Comparison of the mechanisms of DNA damage following photoexcitation and chemiexcitation.

In this review, we compare the mechanisms and consequences of electronic excitation of DNA via photon absorption or photosensitization, as well as by chemically induced generation of excited states. The absorption of UV radiation by DNA is known to produce cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) and thymine pyrimidone photoproducts. Photosensitizers are known to enable such transformations using UV-A and visible light by generating triplet species able to transfer energy to DNA.

Development of a Microwave-Assisted Bench Reactor for Biomass Pyrolysis Using Hybrid Heating.

Microwave-assisted pyrolysis (MAP) is a cutting-edge technology that converts biomass into fuels, chemicals, and materials. In this study, an Arduino was used to control and automate a MAP system built from a microwave oven with a cordierite chamber filled with silicon carbide. Sugar cane bagasse was pyrolyzed at 250, 350, 450, and 550 °C to validate the MAP system and obtain pyrolytic products with different yields and chemical compositions.

Production of highly antioxidant lignin nanoparticles from a hardwood technical lignin.

Eucalypt kraft lignin isolated in a LignoBoost™ pilot plant was characterized by GC-MS, ICP-OES, DSC, HPSEC, P NMR, and HSQC 2D-NMR to be used without any further processing to produce lignin nanoparticles (LNPs) by nanoprecipitation. Tetrahydrofuran (THF) was used as a solvent, and water as a non-solvent. Microscopic analysis (TEM) showed that LNPs were regularly spherical with some hollow particles dispersed in-between, and sizes were tunable by changing the solvent dripping rate onto the non-solvent.

Parathyroidectomy: still the best choice for the management of severe secondary hyperparathyroidism.

Introduction: Management of secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) is a challenging endeavor with several factors contruibuting to treatment failure. Calcimimetic therapy has revolutionized the management of SHPT, leading to changes in indications and appropriate timing of parathyroidectomy (PTX) around the world.

Methods: We compared response rates to clinical vs.

The Role of Healthy Diet and Lifestyle in Centenarians.

Life expectancy at birth (hereafter, life expectancy) and longevity are established indicators of population health [...

Enzymatic pretreatment for cellulose nanofiber production: Understanding morphological changes and predicting reducing sugar concentration.

Enzymatic pretreatment plays a crucial role in producing cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) before fibrillation. While previous studies have explored how treatment severity affects CNF characteristics, there remains a lack of suitable parameters to monitor real-time enzymatic processes and fully comprehend the link between enzymatic action, fibrillation, and CNF properties. This study focuses on evaluating the impact of enzyme charge (using a monocomponent endoglucanase) and treatment time on cellulose fiber morphology and reducing sugar generation.

Preventing cognitive decline via digital inclusion and virtual game management: an intervention study with older adults in the community.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of cognitive stimulation digital inclusion and the practice of video games on the cognition of the older population.

Method: This is a randomized controlled intervention study, nested in a population cohort study. Based on the application of the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) test, individuals aged 60 years or older with scores 0 and 0.

Mining reactive triplet carbonyls in biological systems.

Aliphatic triplet carbonyls can be treated as short-lived radicals, since both species share similar reactions such as hydrogen atom abstraction, cyclization, addition, and isomerization. Importantly, enzyme-generated triplet carbonyls excite triplet molecular oxygen to the highly reactive, electrophilic singlet state by resonance energy transfer, which can react with proteins, lipids, and DNA. Carbonyl triplets, singlet oxygen, and radicals are endowed with the potential to trigger both normal and pathological responses.

Combination of vitamin D and probiotics inhibits chemically induced colorectal carcinogenesis in Wistar rats.

Unlabelled: The modulation of inflammatory elements, cell differentiation and proliferation by vitamin D and the role of probiotics in the intestinal microbiota and immunogenic response have sparked interest in the application of both in chemotherapeutics and chemoprevention of colorectal tumors.

Aims: The present study aimed to investigate the effects of isolated and/or combined treatment of vitamin D3 and probiotics on colorectal carcinogenesis.

Main Methods: Pre-neoplastic lesions were induced with 1,2-dimethylhydrazine in the colon of Wistar rats, which were treated with probiotics and/or vitamin D in three different approaches (simultaneous, pre-, and post-treatment).

Reduced circulating folate among older adults caused by continuous work: nested cross-sectional study conducted in a country with folic acid fortification program.

Population aging is 1 of the biggest challenges facing public health today, and cognitive dysfunction is an important concern. Cognitive impairment may be associated with high folate concentrations and low vitamin B concentrations; the latter is a common problem among elderly people. Therefore, we hypothesized there was a high circulating folate concentration among older people living in a country with a mandatory folic acid fortification program.

Ethanol organosolv pretreatment of sugarcane bagasse assisted by organic acids and supercritical carbon dioxide.

The scCO-assisted organosolv pretreatment of sugarcane bagasse was carried out using aqueous ethanol and organic acid catalysts. Variables involved were temperature (150-190 °C), time (0-60 min), type of catalyst (acetic, citric, and oxalic acids), amount of CO (25-50 g), ethanol titer in water (0-80 vol%), and catalyst concentration (0.5 to 1.

Vitamin B12 sources in non-animal foods: a systematic review.

Interest in plant-based diets and vegetarianism is increasing worldwide, however, a concern for total vegetarians is vitamin B12 (B12) deficiency. We conducted a systematic review to investigate non-animal food sources of B12. Databases were PubMed, LILACS, Cochrane, Embase and Google Scholar, up to September 9, 2020.

Benzodiazepines utilization in Brazilian older adults: a population-based study.

Objective: To evaluate the utilization of benzodiazepines (BZD) in Brazilian older adults, based on the Pesquisa Nacional de Acesso, Utilização e Promoção do Uso Racional de Medicamentos (PNAUM - National Survey of Access, Use and Promotion of Rational Use of Medicines).

Methods: The PNAUM is a cross-sectional study conducted between 2013 and 2014, representing the Brazilian urban population. In the present study, we included 60 years or older (n = 9,019) individuals.

Relationship between physical activity and functional capacity change in aged cohort in São Paulo, Brazil.

Objectives: to evaluate the relationship between leisure-time physical activity and functional capacity change among aged people.

Methods: we analyzed data of an aged cohort looking for determinants of functional capacity at follow-up. Baseline data were collected between 2007 and 2008 - average follow-up of 3,5 years.

Prevalence of Low Back Pain and Associated Factors in Older Adults: Amazonia Brazilian Community Study.

To investigate the prevalence of low back pain (LBP) and associated factors in the older adult Amazonia Brazilian community, a cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate 700 participants that were ≥60 years old. Pain intensity and functional disability were assessed using the Numerical Pain Scale and the Roland Morris Questionnaire, respectively, and their sociodemographic, clinical, and behavior variables were collected, i.e.

Ventricular Fibrosis and Coronary Remodeling Following Short-Term Exposure of Healthy and Malnourished Mice to Bisphenol A.

Bisphenol-A (BPA) is an endocrine disruptor associated with higher risk of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases especially in susceptible populations. Because malnutrition is a nutritional disorder associated with high cardiovascular risk, we sought to compare the effects of short-term BPA exposure on cardiovascular parameters of healthy and protein-malnourished mice. Postweaned male mice were fed a normo- (control) or low-protein (LP) diet for 8 weeks and then exposed or not to BPA (50 μg kg day) for the last 9 days.

Impact of cellulose properties on enzymatic degradation by bacterial GH48 enzymes: Structural and mechanistic insights from processive Bacillus licheniformis Cel48B cellulase.

Processive cellulases are highly efficient molecular engines involved in the cellulose breakdown process. However, the mechanism that processive bacterial enzymes utilize to recruit and retain cellulose strands in the catalytic site remains poorly understood. Here, integrated enzymatic assays, protein crystallography and computational approaches were combined to study the enzymatic properties of the processive BlCel48B cellulase from Bacillus licheniformis.

Aerobic co-oxidation of hemoglobin and aminoacetone, a putative source of methylglyoxal.

Aminoacetone (1-aminopropan-2-one), a putative minor biological source of methylglyoxal, reacts like other α-aminoketones such as 6-aminolevulinic acid (first heme precursor) and 1,4-diaminobutanone (a microbicide) yielding electrophilic α-oxoaldehydes, ammonium ion and reactive oxygen species by metal- and hemeprotein-catalyzed aerobic oxidation. A plethora of recent reports implicates triose phosphate-generated methylglyoxal in protein crosslinking and DNA addition, leading to age-related disorders, including diabetes. Importantly, methylglyoxal-treated hemoglobin adds four water-exposed arginine residues, which may compromise its physiological role and potentially serve as biomarkers for diabetes.

Protocol for a Nested Randomized Controlled Trial to Evaluate the Feasibility and Preliminary Efficacy of the Mindfulness Based Health Promotion Program on the Quality of Life of Older Adults Assisted in Primary Care-"The MBHP-Elderly Study".

Population aging is a global phenomenon that has grown rapidly and progressively all over the world. Interventions that promote health must be studied and implemented to make the aging process be with quality of life. Depression and anxiety are the most common mental health conditions that compromise the quality of life on the elderly and it can cause damage to the autonomy and activities of daily life.

Does socioeconomic inequality occur in the multimorbidity among Brazilian adults?

Objective: To assess the prevalence of multimorbidity among Brazilian adults and its association with socioeconomic indicators.

Methods: Cross-sectional study that used data from the Pesquisa Nacional Sobre Acesso, Utilização e Promoção do Uso Racional de Medicamentos no Brasil (PNAUM - Brazilian National Survey on Access, Use and Promotion of Rational Use of Medicines), carried out between 2013 and 2014. The definition of multimorbidity was the coexistence, in a single individual, of two or more chronic diseases, measured through a list of 14 morbidities (self-reported medical diagnosis throughout life).

l-Tryptophan Interactions with the Horseradish Peroxidase-Catalyzed Generation of Triplet Acetone.

Triplet carbonyls generated by chemiexcitation are involved in typical photobiochemical processes in the absence of light. Due to their biradical nature, ultraweak light emission and long lifetime, electronically excited triplet species display typical radical reactions such as isomerization, fragmentation, cycloaddition and hydrogen abstraction. In this paper, we report chemical reactions in a set of amino acid residues induced by the isobutanal/horseradish peroxidase (IBAL/HRP) system, a well-known source of excited triplet acetone (Ac ).

Bio-based electrospun mats composed of aligned and nonaligned fibers from cellulose nanocrystals, castor oil, and recycled PET.

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), castor oil (CO), and recycled poly(ethylene terephthalate) (rPET), were used to add value to renewable raw materials and to a recycled polymer produced worldwide, producing mats composed of fibers on the nano- and submicrometric (ultrathin) scales through a sustainable process. Bio-based electrospun mats composed of aligned (rotary collector) and nonaligned (static collector) nanofibers/ultrathin fibers were produced from the electrospinning of solutions prepared from rPET (mixed with CO, CNCs, or CNCs/CO). The contact angle results showed that the CNC mat surfaces composed of nonaligned fibers were hydrophilic, and in contrast, these surfaces were hydrophobic when composed of aligned fibers.