Probing the interaction of mannose-binding lectin with healthy and sickle cell anemia red blood cells and its role in cellular biomechanics.

Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) is an important glycoprotein of the human innate immune system. Furthermore, individuals with sickle cell anemia (SCA) and MBL deficiency seem more susceptible to vaso-occlusive crises, suggesting an MBL role on HbSS red blood cells (RBCs). This study investigated the interaction of MBL with HbA (healthy) and HbSS RBCs using optical tweezers (OT) and atomic force microscopy (AFM).

Performance of Recycled Opaque PET Modified by Reactive Extrusion.

A comparative study of the structural integrity of an opaque recycled poly(ethylene terephthalate) (rPET-O) has been carried out with two types of modified rPET-O by applying reactive extrusion techniques, namely (a) using a multi-epoxide reactive agent (REx-rPET-O) and (b) a 90/10 (wt/wt) rPET-O/polycarbonate (PC) blend. The chemical modifications introduced during reactive extrusion were confirmed using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and rheological dynamic analysis (RDA). For the quantification of the fracture parameters, an instrumented pendulum impact testing machine was used using specimens in SENB configuration.

: A Command-Line Interface for Molecular Simulations and Multiscale Microsolvation Modeling.

In this work, we introduce the , a comprehensive and modular command-line interface designed for molecular simulation and microsolvation modeling. The suite interfaces with widely used scientific software, streamlining computational experiments for liquid systems through the automated creation of simulation boxes and topology with adjustable simulation parameters. Furthermore, it has features for graphical and statistical analysis of simulated properties and extraction of trajectory configurations with various filters.

TETRASPANIN 8-1 from plays a key role during mutualistic interactions.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and rhizobia form two of the most important plant-microbe associations for the assimilation of phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N). Symbiont-derived signals are able to coordinate the infection process by triggering multiple responses in the plant root, such as calcium influxes and oscillations, increased reactive oxygen species (ROS), cytoskeletal rearrangements and altered gene expression. An examination was made of the role of tetraspanins, which are transmembrane proteins that self-organize into tetraspanin web regions, where they recruit specific proteins into platforms required for signal transduction, membrane fusion, cell trafficking, and ROS generation.

Intimate Partner Violence among women living in families with children under the poverty line and its association with common mental disorders during COVID-19 pandemics in Ceará, Brazil.

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a pervasive public health issue that affects millions of women worldwide. Women living below the poverty line experience higher rates of violence and fewer resources to escape or cope with the abuse, and the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted women's economic well-being worldwide. We conducted a cross-sectional study in Ceará, Brazil, on women in families with children living below the poverty line at the peak of the second wave of COVID to assess the prevalence of IPV and its association with common mental disorders(CMD).

Concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and histological changes in Anomalocardia brasiliana and Crassostrea rhizophorae from Pernambuco, Brazil after the 2019 oil spill.

The present study aimed to analyze the concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in populations of the shellfish Anomalocardia brasiliana and oysters Crassostrea rhizophorae three years after the 2019 oil spill, as well as evaluate histopathological changes on the gill tissues of the bivalves. Individuals of both species were sampled at points along the northern and southern coast of Pernambuco, Brazil. The permanence of oil residues was confirmed, evidenced by the total concentration of PAHs in the shellfish from the northern coast, which was roughly four times higher than the southern one.

Association of Sociodemographic Factors and Maternal Educational Attainment with Child Development among Families Living below the Poverty Line in the State of Ceará, Northeastern Brazil.

Maternal educational attainment has been identified as relevant to several child health and development outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the association of sociodemographic and maternal education factors with child development in families living below the poverty line. A cross-sectional study was conducted through telephone contact from May to July 2021 in Ceará, a state in Northeastern Brazil.

Similarity Analysis in Understanding Online News in Response to Public Health Crisis.

Background: The "Syphilis No!" campaign the Brazilian Ministry of Health (MoH) launched between November 2018 and March 2019, brought forward the concept "Test, Treat and Cure" to remind the population of the importance of syphilis prevention. In this context, this study aims to analyze the similarity of syphilis online news to comprehend how public health communication interventions influence media coverage of the syphilis issue.

Methods: This paper presented a computational approach to assess the effectiveness of communication actions on a public health problem.

Sentiment Analysis in Understanding the Potential of Online News in the Public Health Crisis Response.

This study analyzes online news disseminated throughout the pre-, during-, and post-intervention periods of the "Syphilis No!" Project, which was developed in Brazil between November 2018 and March 2019. We investigated the influence of sentiment aspects of news to explore their possible relationships with syphilis testing data in response to the syphilis epidemic in Brazil. A dictionary-based technique (VADER) was chosen to perform sentiment analysis considering the Brazilian Portuguese language.

Changes in air pollution due to COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020: Limited effect on NO, PM, and PM annual means compared to the new WHO Air Quality Guidelines.

Background: Lockdowns have been fundamental to decreasing disease transmission during the COVID-19 pandemic even after vaccines were available. We aimed to evaluate and compare changes in air quality during the first year of the pandemic in different cities around the world, investigate how these changes correlate with changes in mobility, and analyse how lockdowns affected air pollutants' annual means.

Methods: We compared the concentrations of NO, PM, and PM in 42 cities around the world in the first months of the pandemic in 2020 to data from 2016-2019 and correlated them with changes in mobility using Human Development Indexes (HDIs).

Facial expression analysis in a wild sporting environment.

The scientific community and mass media have already reported the use of nonverbal behavior analysis in sports for athletes' performance. Their conclusions stated that certain emotional expressions are linked to athlete's performance, or even that psychological strategies serve to improve endurance performance. This paper examines the portrayal of well-known emotions and their relationship to the participants of an ultra-distance race in a high-stake environment.

Analyzing households' food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic and the role of public policies to mitigate it: evidence from Ceará, Brazil.

Objective: To evaluate the association of conditional cash transfer policies to mitigate the food insecurity (FI) among families living in poverty during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ceará, Brazil.

Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was carried out through telephone contact during the period of May-July 2021, during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ceará. Families in a situation of high social and economic vulnerability participated in this study (monthly per capita income of less than US$16.

Caffeine reverts loss of muscular performance during the early-follicular phase in resistance-trained naturally menstruating women.

The aim of this study was to compare the effects of caffeine ingestion on muscular performance during the early-follicular and mid-luteal phases of the menstrual cycle. Fourteen resistance-trained naturally menstruating women performed countermovement jump (CMJ), maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC), one-repetition maximum (1-RM), and repetitions-to-failure (RF) at 80% of 1-RM in the half-squat exercise, in early-follicular and mid-luteal phases, after placebo or caffeine ingestion. The early-follicular and mid-luteal phases were identified via calendar-based counting method.

Predicting Brazilian Court Decisions.

Predicting case outcomes is useful for legal professionals to understand case law, file a lawsuit, raise a defense, or lodge appeals, for instance. However, it is very hard to predict legal decisions since this requires extracting valuable information from myriads of cases and other documents. Moreover, legal system complexity along with a huge volume of litigation make this problem even harder.

Structure and Properties of Reactively Extruded Opaque Post-Consumer Recycled PET.

The recyclability of opaque PET, which contains TiO nanoparticles, has not been as well-studied as that of transparent PET. The objective of this work is to recycle post-consumer opaque PET through reactive extrusion with Joncryl. The effect of the reactive extrusion process on the molecular structure and on the thermal/mechanical/rheological properties of recycling post-consumer opaque PET (r-PET) has been analyzed.

Thrombus in transit across a patent foramen ovale in a patient with cerebrovascular accidents, pulmonary embolism, and deep vein thrombosis.

The diagnosis of paradoxical emboli remains elusive in many cases. The causal association between the thrombotic source, the intracardiac shunt, and the final emboli location is seldom demonstrated. We present the case of a 42-year-old woman admitted to the hospital with a third stroke.

Incidentally found guidewire during bacterial endocarditis workup.

A 67-year-old female with recent hospitalization for pneumonia was transferred to our facility for high fevers and positive blood cultures for staph aureus. During her treatment for pneumonia, central venous catheter was placed. A systolic murmur was found in conjunction with fever and notable premature ventricular contractions on telemetry monitoring.

Parachute mitral valve.

An asymptomatic 30-year-old male was referred for a transthoracic echocardiogram because of a systolic murmur that was noted on a pre-employment physical exam. Transthoracic imaging demonstrated a single papillary muscle from which the chordae of both mitral valve leaflets were attached. The mitral valve was seen to have a parachute-like configuration.

Biventricular apical thrombi in a patient presenting with new-onset dilated cardiomyopathy.

The diagnosis of an apical left ventricular thrombus in the setting of a dilated cardiomyopathy is not uncommon. However, biventricular apical thrombi in this setting is unusual. We present a case of a 67-year-old man who was admitted with new onset heart failure with biventricular apical thrombus formation in the absence of a hypercoagulable state.

Improved function and strength in patients with knee osteoarthritis as a result of adding a two-day educational program to usual care. Prospective randomized trial.

Objective: The primary aim was to quantify the improvements on function and pain of patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA), short education and low income by a two-day self-management program. Secondary aims were verifying if the program improves clinically relevant measures of weight and strength.

Design: A prospective randomized clinical trial was conducted in a tertiary hospital in Brazil with 191 patients with Kellgren & Lawrence grades II and III KOA who were allocated to two groups: control (usual care- CG) and intervention (usual care and two days of an OA self-management program with a multiprofessional team - IG).

Left ventricular pacemaker wire through patent foramen ovale.

A 53-year-old male status post pacemaker placement three months prior for sinus bradycardia presented with worsening dyspnea, holosystolic murmur, and a ventricular-paced right bundle branch block on electrocardiogram. Transesophageal echocardiography demonstrated a pacer wire in the right atrium coursing into the left atrium and ventricle through an undiagnosed patent foramen ovale. The patient underwent surgical repair and repositioning of the pacemaker lead without complication.

Diradicalar Character and Ring Stability of Mesoionic Heterocyclic Oxazoles and Thiazoles by Ab Initio Mono and Multi-Reference Methods.

Mesoionics are neutral compounds that cannot be represented by a fully covalent or purely ionic structure. Among the possible mesomeric structures of these compounds are the diradical electronic configurations. Theoretical and experimental studies indicate that some mesoionic rings are unstable, which may be related to a significant diradical character, that until then is not quantified.

Right ventricular outflow tract obstruction due to a leiomyosarcoma.

A 65-year-old female presenting with worsening dyspnea and notable weight loss were found to have a systolic murmur on physical examination. On workup with computed tomography (CT) angiogram, a solid mass was found extending from the inferior vena cava into the right ventricle. Transesophageal echocardiography demonstrated this mass extension causing right ventricular outflow tract obstruction.

Enteric methane, lactation performances, digestibility, and metabolism of nitrogen and energy of Holsteins and Jerseys fed 2 levels of forage fiber from alfalfa silage or corn silage.

Our objective was to determine the effects of replacing alfalfa silage (AS) neutral detergent fiber (NDF) with corn silage (CS) NDF at 2 levels of forage NDF (FNDF) on enteric methane (CH), lactation performance, ruminal fluid characteristics, digestibility, and metabolism of N and energy in Holstein and Jersey cows. Twelve Holstein and 12 Jersey cows (all primiparous and mid-lactation) were used in a triplicated split-plot 4 × 4 Latin square experiment, where breed and diet formed the main and subplots, respectively. The 4 iso-nitrogenous and iso-starch dietary treatments were arranged as a 2 × 2 factorial with 2 levels of FNDF [19 (low FNDF, LF) and 24% (high FNDF, HF) of dry matter] and 2 sources of FNDF (70:30 and 30:70 ratio of AS NDF to CS NDF).

Superior Vena Cava Stent Migration Into the Right Atrium.

Possible stent migration was suspected in this case and confirmed on transesophageal echocardiography. The patient underwent successful stent removal with snaring, as well as subsequent placement of another stent in the superior vena cava without further complications.