foremost stress factor affecting the growth and survival of microorganisms. Acidophilic bioleaching bacteria are industrially applied for releasing metals from mineral sulphides, and they are considered extremely tolerant to oxidative conditions prevailing in acidic bioleaching environments. Such processes usually are performed in heaps and thus these microorganisms are also exposed to intermittent desiccations or high osmolarity periods that reduce the water availability.

Parametric investigation of ultrashort pulsed laser surface texturing on aluminium alloy 7075 for hydrophobicity enhancement.

Unlabelled: Hydrophobicity plays a pivotal role in mitigating surface fouling, corrosion, and icing in critical marine and aerospace environments. By employing ultrafast laser texturing, the characteristic properties of a material's surface can be modified. This work investigates the potential of an advanced ultrafast laser texturing manufacturing process to enhance the hydrophobicity of aluminium alloy 7075.

Neurogastroenterology and Motility Disorders of the Gastrointestinal Tract in Cystic Fibrosis.

Purpose Of Review: To discuss all the various motility disorders impacting people with Cystic Fibrosis (PwCF) and provide diagnostic and management approaches from a group of pediatric and adult CF and motility experts and physiologists with experience in the management of this disease.

Recent Findings: Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms coexist with pulmonary symptoms in PwCF regardless of age and sex. The GI manifestations include gastroesophageal reflux disease, esophageal dysmotility gastroparesis, small bowel dysmotility, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth syndrome, distal idiopathic obstruction syndrome, constipation, and pelvic floor disorders.

Variation, during Shelf Life, of Functional Properties of Biscuits Enriched with Fibers Extracted from Artichoke ( L.).

To boost revaluation of industrial by-products of artichoke, this research tries to determine the stability throughout storage of phenolic compounds and their antioxidant activity in biscuits enriched with fiber-rich powders extracted from b y-products of artichokes (FRPA). To determine the most stable extraction method, biscuits were formulated with FRPA extracted by two different environmentally friendly extraction solvents: water (W) and a solution of 1% CaCl∙5HO (CA) and compared with biscuits made with pea fiber (P) and control biscuits (B) without fiber added. Initially and during storage, the biscuits enriched with FRPA (W, CA) showed a higher content of bioavailable polyphenols and antioxidant activity compared to the control biscuits (B) and the reference fiber (P, pea fiber).

Tips and Tricks to Avoid Complications With Scapula Tip-Free Flap.

Purpose: Create a practical step-by-step guide to harvesting this flap, highlighting the critical points that can create problems during surgery and the postoperative period.

Methods: The tips and tricks to harvesting the scapula tip-free flap are described in different points, describing the patient preparation and skin incision, identification of the anterior border of the latissimus dorsi, dissection of the pedicle, bone osteotomy, flap inset, and closure.

Results: As the scapula tip-free flap provides skin, muscle, and bone tissue, it is a valid option for the reconstruction of the defects maxillary and mandibular region for facial reconstruction.

Mapping of tide-dominated Hooghly estuary water quality parameters using Sentinel-3 OLCI time-series data.

The study explores the spatio-temporal variation of water quality parameters in the Hooghly estuary, which is considered an ecologically-stressed shallow estuary and a major distributary for the Ganges River. The estimated parameters are chlorophyll-a, total suspended matter (TSM), and chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM). The Sentinel-3 OLCI remote sensing imageries were analyzed for the duration of October 2018 to February 2019.

Phase separation of an active colloidal suspension via quorum-sensing.

We present the Brownian dynamics simulation of an active colloidal suspension in two dimensions, where the self-propulsion speed of a colloid is regulated according to the local density sensed by it. The role of concentration-dependent motility in the phase-separation of colloids and their dynamics is investigated in detail. Interestingly, the system phase separates at a very low packing fraction (Φ≈ 0.

Assessment of the relationship between stress and performance in candidates for the Brazilian Bar Association examination.

Objective: This study investigated stress and performance levels in candidates for the Brazilian Bar Association examination (Exame da Ordem dos Advogados do Brasil) in Rio Grande do Sul, Southern Brazil.

Methods: The following instruments were used: A sociodemographic data sheet, Lipp's Stress Symptom Inventory for Adults, the Ways of Coping Scale, the Adult Self-Report Scale, and the Self-Report Questionnaire. The final sample comprised 117 candidates, aged from 18 to 59 years (mean = 29.

Application of Low-Intensity Modified Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy to Improve the Affected Upper Limb Functionality in Infantile Hemiplegia with Moderate Manual Ability: Case Series.

Objective: To assess the functionality of the affected upper limb in children diagnosed with hemiplegia aged between 4 and 8 years after applying low-intensity modified Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy (mCIMT).

Methods: Prospective case series study. A mCIMT protocol was applied for five weeks, with two hours of containment per day.

Primary care pediatricians' use of specialty referrals in treating children with chronic abdominal pain.

Objectives: Pediatric chronic abdominal pain (CAP) is typically managed in primary care settings, although specialty referrals may help patients access the full range of biopsychosocial treatment options. We investigated patterns of specialty referral (gastroenterology or mental health) among children with CAP seen in an academic pediatric primary care clinic.

Methods: We retrospectively identified patients age 4-17 years visiting our primary care clinic in 2016-2017 for abdominal pain, identified using International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes.

[SARS-CoV-2 infection: implications for sexual and reproductive health. A position statement of the Asociación Española de Andrología, Medicina Sexual y Reproductiva (ASESA)].

Objective: The main objective of this revision is to summarize the current existing evidence of the potential adverse effects of SARS-CoV-2 on the male reproductive system and provide the recommendations of the Asociación Española de Andrología, Medicina Sexual y Reproductiva (ASESA) concerning the implications of COVID-19 infection in the management of male infertilty patients and testicular endocrine dysfunction.

Methods: A comprehensive systematic literature search of the databases of PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Medline, Cochrane and MedRxiv, was carried out.

Results: The presence of orchitis as a potential complication of the infection by SARS-CoV-2 has not yet been confirmed.

Clinical validation of full genotyping CLART® HPV4S assay on SurePath and ThinPrep collected screening samples according to the international guidelines for human papillomavirus test requirements for cervical screening.

Background: To ensure the highest quality of human papillomavirus (HPV) testing in primary cervical cancer screening, novel HPV assays must be evaluated in accordance with the international guidelines. Furthermore, HPV assay with genotyping capabilities are becoming increasingly important in triage of HPV positive women in primary HPV screening. Here we evaluate a full genotyping HPV assay intended for primary screening.

Tuning of oxygen vacancy-induced electrical conductivity in Ti-doped hematite films and its impact on photoelectrochemical water splitting.

Titanium (Ti)-doped hematite (α-FeO) films were grown in oxygen-depleted condition by using the spray pyrolysis technique. The impact of post-deposition annealing in oxygen-rich condition on both the conductivity and water splitting efficiency was investigated. The X-ray diffraction pattern revealed that the films are of rhombohedral α-FeO structure and dominantly directed along (012).

Identifying and targeting pathogenic PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling in IL-6-blockade-refractory idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease.

Background: Idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease (iMCD) is a hematologic illness involving cytokine-induced lymphoproliferation, systemic inflammation, cytopenias, and life-threatening multi-organ dysfunction. The molecular underpinnings of interleukin-6(IL-6)-blockade refractory patients remain unknown; no targeted therapies exist. In this study, we searched for therapeutic targets in IL-6-blockade refractory iMCD patients with the thrombocytopenia, anasarca, fever/elevated C-reactive protein, reticulin myelofibrosis, renal dysfunction, organomegaly (TAFRO) clinical subtype.

Narrow-linewidth fiber amplifier for gravitational-wave detectors.

We report on the design and noise performance of a narrow-linewidth Yb-doped fiber amplifier emitting up to 178 W at 1064 nm for possible use in gravitational-wave (GW) interferometric detectors. The novel design utilizes a specialty large-mode-area gain fiber with confined-core doping and depressed cladding, followed by a smaller-core passive fiber to improve output beam quality. We show that the free-running noise of the system is equal to or better than current Advanced LIGO noise requirements.

A life-threatening case of TAFRO syndrome with dramatic response to tocilizumab, rituximab, and pulse steroids: The first case report in Latin America.

Rationale: This is the report of the first case of TAFRO syndrome (Thrombocytopenia, Anasarca, myelofibrosis, Renal dysfunction, Organomegaly) in Latin America.

Patient Concerns: The patient was a 61-year-old white woman of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, who presented with a history of 8 days of nausea, vomiting, and fever; severe pitting edema in both legs, ascites, splenomegaly, and palpable axillary lymph nodes.

Diagnoses: Abdominal computed tomography (CT) showed bilateral pleural effusion and retroperitoneal lymph node enlargement.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) mistaken for pancreatic pseudocyst - case report and literature review.

A 74-year-old female patient underwent a Roux-en-Y cystjejunostomy for pancreatic pseudocyst developed several melena episodes and she was surgically reappraised. The main diagnostic concern was a pancreatic cystic neoplasm. A 12 × 8.

Global stress response during a social stress test: impact of alexithymia and its subfactors.

Objectives: Alexithymia is a personality trait characterized by difficulties in identifying, describing and communicating one's own emotions. Recent studies have associated specific effects of this trait and its subfactors with hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis markers during stress. The aim of this study was to analyze the association between alexithymia and its subfactors with HPA and sympatho-adrenal medullar (SAM) activity.

Effects of Kinesio® Tape in low back muscle fatigue: randomized, controlled, doubled-blinded clinical trial on healthy subjects.

Background: Muscle fatigue of the trunk extensor musculature plays a considerable role in chronic low back pain (LBP). The underlying physiology of fatigue is complex and not fully understood. The Kinesio® Taping (KT) supports damaged structures while allowing mobility and at the same time may influence some of the mechanisms associated with muscle fatigue such as blood flow and proprioception.

The effect of sildenafil on sleep respiratory parameters and heart rate variability in obstructive sleep apnea.

Objective: To evaluate the magnitude of effects of sildenafil on respiratory parameters and heart rate variability (HRV) in slow wave sleep (SWS) and REM sleep of patients with severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Methods: Thirteen male patients with untreated severe OSA (aged 43+/-10 years, body mass index of 26.7+/-1.

An attempt to use sweeteners as a material for accident dosimetry.

In case of a radiological accident, it is important to determine the exposure to radiation of the general population. Several materials can be used to reconstruct the exposed dose. Tooth enamel has been studied for a long time, and now the procedures to determine the dose are well established for in vitro measurements.

Synthesis and characterization of nanocrystalline Ti(1-x)Al(x)N by reactive magnetron sputtering.

Ti(1-x)Al(x)N metastable films were synthesized by reactive magnetron co-sputtering with different Ti to Al ratios. XRD studies showed that as-deposited films were crystalline for concentrations of Al (35, 40, 55 and 64%) and become amorphous at 81% Al. These films were annealed at 1073 K to study the phase separation.