Cultivating Excellence: Development and Validation of a Bilingual Competency Self-Assessment Tool for Infection Prevention and Control Practitioners.

Background: The study aimed at developing and validating a bilingual competency self-assessment tool for infection prevention and control practitioners based on the core competencies proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Methods: The study was conducted from December/2021 to June/2023. The bilingual tool (Brazilian Portuguese and English versions) was developed according to four stages: 1) conceptual framework establishment and item generation; 2) content validity; 3) response process validity; and 4) internal structure validity.

Protein hydrolysates derived from superworm (Zophobas morio): Composition, bioactivity, and techno-functional properties.

This study aimed to produce protein hydrolysates from superworm (Zophobas morio) flour using the enzymes alcalase (HA), protamex (HP), or flavourzyme (HF), and to characterize their nutritional composition, techno-functional properties, bioactive capacity, and bioaccessibility index. The enzymatic process increased the total amino acid and crude protein contents of the hydrolysates by approximately 36 % and 46 %, respectively, generating better foaming capacity, oil retention, and emulsification capacity, when compared to raw flour. Although 2,2'-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical capture was similar between the hydrolysates, HA (1479,66 μM FeSO/g) and HP (1514,66 μM FeSO/g) showed greater antimicrobial and iron reducing power (FRAP) activity, while HF has a higher scavenging efficiency for the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical (27.

Enzyme loading in the support and medium composition during immobilization alter activity, specificity and stability of octyl agarose-immobilized Eversa Transform.

Eversa Transform (ETL) was immobilized on octyl agarose beads at two different enzymes loadings (1 mg/g and 15 mg/g) under 18 different conditions, including different pH values, buffers, additives (different solvents, Ca, NaCl). Their activity was analyzed at pH 5 and 7 with p-nitrophenyl butyrate and at pH 5 with triacetin, determining also its stability at pH 5 and 7 (in different media). Ca stabilized ETL biocatalysts while phosphate destabilized them.

Unveiling the role of artificial intelligence applied to clear aligner therapy: A scoping review.

Objectives: To conduct a scoping review on the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in clear aligner therapy and to assess the extent of AI integration and automation in orthodontic software currently available to orthodontists.

Data And Sources: A systematic electronic literature search was performed in the following databases: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Scopus. Also, grey literature resources up to March 2024 were reviewed.

Association between non-carious cervical lesions, dentin hypersensitivity and anxiety in young adults: A cross-sectional study.

Objectives: To investigate the prevalence and factors associated with dentin hypersensitivity (DH) and non-carious cervical lesions (NCCLs).

Methods: The analytical cross-sectional study included 157 participants aged between 18 and 45 years, who were clinically examined and answered a questionnaire related to their lifestyle and daily habits (diet, parafunctional habits, temporomandibular disorders, general and oral health) and the Beck Anxiety Inventory. A descriptive analysis of the prevalence of DH and NCCL was performed, both at the individual level and considering the distribution among the teeth.

Antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activity of a mucoadhesive hydrogel functionalized with aminochalcone on titanium surfaces and in Galleria mellonella model: In vitro and in vivo study.

Peri-implantitis associated with dental implants shares characteristics with destructive periodontal diseases. Both conditions are multifactorial and strongly correlated with the presence of microorganisms surrounding the prostheses or natural dentition. This study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial activity and toxicity of a mucoadhesive hydrogel functionalized with aminochalcone (HAM-15) against Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Fusobacterium periodonticum, Prevotella intermedia, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, and Candida albicans.

Analysis of fibrinogenolytic activity of South American Bothrops and Crotalus venoms reveals widespread variation on human fibrinogen cleavage.

Fibrinogen is a common target of SVMP and SVSP. These toxins can destructively cleave fibrinogen, leading to the depletion of its levels. Herein we comparatively describe the fibrinogenolytic activity of the venom of Bothrops and Crotalus snakes, viperids of high epidemiological importance in Brazil.

Retraction Notice to "New relapse of multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica as a potential adverse event of AstraZeneca AZD1222 vaccination for COVID-19" [Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders 57 (2022) 103321].

This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (https://www.elsevier.com/about/policies/article-withdrawal).

Development of Ni-ZnO-ACE-2 peptide hybrids as electrochemical devices for SARS-CoV-2 spike protein detection.

Owing to fast SARS-CoV-2 mutations, biosensors employing antibodies as biorecognition elements have presented problems with sensitivity and accuracy. To face these challenges, antibodies can be replaced with the human angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE-2), where it has been shown that the affinity between ACE-2 and the receptor binding domain (RBD) increases with the emergence of new variants. Herein, we report on Ni-doped ZnO nanorod electrochemical biosensors employing an ACE-2 peptide (IEEQAKTFLDKFNHEAEDLFYQS-NH) as a biorecognition element for detecting Spike (S) Wild-Type (WT) protein.

Impact of sample heterogeneity on the evaluation of uncertainty from sampling and analytical steps in pharmaceutical analysis.

Measurement uncertainty is a critical factor in the reliability of pharmaceutical analyses, since it directly affects batch acceptance and regulatory compliance. While analytical uncertainty has been extensively studied, uncertainty arising from sampling remains less explored. This study aims to address this gap by evaluating the contributions of sampling and analytical uncertainties to the overall uncertainty for acetaminophen tablets and oral solution.

Development and characterization of pectin films containing nanoemulsions of the essential oil from Thymus vulgaris for preserving salami.

Emulsions were prepared from T. vulgaris essential oil using the surfactants Pluronic F127 and Tween 80 by mechanical agitation (Emulsion_Tw and Emulsion_Pl) and sonication using an ultrasonic tip (Sonicated_emulsion_Tw and Sonicated_emulsion_Pl). These emulsions were incorporated into pectin films.

Is rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder a marker of Parkinson's disease severity?

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by motor and non-motor features. There are several proposed clinical markers to define disease severity. However, if rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is associated with worse prognosis of both motor and non-motor findings in PD is unknown.

Prognostic implications of regional lung impairment evaluation in quantitative computed tomography imaging of COVID-19.

Aim: To enhance the understanding of COVID-19 regional lung damage pattern by analyzing the organ in subregions, beyond the typical lobe segmentation.

Materials And Methods: This study used semiautomatic computed tomography (CT) imaging segmentation and quantification to investigate regional lung impairments in patients with COVID-19. Each lung was divided into 12 regions, and the anatomical impairments obtained from the CT image (emphysema, ground glass opacity, and collapsed tissue) were quantified.

Adenomas from individuals with pathogenic biallelic variants in the MUTYH and NTHL1 genes demonstrate base excision repair tumour mutational signature profiles similar to colorectal cancers, expanding potential diagnostic and variant classification applications.

Background: Colorectal cancers (CRCs) from people with biallelic germline likely pathogenic/pathogenic variants in MUTYH or NTHL1 exhibit specific single base substitution (SBS) mutational signatures, namely combined SBS18 and SBS36 (SBS18+SBS36), and SBS30, respectively. The aim was to determine if adenomas from biallelic cases demonstrated these mutational signatures at diagnostic levels.

Methods: Whole-exome sequencing of FFPE tissue and matched blood-derived DNA was performed on 9 adenomas and 15 CRCs from 13 biallelic MUTYH cases, on 7 adenomas and 2 CRCs from 5 biallelic NTHL1 cases and on 27 adenomas and 26 CRCs from 46 non-hereditary (sporadic) participants.

Characteristics of sensory processing changes in children with developmental coordination disorder: A systematic review.

Background: Sensory processing difficulties are common in neurodevelopment conditions, such as developmental coordination disorder (DCD), and can significantly impact daily living activities.

Aims: To systematically review the literature to (1) synthesize the characteristics (sections and patterns) of sensory processing alterations in children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD), (2) compare these characteristics with those of children with typical development or associated comorbidities, and (3) identify which characteristics may be present from early childhood.

Methods: This systematic review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and was submitted and registered in PROSPERO.

Proteolytic profile and nematicidal potential of proteases produced by Pleurotus djamor in coprocultures.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the proteolytic profile of the cell-free crude extract (CFCE) of Pleurotus djamor and its nematicidal action on Haemonchus spp. and Trichostrongylus spp. larvae in coprocultures.

The changing relationship between racial identity and skin color in Brazil.

In recent years, Brazil's non-White (Brown and Black) population became a numerical majority for the first time since the 19th century. Although we know this change was mostly due to racial reclassification, we do not know how such changes are related to skin color, the primary marker of race in Brazil. Using data from six Latin American Public Opinion Project (LAPOP), or America's Barometer, surveys from 2010 to 2023, we examine how changes in racial self-identification (White, Brown, or Black) are related to respondent skin color (light, medium, or dark).

Congenital Chagas disease: A cohort study to assess molecular diagnostic methods at the Chagas disease national reference center of Argentina.

Background: Trypanosoma cruzi is a protozoan parasite which causes Chagas disease. Mother-to-child transmission is the main route of transmission in vector-free areas. Congenital Chagas disease refers specifically to cases arising from this route of transmission.

Acute kidney injury in critically ill COVID-19 patients in a tertiary hospital: short and long-term kidney and patient outcomes.

Introduction: Acute kidney injury (AKI) in the setting of COVID-19 is associated with worse clinical and renal outcomes, with limited long-term data.

Aim: To evaluate critically ill COVID-19 patients with AKI that required nephrologist consultation (NC-AKI) in a tertiary hospital.

Methods: Prospective single-center cohort of critically ill COVID-19 adult patients with NC-AKI from May 1st, 2020, to April 30th, 2021.

Collapsing glomerulopathy associated with parvovirus B19 and systemic lupus erythematosus in a patient with APOL1 high-risk variant for nephropathy.

Collapsing glomerulopathy (CG) has a severe course typically associated with viral infections, especially HIV and parvovirus B19, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), among other etiologies. A 35-year-old woman with recent use of a JAK inhibitor due to rheumatoid arthritis presented with a 2-week history of fever, cervical adenopathy, and facial erythema. After admission, anemia, hypoalbuminemia, proteinuria, and severe acute kidney injury were noted.

Economic analysis of hemodialysis and urgent-start peritoneal dialysis therapies.

Introduction: Unplanned initiation of renal replacement therapy (RRT) in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients is a common situation worldwide. In this scenario, peritoneal dialysis (PD) has emerged as a therapeutic option compared to hemodialysis (HD). In planned RRT, the costs of PD are lower than those of HD; however, the literature lacks such analyses when initiation is urgent.

Treatment of Post-Septal Orbital Cellulitis due to Odontogenic Infection.

Orbital cellulitis happens when the region behind the orbital septum is affected. It consists an urgency because of its potential risks of complications, such as vision loss, cavernous sinus thrombosis, or Lemierre Syndrome. This article reports a case of a subperiosteal and orbital cellulitis, which had a periapical lesion in the left first molar as it´s focus.