Coding, Decoding and Retrieving a Message Using DNA: An Experience from a Brazilian Center Research on DNA Data Storage.

DNA data storage based on synthetic oligonucleotides is a major attraction due to the possibility of storage over long periods. Nowadays, the quantity of data generated has been growing exponentially, and the storage capacity needs to keep pace with the growth caused by new technologies and globalization. Since DNA can hold a large amount of information with a high density and remains stable for hundreds of years, this technology offers a solution for current long-term data centers by reducing energy consumption and physical storage space.

Procedure for emergetic assessment in urban river de-pollution.

Using emergetic indicators to evaluate complex processes such as the de-pollution of urban rivers aims to contribute to better use and preservation of the resources, besides the valuation of ecosystem services provided by the water body. Within this context, we conducted a bibliometric and systematic review that shows the lack of emergetic indicators in urban river de-pollution. Thus, this work aims to propose an emergetic assessment procedure to evaluate the de-pollution process of urban rivers that allows technicians, academics, and revitalization process managers of urban rivers to improve the monitoring and decision-making directly related to the process, concluding that an emergetic assessment procedure contributes to theory to create new scientific analyses applied to urban revitalization and nature preservation processes.

Economic and environmental benefits by means of recycling processes grounded in the CE: Case studies in the metal mechanical sector.

Industrial and economic growth activities induce an increase in the generation and emission of large amounts of polluting waste to the environment. However, the scarcity of natural resources in ecosystems denotes the importance of the practical application of Circular Economy (CE) at the micro level. This research aims to evaluate the environmental and economic advantages of adopting waste recycling and reuse processes based on the CE in four industrial companies in the metal-mechanical sector.

Phosphotungstic acid impregnated niobium coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles as recyclable catalyst for selective isomerization of terpenes.

Conversion efficiency as high as 80-100% and 50% selectivity for camphene and limonene was achieved with low production of polymeric byproducts (18-28%), easy recovery with a magnet and reuse for up to five cycles maintaining similar activity and distribution of products, using a new magnetically recyclable catalyst based on niobium oxide coated on superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION) impregnated with phosphotungstic acid (HPW). The catalyst was demonstrated to be effective in the selective conversion of alpha and beta-pinenes into valuable terpenes, under ultrasonic probe activation and with toluene as solvent. A unique synergic effect between the components generating more active and selective catalytic sites was demonstrated, indicating that the SPION covered with 30 wt% of NbO gives the best performance when impregnated with HPW as co-catalyst.

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) conjugated with lipase A for biodiesel synthesis.

Biodiesel is an alternative biodegradable and non-toxic fuel, with a low emission profile and capable of reducing significantly the level of carcinogenic pollutants released into the atmosphere. A newly designed nano-biocatalyst prepared by conjugation of lipase A on superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) demonstrated high efficiency for production of biodiesel by the reaction of soybean oil with anhydrous methanol. The nanomaterial was characterized by FTIR, TGA and XRD, and its enzymatic activity compared with Lipozyme 435, a commercial gold standard from Novozyme™, which presented average enzymatic activity of 4559 ± 75 only twice as large as that of the SPION-CAL-A catalyst (2283 ± 249 PLU g), whereas Lipozyme TLIM showed a much lower activity of 588 ± 16 PLU g.

Microcurrent electrotherapy improves palatal wound healing: Randomized clinical trial.

Background: This study was conducted to assess the clinical, immunological, and patient-centered outcomes of microcurrent electrotherapy on palatal wound healing.

Methods: This was a parallel, double-masked randomized clinical trial, in which 53 patients with ridge preservation indications were selected and randomly assigned to one of two groups. In the control (sham) group (n = 27), palatal wounds, after free gingival grafts (FGG) harvest, received sham application of electrotherapy.

Turbidity control on dissolved air flotation process using fuzzy logic.

This study intends to explore fuzzy logic control on clean water turbidity process with dissolved air flotation (DAF). Three different strategies were tested to regulate clean water turbidity by manipulating the saturator vessel flow output aiming for low actuators control effort. Saturator pressure was the manipulated variable (MV) in the first control loop named SISO I.

Impact of Camera Deviation on Penile Curvature Assessment Using 2D Pictures.

Background: An accurate curvature assessment (CA) is required in the decision-making process for patients with Peyronie's disease. In-office CA following induced erection is the gold standard for CA, although penile photography is commonly used due to its convenience. Camera deviations during 2D image acquisition might affect CA accuracy.

Functional Performance of Different Venous Limb Options in Simulated Neonatal/Pediatric Cardiopulmonary Bypass Circuits.

Objective: Hemodilution is a concern in cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Using a smaller dual tubing rather than a single larger inner diameter (ID) tubing in the venous limb to decrease prime volume has been a standard practice. The purpose of this study is to evaluate these tubing options.

Muscle force distribution of the lower limbs during walking in diabetic individuals with and without polyneuropathy.

Background: Muscle force estimation could advance the comprehension of the neuromuscular strategies that diabetic patients adopt to preserve walking ability, which guarantees their independence as they deal with their neural and muscular impairments due to diabetes and neuropathy. In this study, the lower limb's muscle force distribution during gait was estimated and compared in diabetic patients with and without polyneuropathy.

Methods: Thirty individuals were evaluated in a cross-sectional study, equally divided among controls (CG) and diabetic patients with (DNG) and without (DG) polyneuropathy.

Predictive simulation of diabetic gait: Individual contribution of ankle stiffness and muscle weakening.

Diabetic neuropathic individuals present massive muscle strength reduction at the ankle plantar- and dorsiflexors and increased joint stiffness. Our aim is to investigate the adaptation strategies to these musculoskeletal alterations during walking by means of predictive simulations. We used a seven segment planar musculoskeletal model actuated by eight Hill-type muscles in each leg.

Searching for strategies to reduce the mechanical demands of the sit-to-stand task with a muscle-actuated optimal control model.

Background: The sit-to-stand task, which involves rising unassisted from sitting on a chair to standing, is important in daily life. Many people with muscle weakness, reduced range of motion or loading-related pain in a particular joint have difficulty performing the task. How should a person suffering from such impairment best perform the sit-to-stand task and, in the case of pain in a particular joint, with reduced loading of that joint?

Methods: We developed a musculoskeletal model with reference parameter values based on properties of healthy strong subjects.

Pharmacokinetic study and clinical evaluation of a slow-release 5-fluorouracil implant in pancreatic cancer patients.

The aim of this research was to study the pharmacokinetic characteristics of a slow-release 5-fluorouracil implant as well as to evaluate the clinical drug activity of this preparation in pancreatic cancer patients. Pharmacokinetic characteristics of the slow-release 5-fluorouracil implant were evaluated by examining the half-life time (T1/2) and apparent volume of distribution (Vd) in pancreatic cancer patients; the slow-release 5-fluorouracil implant was administered through interstitial chemotherapy (tumor interstitium implantation). In the drug activity study, 36 locally advanced unresectable pancreatic cancer patients were divided randomly into an experimental treatment group (n=18) and a standard treatment group (n=18).

3D computer tomography for measurement of femoral position in acl reconstruction.

Objective: To validate intra- and inter-class correlation coefficients of a transparent 3D-TC protocol and investigate relationships between different axial rotations.

Methods: Twenty unilateral knee TCs (iSite - Philips) were evaluated by means of a transparent 3D-TC OsiriX Imaging Software (v.3.