Protecting Great Barrier Reef resilience through effective management of crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks.

Resilience-based management is essential to protect ecosystems in the Anthropocene. Unlike large-scale climate threats to Great Barrier Reef (GBR) corals, outbreaks of coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS; Acanthaster cf. solaris) can be directly managed through targeted culling.

Improving the Nutritional Status of Socially Vulnerable Children in Manaus, Brazilian Amazon, through a Food Supplementation Programme.

Information on the effects of government nutrition programmes provided to socially vulnerable children to improve their nutritional status is scarce. We analysed the effectiveness of a nutritional programme, including food supplementation with infant formula, on the evolution of the weight and height of socially vulnerable children from Manaus in the Brazilian Amazon. This study included 7752 children aged 12-24 months admitted to the programme between 2017 and 2020.

Sex and gender differences in the treatment of arterial hypertension.

Introduction: Arterial hypertension represents the leading modifiable risk factor for all-cause death and early development of cardiovascular disease in women. Current clinical guidelines for the treatment of hypertension noted that women respond to antihypertensive drugs similarly to men and, therefore, treatment recommendations remain the same for both sexes. However, clinical evidence suggests the existence of sex- and gender-related differences (SGRD) in the prevalence, pathophysiology, pharmacodynamics (efficacy and safety) and pharmacokinetics of antihypertensive drugs.

Cutaneous Manifestations in Patients With COVID-19 Treated at a University Hospital in Southern Brazil.

Objectives The aim of this study was to ascertain whether pattern of cutaneous lesions, age, sex, ethnicity, long-term medication use, arterial oxygen saturation at the first examination, setting of care, and number of medications used to treat SARS-CoV-2 infection are associated with mortality in patients with a confirmed diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and cutaneous manifestations. In addition, to evaluate the occurrence of cutaneous manifestations in patients with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 through a review of medical records and in-person evaluation by a dermatologist. Methods This investigation consisted of two components - (A) a cross-sectional study with a retrospective review of the medical records of all patients with a positive reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test for SARS-CoV-2 treated at Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Porto Alegre between March 2020 and November 2020, and (B) a prospective case series with in-person skin examination by an attending dermatologist of all patients admitted to COVID-19 wards between April 2021 and July 2021.

Temperature-dependent potential for the molecular dynamics of the superionic conductor β-PbF2.

Molecular dynamic (MD) calculations were performed to investigate the thermodynamic and structural properties of lead fluoride (PbF) by using a proposed inter-ionic temperature-dependent potential. This potential allows calculating with high precision the linear thermal expansivity and the lattice parameter as a temperature function. In addition, the potential can be represented as a sum of two contributions, a temperature-independent potential added to another temperature-dependent potential, considered last as a correction justified by the one-dimensional Newtonian quantum equation.

DHA bioaccessibility in infant formulas and preschool children milks.

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) is an essential long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid associated with the development of the nervous system that has to be consumed by infants through breast milk or complementary food sources and which consumption is also usually inadequate in preschoolers. In this work, the in vitro bioaccessibility of DHA from two commercial infant formulas (8.9 and 9.

The Effect of Infant Formulas With 4 or 8 g/L GOS/FOS on Growth, Gastrointestinal Symptoms, and Behavioral Patterns: A Prospective Cohort Study.

There is a lack of studies investigating the clinical benefits of prebiotic-supplemented infant formula. In this study, healthy infants that started, on medical recommendation, artificial feeding with one of 2 infant formulas containing 4 g/L of GOS/FOS (9:1) (IF4 group; n = 60) or 8 g/L of GOS/FOS (9:1) (IF8 group; n = 60) were followed for 30 days to the evaluation of growth and gastrointestinal symptoms. Exclusively breastfed infants (EBF; n = 60) were followed up as a reference.

Probiotic infant cereal improves children's gut microbiota: Insights using the Simulator of Human Intestinal Microbial Ecosystem (SHIME®).

Infant́s gut microbiota can be modulated by many factors, including mode of delivery, feeding regime, maternal diet/weight and probiotic and prebiotic consumption. The gut microbiota in dysbiosis has been associated with innumerous diseases. In this sense, early childhood intestinal microbiome modulation can be a strategy for disease prevention.

Data on a temperature-dependent thermic and electrical properties of a novel blend polymeric system based on poly(vinyl alcohol), chitosan and phosphoric acid.

In this work, data on a temperature-dependent thermic and electrical properties in a novel blend polymer electrolyte membranes based on poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and chitosan (CS) doped with HPO at different concentrations were prepared by solution casting method. Their phase behavior and ionic conductivity were studied by DSC, TGA and IS. These membranes exhibit good proton conductivity of the order of 10 Scm at 200 °C and the understanding of the HPO at different concentrations effect in the polymer electrolyte membranes is crucial for possible applications in fuel cells.

A parametric temperature dependent potential for β-PbF: A numerical investigation by molecular dynamics.

This article presents the data on a parametric temperature dependent potential for β-PbF using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations in the rigid ion approach. The β-PbF is an important ionic conductor that exhibit a super ionic behavior at 711 K. The understanding of the temperature effect in its properties is crucial for possible applications in electrode for solid state batteries, Cherenkov detectors, and rare earth host for scintillation screen.

Data on study of hematite nanoparticles obtained from Iron(III) oxide by the Pechini method.

This article presents the data on α-FeO nanoparticles synthesized via Pechini method using iron(III) oxide precursor from steel industry. It is important to highlight the added value that is given to an industrial waste. The samples were characterized by thermal analysis (DTA, TG), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR).

Crystallinity and lowering band gap induced visible light photocatalytic activity of TiO/CS (Chitosan) nanocomposites.

The inhibition of electrons-holes recombination and enhancement of visible light photocatalytic activity were accomplished by the synthesized TiO/CS nanocomposites system. In this present work, the different weight ratio of TiO and chitosan (75:25, 50:50 and 25:75) nanocomposites were synthesized via two-step method. After that, the existing functional groups, size and structure of the nanocomposites system were characterized via FT-IR, TEM and XRD measurements.

HABITS AND ATTITUDES OF MOTHERS OF INFANTS IN RELATION TO BREASTFEEDING AND ARTIFICIAL FEEDING IN 11 BRAZILIAN CITIES.

Objective: To analyze the relationship between habits and attitudes of mothers and the types of milk offered to their children in their first two years of life.

Methods: Retrospective study including 773 interviews of mothers from 11 Brazilian cities with children under 2 years of age. Interviews were conducted in 11 cities of Brazil.

The shell effect on the room temperature photoluminescence from ZnO/MgO core/shell nanowires: exciton-phonon coupling and strain.

The room temperature photoluminescence from ZnO/MgO core/shell nanowires (NWs) grown by a simple two-step vapor transport method was studied for various MgO shell widths (w). Two distinct effects induced by the MgO shell were clearly identified. The first one, related to the ZnO/MgO interface formation, is evidenced by strong enhancements of the zero-phonon and first phonon replica of the excitonic emission, which are accompanied by a total suppression of its second phonon replica.

Cost-Effectiveness and Cost-Utility Analysis of Ingenol Mebutate Versus Diclofenac 3% and Imiquimod 5% in the Treatment of Actinic Keratosis in Spain.

Objective: To perform a cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analysis of ingenol mebutate in the treatment of actinic keratosis in Spain.

Methods: We used an adapted Markov model to simulate outcomes in a cohort of patients (mean age, 73 years) with actinic keratosis over a 5-year period. The comparators were diclofenac 3% and imiquimod 5%.

ZnO/Ag/CdO nanocomposite for visible light-induced photocatalytic degradation of industrial textile effluents.

A ternary ZnO/Ag/CdO nanocomposite was synthesized using thermal decomposition method. The resulting nanocomposite was characterized by X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The ZnO/Ag/CdO nanocomposite exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation for the degradation of methyl orange and methylene blue compared with binary ZnO/Ag and ZnO/CdO nanocomposites.

Enhanced GABAergic tone in the ventral pallidum: memory of unpleasant experiences?

The nucleus accumbens (NAc) has emerged as an important part of the neural circuitry regulating depressive-like behaviors. Given that the NAc GABAergic medium spiny neurons project to the ventral pallidum (VP), it is reasonable to suggest that the VP may also be involved in these behaviors. Consequently, we explored the role of the VP GABAergic terminals during depressive-like behaviors in rats using the forced swim test (FST) and the sucrose preference test (SPT).

Vapor-liquid-Solid synthesis of [010]-oriented Sb2Se3 nanowires.

In this article we report for the first time the synthesis of Sb2Se3 nanowires using a physical vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) process. We used microcrystals of Antimony as solid catalytic material and molten Selenium to generate the vapor source. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) images show that as-obtained Sb2Se3 nanowires have diameters in the range between 20 nm and 2 microm and lengths up to 30 microm.

Vapor-liquid-solid synthesis and characterization of alpha-monoclinic selenium nanowires.

Nanowires of alpha-monoclinic Selenium have been synthesized using a physical vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) process for first time. We used micron sized particles of crystalline Antimony Selenide as catalyst and molten Selenium to generate the vapor source. The synthesized nanowires have diameters in the range between 20 nm and 1 microm and lengths up to 30 microm.

[Application of proteomics to neurological diseases].

Proteomic is a set of tools that allows the separation and identification of proteins expressed by a cell, tissue or organism. Two-dimensional electrophoresis is the central tool that allows qualitative and quantitative comparisons of protein patterns between samples. Differential analysis of protein expression patterns in different neurological diseases (stroke, Alzheimer, Parkinson, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Hungtington, epilepsy) allows the identification of diagnostic and/or prognostic biomarkers.

Vascular protection in brain ischemia.

Vascular damage occurring after cerebral ischemia may lead to a worse outcome in patients with ischemic stroke, as it facilitates edema formation and hemorrhagic transformation. There are several phases in the development of vascular injury (acute, subacute and chronic) and different mediators act in each one. Therapeutic options to avoid vascular injury must be focused on acting in each phase.

Genetic variability of the marine mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis assessed using two-dimensional electrophoresis.

Two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) has been used to measure the degree of genetic variability of the marine mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis. Genetic polymorphisms were detected in 33 of a total of 86 polypeptides scored among the most abundant proteins from foot samples in 38 individuals. Estimates of average heterozygosity were 0.