Comparative study between aquatic therapy and land-based exercises in hemiplegic patients after stroke: a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the effects of aquatic therapy in individuals with hemiplegia compared to those of a conventional land-based exercise program.

Design: This was a blinded, randomized controlled study of chronic stroke patients with hemiplegia. The participants were randomized in to aquatic therapy (experimental) or conventional therapy (control) groups.

Perovskite-Like Liquid-Crystalline Materials Based on Polyfluorinated Imidazolium Cations.

Hybrid Organic-Inorganic Halide Perovskites (HOIHPs) represent an emerging class of semiconducting materials, widely employed in a variety of optoelectronic applications. Despite their skyrocket growth in the last decade, a detailed understanding on their structure-property relationships is still missing. In this communication, we report two unprecedented perovskite-like materials based on polyfluorinated imidazolium cations.

Clinical effects of equine-assisted therapeutic exercises in static and dynamic balance of children with cerebral palsy.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of equine-assisted therapy for the static and dynamic balance in the rehabilitation of children and adolescents with cerebral palsy maintaining obtained improvement 8-weeks after the end of the intervention.

Method: The study lasted 28 weeks, of which the intervention lasted 12 weeks. Measurements were taken before, in the middle, after the end of the intervention and follow-up after 12 weeks.

The efficacy of Equine Assisted Therapy intervention in gross motor function, performance, and spasticity in children with Cerebral Palsy.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of Equine Assisted Therapy in children with Cerebral Palsy, in terms of gross motor function, performance, and spasticity as well as whether this improvement can be maintained for 2 months after the end of the intervention.

Methods: Children with Cerebral Palsy participated in this prospective cohort study. The study lasted for 28 weeks, of which the equine assisted therapy lasted 12 weeks taking place once a week for 30 min.

Antioxidant Potential of Spray- and Freeze-Dried Extract from Oregano Processing Wastes, Using an Optimized Ultrasound-Assisted Method.

is recognized worldwide for its numerous applications, in the food industry and beyond. However, the extraction of its essential oils generates a significant amount of waste. The aim of this research was to achieve the valorization of solid waste from oregano hydro-distillation, by (i) optimizing the ultrasound extraction of antioxidants, (ii) evaluating the effect of spray and freeze drying on the extract's physicochemical properties, and (iii) characterizing the obtained powder by its antioxidant capacity.

Hydrometallurgical recovery of silver and gold from waste printed circuit boards and treatment of the wastewater in a biofilm reactor: An integrated pilot application.

A hydrometallurgical process for the recovery of gold and silver from waste printed circuit boards (PCBs) was experimentally verified and tested at pilot scale. The process comprises four sequential leaching stages; the first two based on HCl, correspond to base metals (e.g.

Covalently Modified MoS Bearing a Hamilton-Type Receptor for Recognizing a Redox-Active Ferrocene-Barbiturate Guest via Multiple H-Bonds.

The covalent modification of the metallic phase of MoS with a Hamilton-type ligand is presented, transforming MoS to a recognition platform which is able to embrace barbiturate moieties via hydrogen bonding. The successful hydrogen bonding formation is easily monitored by simple electrochemical assessments, if a ferrocene-labeled barbiturate analogue is utilized as a proof of concept. Full spectroscopic, thermal, and electron microscopy imaging characterization is provided for the newly formed recognition system, along with valuable insights concerning the electrochemical sensing.

Exploring the Value of Hosting a Grassroots Neuroscience Workshop That Facilitates Near-Peer Engagement Between Medical Students and High School Students (Local Brain Bee Participants) in a Developing Country in the Caribbean.

Objective This article explores the value of hosting a grassroots neuroscience workshop that facilitates near-peer engagement between year-one medical students and local Brain Bee finalists (high school students). Near-peer mentoring is a formal relationship in which more academically advanced students guide immediate junior students. We hypothesized that similar activities have teaching, learning, and psychosocial benefits for all and can be easily replicated.

Positive contribution of hydroxytyrosol-enriched wheat bread to HbAc levels, lipid profile, markers of inflammation and body weight in subjects with overweight/obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to assess the impact of the daily consumption of bread enriched with hydroxytyrosol on HbAc and blood lipid levels, inflammatory markers and weight loss.

Methods: Sixty adults with overweight/obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (29 male, 31 female) participated in a 12-week dietary intervention based on the Mediterranean diet and consumed daily 60 g of conventional whole wheat bread (WWB) or whole wheat bread enriched with hydroxytyrosol (HTB). Anthropometric characteristics were measured and venous blood samples were collected at baseline and at the end of the intervention.

AdaPool: Exponential Adaptive Pooling for Information-Retaining Downsampling.

Pooling layers are essential building blocks of convolutional neural networks (CNNs), to reduce computational overhead and increase the receptive fields of proceeding convolutional operations. Their goal is to produce downsampled volumes that closely resemble the input volume while, ideally, also being computationally and memory efficient. Meeting both these requirements remains a challenge.

Highly Selective Electrocatalytic Reduction of Substituted Nitrobenzenes to Their Aniline Derivatives Using a Polyoxometalate Redox Mediator.

Anilines and substituted anilines are used on the multi-ton scale for producing polymers, pharmaceuticals, dyes, and other important compounds. Typically, these anilines are produced from their corresponding nitrobenzene precursors by reaction with hydrogen at high temperatures. However, this route suffers from a number of drawbacks, including the requirement to handle hydrogen gas, rather harsh reaction conditions that lead to a lack of selectivity and/or toleration of certain functional groups, and questionable environmental sustainability.

Electrochemical reduction of nitrobenzene via redox-mediated chronoamperometry.

Anilines are important feedstocks for pharmaceuticals, dyes, and other materials, but traditional approaches to their syntheses usually lack selectivity and environmental sustainability. Here, we describe the selective reduction of nitrobenzene to aniline under mild conditions, using water as the ultimate source of the required protons and electrons. We describe the electrochemical cell assembly, and detail steps for electrochemical reduction followed by organic extraction and analysis of the extracts using NMR.

Positive postprandial glycaemic and appetite-related effects of wheat breads enriched with either α-cyclodextrin or hydroxytyrosol/α-cyclodextrin inclusion complex.

Purpose: Enrichment of wheat bread with either α-cyclodextrin (α-CD) or an inclusion complex of hydroxytyrosol (HT) and α-CD was performed to examine potential postprandial benefits.

Methods: Ten healthy normoglycaemic adults were provided with either a glucose solution (reference food, GS), white wheat bread (WB), wheat bread enriched with α-CD (α-CDB) or wheat bread enriched with HT/α-CD complex ((HT + α-CD)B), with 1-week intervals in amounts that yielded 50 g of available carbohydrates. Venous blood samples were collected before consumption and at 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120 and 180 min, postprandially.

Host-guest inclusion complexes of hydroxytyrosol with cyclodextrins: Development of a potential functional ingredient for food application.

Hydroxytyrosol (HT), a potent phenolic phytochemical, exerts positive health effects due to its antioxidant properties. However, it is highly reactive to oxygen, light, and heat and presents high instability. Alpha- and beta-cyclodextrin (α-CD, β-CD) have structures that allow them to encapsulate a variety of hydrophobic molecules.

Methylammonium Lead Bromide Perovskite Nano-Crystals Grown in a Poly[styrene-co-(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl Methacrylate)] Matrix Immobilized on Exfoliated Graphene Nano-Sheets.

Development of graphene/perovskite heterostructures mediated by polymeric materials may constitute a robust strategy to resolve the environmental instability of metal halide perovskites and provide barrierless charge transport. Herein, a straightforward approach for the growth of perovskite nano-crystals and their electronic communication with graphene is presented. Methylammonium lead bromide (CHNHPbBr) nano-crystals were grown in a poly[styrene-co-(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate)], P[St-co-DMAEMA], bi-functional random co-polymer matrix and non-covalently immobilized on graphene.

Impact of Grazing on Diversity of Semi-Arid Rangelands in Crete Island in the Context of Climatic Change.

The rangelands of Crete island (Greece) are typical Mediterranean habitats under high risk of degradation due to long-term grazing and harsh climatic conditions. We explored the effect of abiotic (climatic conditions, altitude) and biotic factors (long-term grazing by small ruminants) on the floristic composition and diversity of selected lowland (Pyrathi, Faistos) and highland (Vroulidia, Nida) rangelands. In each rangeland, the ground cover was measured, and the floristic composition was calculated in terms of five functional groups: grasses, legumes, forbs, phrygana, and shrubs.

Anion-π Catalysis Enabled by the Mechanical Bond.

We report a series of rotaxane-based anion-π catalysts in which the mechanical bond between a bipyridine macrocycle and an axle containing an NDI unit is intrinsic to the activity observed, including a [3]rotaxane that catalyses an otherwise disfavoured Michael addition in >60 fold selectivity over a competing decarboxylation pathway that dominates under Brønsted base conditions. The results are rationalized by detailed experimental investigations, electrochemical and computational analysis.

One-step covalent hydrophobic/hydrophilic functionalization of chemically exfoliated molybdenum disulfide nanosheets with RAFT derived polymers.

The covalent functionalization of chemically exfoliated molybdenum disulfide (ce-MoS) with hydrophobic poly(methyl methacrylate) and hydrophilic poly(acrylic acid) polymers, in a single-step without additives, is presented. The nature of chemical modification and the impact on the structure of ce-MoS were spectroscopically investigated. Complexation of Eu was accomplished on grafted polycarboxylate chains on MoS.

Robust coherent spin centers from stable azafullerene radicals entrapped in cycloparaphenylene rings.

Molecular entities with robust spin-1/2 are natural two-level quantum systems for realizing qubits and are key ingredients of emerging quantum technologies such as quantum computing. Here we show that robust and abundant spin-1/2 species can be created in the solid state from spin-active azafullerene CN cages supramolecularly hosted in crystals of [10]cycloparaphenylene ([10]CPP) nanohoops. This is achieved a two-stage thermally-assisted homolysis of the parent diamagnetic [10]CPP⊃(CN)⊂[10]CPP supramolecular complex.

First Synthesis of the Inherently Chiral Trans-4' Bisadduct of C N Azafullerene by Using Cyclo-[2]-dodecylmalonate as a Tether.

The multiaddition chemistry of azafullerene C N has been scarcely explored, and the isolation of pure bisadducts is in its infancy. Encouraged by the recent regioselective synthesis of the inherently chiral equatorial bisadduct of C N, we focused on the isolation of the first trans-4 bisadduct in a simple two-step approach. The first regioselective synthesis of the trans-4 bisadduct of C N by using cyclo-[2]-dodecylmalonate as a tether is now reported.

An ion-selective crown ether covalently grafted onto chemically exfoliated MoS as a biological fluid sensor.

We describe the basal plane functionalization of chemically exfoliated molybdenum disulfide (ce-MoS2) nanosheets with a benzo-15-crown-5 ether (B15C5), promoted by the chemistry of diazonium salts en route to the fabrication and electrochemical assessment of an ion-responsive electrode. The success of the chemical modification of ce-MoS2 nanosheets was investigated by infrared and Raman spectroscopy, and the amount of the incorporated crown ether was estimated by thermogravimetric analysis. Raman spatial mapping at on-resonance excitation allowed us to disclose the structural characteristics of the functionalized B15C5-MoS2 nanosheets and the impact of basal plane functionalization to the stabilization of the 1T phase of ce-MoS2.

Interfacing Carbon Dots for Charge-Transfer Processes.

Carbon dots (CDs) are a booming material and the most recent incomer in the big family of carbon nanostructures. Specifically, CDs are nanosized fluorescent core-shell nanoparticles with tunable absorption and emission spectra, with high solubility in aqueous media and common organic solvents. Herein, the origins and the development of these unique nanoscale structures are discussed, key synthetic routes are briefly described, and the utilization of CDs in light-induced charge-transfer schemes is mainly focused upon.