SARS-CoV-2 spike peptide analysis reveals a highly conserved region that elicits potentially pathogenic autoantibodies: implications to pan-coronavirus vaccine development.

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, while subsiding, continues to plague the world as new variants emerge. Millions have died, and millions more battle with the debilitating symptoms of a clinical entity known as long Covid. The biggest challenge remains combating an ever-changing variant landscape that threatens immune evasion from vaccine and prior infection-generated immunity.

Ultrasound and freezing pretreatment as effective solutions for convective drying of BRS vitória grape.

Drying is a well-known food preservation technique. However, it is imperative to develop new techniques to reduce drying time by maintaining its quality characteristics. This study evaluated the effect of freezing and ultrasound combined on the microstructure of BRS Vitória grape during drying and on its quality parameters and antioxidant activity.

Isolation and Characterization of Plant-Growth-Promoting Bacteria Associated with Aublet.

Aublet is a floating aquatic plant, capable of absorbing the excess of nutrients and water contaminants and can be used in effluent treatment plants. The ability to survive in degraded areas may be related to the association with beneficial bacteria capable of promoting plant growth. However, little is known about the microbiota associated with this aquatic plant and its potential application to the aquatic environment.

Effect of different surface treatments and adhesive cementation on the surface topography and flexural strength of translucent and ultra-translucent monolithic zirconia.

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of different surface treatments and adhesive cementation on the miniflexural strength (MFS) of monolithic zirconia.

Materials And Methods: Two-hundred and forty (240) sintered bars of translucent zirconia (Z) and ultra-translucent zirconia (Z) were obtained (8 mm ×2 mm ×1 mm). The bars were divided into 16 groups (n = 15) according to the factors "Zirconia" (Z and Z), "Cementation" (Cem) and "surface treatment" (Ctrl:Control, Al:Aluminum oxide/AlO 50 µm, Si:Silica/SiO coated alumina particles oxide 30 µm, Gl:Glazing+hydrofluoric acid).

What is the relationship between body image and the quality of life of women who underwent surgery for breast cancer? A scoping review.

Purpose: This review aimed to identify, characterize, map, and summarize existing knowledge about the relationship of perceived body image with the quality of life (QoL) of women who have undergone surgical treatment for breast cancer.

Methods: A scoping review was conducted following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. PubMed, PsycINFO and Scopus databases were searched, and articles published until August 2022 were included.

Real-time management of intra-hospital patient transport requests.

This paper addresses the management of patients' transportation requests within a hospital, a very challenging problem where requests must be scheduled among the available porters so that patients arrive at their destination timely and the resources invested in patient transport are kept as low as possible. Transportation requests arrive during the day in an unpredictable manner, so they need to be scheduled in real-time. To ensure that the requests are scheduled in the best possible manner, one should also reconsider the decisions made on pending requests that have not yet been completed, a process that will be referred to as rescheduling.

Digital planning and surveying for a rotational path removable partial denture: a case report.

Digital technology has been applied to the planning and manufacture of removable partial dentures (RPDs), reducing the complexity of RPD treatment as well as the number and duration of clinical and laboratory steps. However, there is a lack of information regarding digital planning and surveying for rotational path RPDs. This article presents a case report of a digital diagnostic wax-up and survey for a rotational path RPD performed with prosthetic design software.

Prevalence of rare visceral aneurysms on 92,833 CAT scans (2005-2021).

Background: Studies on the prevalence of rare visceral aneurysms are still scarce and the few studies that have focused on these aneurysms present prevalence rates in groups of patients with visceral aneurysms, but little is known about their prevalence in the general population.

Objectives: To assess the prevalence of rare visceral aneurysms on CAT scans performed for diagnosis and follow-up of patients with other vascular pathologies.

Methods: This cross-sectional study began by accessing all reports from CAT scans performed between January 2005 and July 2021 at a private hospital of excellence located in the city of São Paulo.

Assessment of Wood Bio-Concrete Properties Modified with Silane-Siloxane.

Bio-based materials, such as wood bio-concrete (WBC), hold promise in reducing energy consumption and carbon footprint of the construction industry. However, the durability of these materials is not well understood and can be negatively affected by the high water absorption capacity of wood bio-aggregates. In the field of cement composites, for example, silane-siloxane-based water repellent has been used to protect such materials from natural environmental attack.

Generalized anxiety disorder in Brazilian undergraduate dental students during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study.

Objective: Explore the prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and associated factors in undergraduate dental students during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil.

Materials And Methods: Cross-sectional study. A semi-structured questionnaire addressing the variables of interest was shared with dental students between July 8 and 27 2020.

Ultra-processed food consumption and dental caries in adolescents from the 2004 Pelotas Birth Cohort study.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption and dental caries in adolescents.

Methods: Data from 996 adolescents aged 12-13 years who participated in an oral health sub-study of the 2004 Pelotas Birth Cohort in southern Brazil were analysed. The main exposure was daily UPF consumption at age 10-11 years, measured by a food frequency questionnaire containing 24 UPF items defined based on the NOVA system.

Flexural strength, surface roughness, micro-CT analysis, and microbiological adhesion of a 3D-printed temporary crown material.

Objective: To evaluate the thermocycling effect of 3D-printed resins on flexural strength, surface roughness, microbiological adhesion, and porosity.

Materials And Methods: 150 bars (8 × 2 × 2 mm) and 100 blocks (8 × 8 × 2 mm) were made and divided into 5 groups, according to two factors: "material" (AR: acrylic resin, CR: composite resin, BIS: bis-acryl resin, CAD: CAD/CAM resin, and PRINT: 3D-printed resin) and "aging" (non-aged and aged - TC). Half of them were subjected to thermocycling (10,000 cycles).

A review of the main methods for composite adsorbents characterization.

Adsorption is a promising technology for removing several contaminants from aqueous matrices. In the last years, researchers worldwide have been working on developing composite adsorbents to overcome some limitations and drawbacks of conventional adsorbent materials, which depend on various factors, including the characteristics of the adsorbents. Therefore, it is essential to characterize the composite adsorbents to describe their properties and structure and elucidate the mechanisms, behavior, and phenomenons during the adsorption process.

Quality of Life Scores Remained Different among the Genotypic Groups of Patients with Suspected Hemochromatosis, Even after Treatment Period.

Background: Hemochromatosis is a genetic condition of iron overload caused by deficiency of hepcidin. In a previous stage of this study, patients with suspected hemochromatosis had their quality of life (QL) measured. We observed that QL scores differed among genotypic groups of patients.

First molecular detection of Spiroplasma spp. in ticks from horses in Brazil.

The class Mollicutes comprises microorganisms that lack a cell wall, highly dependent on their host to survive. Within Mollicutes, the genus Spiroplasma comprises motile helical microorganisms associated with various insects and other arthropods. This study aimed to detect and characterize Mollicutes microorganisms in ticks of different species of veterinary importance, using molecular techniques.

ATLANTIC ANTS: a data set of ants in Atlantic Forests of South America.

Ants, an ecologically successful and numerically dominant group of animals, play key ecological roles as soil engineers, predators, nutrient recyclers, and regulators of plant growth and reproduction in most terrestrial ecosystems. Further, ants are widely used as bioindicators of the ecological impact of land use. We gathered information of ant species in the Atlantic Forest of South America.

Effect of finishing/polishing techniques and aging on topography, C. albicans adherence, and flexural strength of ultra-translucent zirconia: an in situ study.

Objective: To investigate the influence of different finishing/polishing techniques and in situ aging on the flexural strength (σ), surface roughness, and Candida albicans adherence of 5 mol% yttria-stabilized zirconia (ultratranslucent zirconia).

Materials And Methods: A total of 120 zirconia bars (Prettau Anterior, Zirkonzahn) with dimensions of 8 × 2 × 0.5 mm were divided into 8 groups (n = 15) according to two factors: "in situ aging" (non-aged and aged (A)) and "finishing/polishing" (control (C), diamond rubber polishing (R), coarse grit diamond bur abrasion (B), and coarse grit diamond bur abrasion + diamond rubber polishing (BR)).

Improvement of semen parameters after coil embolization of varicoceles: a systematic review.

This systematic review was conducted in accordance with the 2009 Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement, including clinical studies in which one of the outcomes was semen parameter improvement after varicocele embolization using coils only. The objective of the review was to assess the evidence on the role of embolization using coils alone for semen parameter improvement in men with varicocele, since embolization using coils is the most cost-effective method of varicocele repair. Study quality was assessed using the methodological index for non-randomized studies (MINORS).

Covid-19 diagnosis by combining RT-PCR and pseudo-convolutional machines to characterize virus sequences.

The Covid-19 pandemic, a disease transmitted by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has already caused the infection of more than 120 million people, of which 70 million have been recovered, while 3 million people have died. The high speed of infection has led to the rapid depletion of public health resources in most countries. RT-PCR is Covid-19's reference diagnostic method.

Head and Neck Cancer Treatments through Chemotherapy to Magnetic Systems: Perspectives and Challenges.

Background: Cancer is one of the diseases causing society's fears as a stigma of death and pain. Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) is a group of malignant neoplasms of different locations in this region of the human body. It is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in Brazil, because these malignant neoplasias, in most cases, are diagnosed in late phases.

Novel mutations in the bone morphogenetic protein 6 gene in patients with iron overload and non-homozygous genotype for the HFE p.Cys282Tyr mutation.

Background: Five main genes are associated with hemochromatosis; however, current studies show that, in addition to these genes, others may be associated with primary iron overload (IO). One of these is the bone morphogenetic protein 6 (BMP6), which encodes a protein that modulates hepcidin synthesis and, consequently, iron homeostasis.

Aim: To identify BMP6 gene pathogenic variants in patients with IO and non-homozygous genotype for the HFE p.