A class of semiparametric models for bivariate survival data.

We propose a new class of bivariate survival models based on the family of Archimedean copulas with margins modeled by the Yang and Prentice (YP) model. The Ali-Mikhail-Haq (AMH), Clayton, Frank, Gumbel-Hougaard (GH), and Joe copulas are employed to accommodate the dependency among marginal distributions. Baseline distributions are modeled semiparametrically by the Piecewise Exponential (PE) distribution and the Bernstein polynomials (BP).

Surface water removal of Aluminum(III), Iron(III) and Manganese(II) using sustainable natural serpentinite mining tailings, proof of concept.

To remediate surface water as the Doce River and spring waters from Minas Gerais, Brazil, this study examined the possibility of natural serpentinite mining tailings as a sustainable alternative for removing aluminum (III), iron (III), and manganese (II). The study used a Box-Behnken experimental design to examine how initial metal concentration, adsorbate dosage, and adsorption time affect metal removal effectiveness. Results demonstrated impressive performance, with removal rates exceeding 80 % for Al(III) and Fe(III) within the initial 5 min, and 60 % for Mn(II) within 30 min.

Acceptability and willingness to pay for a hypothetical HIV vaccine in Brazil and the implications: a cross-sectional study.

Introduction: The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is one of the greatest public health challenges still facing communities worldwide, and until this moment, no vaccine is available for its prevention. In Brazil, the Rio de Janeiro State has stood out regarding the prevalence of this disease. As a result, an important state to consider the Willingness to Pay (WTP) for a hypothetical HIV vaccine to help with future pricing.

Users' Perceptions of Access to and Quality of Unified Health System Services in Brazil: A Cross-Sectional Study and Implications to Healthcare Management Challenges.

Evaluating the access to and quality of healthcare services from the users' perspective is an important assessment process to identify priorities. This study assessed the profile of health service usage and the views of the Unified Health System (SUS) users about the access to and quality of SUS public health services. A cross-sectional study was conducted with participants from the Coastal Lowlands Region of the Rio de Janeiro State/Brazil, between August and November 2023.

Atomization of Cocoa Honey Using Whey Protein Isolate to Produce a Dry Formulation with Improved Shelf Life for Industrial Application.

Cocoa honey, a by-product obtained during the processing of cocoa, is a juice rich in pectin, organic acids, minerals and phenolic compounds with antioxidant properties. Fresh cocoa honey is quickly fermented due to its high content of reducing sugars, such as fructose and glucose, which limits its shelf life. Currently, cocoa honey is only commercialized in frozen form, as logistical challenges prevent the wide distribution or export of this by-product for applications in the market of sweets, jellies, beverages, confectionery, and nutraceutical foods among others.

Differential item functioning of material deprivation assessment in households with or without children.

Background: Composite multidimensional indices are broadly used to measure child poverty and social exclusion. Many of such indices are based on EU-SILC data or similar large scale complex sampling surveys, with the household as unit of analysis. Indicators related to households with or without children may quantify the intended attribute differently depending on the household structure and characteristics of individuals, potentially compromising the assessment.

Special Issue-"Isolation, Structure Elucidation and Biological Activity of Natural Products".

This Special Issue of gathers fourteen research studies and three review papers covering developments in the scope of the isolation, structure elucidation and biological activity of natural products [...

The altered metabolic pathways of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma not otherwise specified.

Altered metabolic fingerprints of Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified (DLBCL NOS) may offer novel opportunities to identify new biomarkers and improve the understanding of its pathogenesis. This study aimed to investigate the modified metabolic pathways in extranodal, germinal center B-cell (GCB) and non-GCB DLBCL NOS from the head and neck. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues from eleven DLBCL NOS classified according to Hans' algorithm using immunohistochemistry, and five normal lymphoid tissues (LT) were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based untargeted metabolomics.

Effect of Salivary Flow on Bleached Enamel Roughness and Mineral Content: an In Situ and In Vitro Study.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of human saliva in vitro and salivary flow in situ on the roughness and mineral content of bleached enamel. Dental specimens were divided into five groups (n=15): not bleached (NB); bleached (35% hydrogen peroxide) and exposed to distilled water (DW); human saliva in vitro (IV); normal salivary flow in situ (NSF); and low salivary flow (LSF) in situ. Enamel roughness (Ra, Rz) and calcium/phosphorus contents were evaluated with laser profilometry and energy-dispersive spectroscopy, respectively, at baseline (T1), after bleaching (T2), and after seven days (T3).

Modified and Optimized Glass Electrode for pH Measurements in Hydrated Ethanol Fuel.

One of the quality control parameters of ethanol fuel is pH, established by the Brazilian standard ABNT NBR 10891, whose scope is specific for hydrated ethanol fuel, and by the American standard ASTM D 6423, which focuses on anhydrous ethanol fuel. This study presented a modified and optimized structure using a single solvent, both for the glass electrode and the external reference electrode, to minimize the presence of the liquid junction potential for measuring the pH of hydrated ethanol fuel. The Box-Behnken design enabled us to determine the optimal condition expected for the new measurement system, which was compared with the systems proposed by the standard references and the turning range of acid-base indicators using parametric and nonparametric tests.

Spatial Distribution of Canine Sporotrichosis in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (1998-2018) and Its Correlation with Socioeconomic Conditions.

Canine sporotrichosis is a poorly described global disease and a spatial approach has not yet been used to assess the disease in dogs. Therefore, this study aimed to describe the occurrence of canine sporotrichosis in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 1998 to 2018 and its correlation with socioeconomic characteristics using exploratory spatial data analysis. A total of 295 cases of canine sporotrichosis were identified and 249 were georeferenced.

Assessment of Pharmaceutical Services for Smoking Cessation: An Effectiveness-Implementation Hybrid Study.

Smoking is the main preventable cause of illness and early death worldwide. Thus, it is better to promote smoking cessation than to treat tobacco-related diseases. The objective of this study was to assess the implementation and effectiveness of smoking cessation pharmaceutical services offered in primary health care (PHC) in a large Brazilian city through a type 1 effectiveness-implementation hybrid study.

Effect of Ear Acupuncture plus Dry Cupping on Activities and Quality of Life in the Adults with Chronic Back Pain: a Randomized Trial.

Background: Chronic pain is a complex phenomenon that brings physical and emotional impairments negatively impacting people's quality of life. The adoption of interventions such as ear acupuncture and dry cupping can represent a treatment option for people with chronic back pain.

Objectives: To investigate the effects of ear acupuncture combined with dry cupping therapy on the interference of pain with the daily activities and quality of life of adults with chronic back pain.

Combined effects of yacon flour and probiotic yogurt on the metabolic parameters and inflammatory and insulin signaling proteins in high-fat-diet-induced obese mice.

Background: Prebiotics and probiotics may be effective dietary components that can alter the gut microbiota of the host and, consequently, overcome imbalances associated with obesity. This work aimed to evaluate the synergistic and isolated effects and mechanisms by which probiotic yogurt containing Bifidobacterium animalis and/or Lactobacillus acidophilus and yacon flour alter metabolic parameters and inflammatory and insulin signaling proteins in diet-induced obese mice. Swiss mice were fed a high-fat diet (n = 48) or a standard diet (control; n = 6) for 56 days.

Hibiscus, Rooibos, and Yerba Mate for Healthy Aging: A Review on the Attenuation of In Vitro and In Vivo Markers Related to Oxidative Stress, Glycoxidation, and Neurodegeneration.

The world is currently undergoing a demographic change towards an increasing number of elderly citizens. Aging is characterized by a temporal decline in physiological capacity, and oxidative stress is a hallmark of aging and age-related disorders. Such an oxidative state is linked to a decrease in the effective mechanisms of cellular repair, the incidence of post-translational protein glycation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and neurodegeneration, just to name some of the markers contributing to the establishment of age-related reduction-oxidation, or redox, imbalance.

Alternative protein sources of plant, algal, fungal and insect origins for dietary diversification in search of nutrition and health.

This review aimed to compare alternative protein sources in terms of nutritional composition and health benefits with the purpose of disseminating up-to-date knowledge and contribute for diversification of the food marked and consumers decision-making. Plant-based is the most well-established category of alternative proteins, but there is still room for diversification. Less conventional species such as chia seeds are prominent sources of ω-3 (∼60% total lipids), while hempseed and quinoa are notable sources of ω-6 (up to 58% and 61%, respectively).

Detection of Chikungunya virus in bodily fluids: The INOVACHIK cohort study.

Background: Chikungunya is a widely distributed, re-emerging tropical disease caused by the chikungunya virus (CHIKV). Little is known about the duration for which CHIK RNA are detectable in bodily fluids, especially genital secretions, and current evidence is based on small series or case reports. An understanding of viral dynamics across different body compartments can inform diagnostic testing algorithms and public health prevention interventions.

Age-Related Metabolic Pathways Changes in Dental Follicles: A Pilot Study.

Aging is not a matter of choice; it is our fate. The "time-dependent functional decline that affects most living organisms" is coupled with several alterations in cellular processes, such as cell senescence, epigenetic alterations, genomic instability, stem cell exhaustion, among others. Age-related morphological changes in dental follicles have been investigated for decades, mainly motivated by the fact that cysts and tumors may arise in association with unerupted and/or impacted teeth.

Willingness to pay for a hypothetical malaria vaccine in Brazil: a cross-sectional study and the implications.

Malaria is an infection caused by protozoa of genus , considered the one associated with increasingly large outbreaks. A cross-sectional study was conducted with residents in the northern region of Brazil on the willingness to pay (WTP) for a hypothetical vaccine against malaria (effective protection of 80%). Of 616 people interviewed, most interviewees were female (61%) and were employed (97%).

Antiviral fungal metabolites and some insights into their contribution to the current COVID-19 pandemic.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreak, which started in late 2019, drove the scientific community to conduct innovative research to contain the spread of the pandemic and to care for those already affected. Since then, the search for new drugs that are effective against the virus has been strengthened. Featuring a relatively low cost of production under well-defined methods of cultivation, fungi have been providing a diversity of antiviral metabolites with unprecedented chemical structures.

Acceptability and willingness to pay for a hypothetical vaccine against SARS CoV-2 by the Brazilian consumer: a cross-sectional study and the implications.

Introduction: The new coronavirus pandemic has appreciably impacted morbidity and mortality, as well as having an economic impact worldwide. New vaccines are a potential way forward to reduce transmission rates and subsequent infection. In Brazil, vaccines are being distributed via the public sector; however, in the future, they will be available in the private market.

Consumer willingness to pay for a hypothetical Chagas disease vaccine in Brazil: a cross-sectional study and the implications.

Chagas disease is a serious public health problem, endemic in 21 countries in Latin America. A future vaccine can contribute to decreasing the number of cases and its complications. A cross-sectional study was conducted with residents of the northern region of Brazil, on the willingness to pay for a hypothetical vaccine against Chagas disease (effective protection of 80%).

Chemical and morpho-structural characterization of atmospheric aerosol (PM and PM) in a city of São Paulo state, Brazil.

To access the sources of air pollutants is crucial to control atmospheric pollution in urban areas, minimizing human exposure. Particulate matter is a pollutant of great concern making its chemical and morpho-structural characterization of enormous importance. The present work aims at the characterization of atmospheric PM and PM.