Mechanical Properties of Ultra-High-Performance Concrete with Steel and PVA Fibers.

Ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) has gained worldwide popularity due to its high mechanical performance. This research studied the influence of adding a mixture of two fibers (steel and PVA) on the compressive strength, modulus of elasticity, and flexural tensile strength of UHPC. The mixtures were prepared by adding steel fibers and PVA fibers using a standard procedure defined in the research, which is the time to mix the dry materials and the time to mix the admixture and water.

Comparative accuracy of artificial intelligence chatbots in pulpal and periradicular diagnosis: A cross-sectional study.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy and treatment recommendation performance of four artificial intelligence chatbots in fictional pulpal and periradicular disease cases. Additionally, it investigated response consistency and the influence of text order and language on chatbot performance.

Methods: In this cross-sectional comparative study, eleven cases representing various pulpal and periradicular pathologies were created.

Addition of Polyphenols to Drugs: The Potential of Controlling "Inflammaging" and Fibrosis in Human Senescent Lung Fibroblasts In Vitro.

The combination of a polyphenol, quercetin, with dasatinib initiated clinical trials to evaluate the safety and efficacy of senolytics in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a lung disease associated with the presence of senescent cells. Another approach to senotherapeutics consists of controlling inflammation related to cellular senescence or "inflammaging", which participates, among other processes, in establishing pulmonary fibrosis. We evaluate whether polyphenols such as caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, epicatechin, gallic acid, quercetin, or resveratrol combined with different senotherapeutics such as metformin or rapamycin, and antifibrotic drugs such as nintedanib or pirfenidone, could present beneficial actions in an in vitro model of senescent MRC-5 lung fibroblasts.

Increased expression of miR-320b in blood plasma of patients in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Recent research has demonstrated how epigenetic mechanisms regulate the host-virus interactions in COVID-19. It has also shown that microRNAs (miRNAs) are one of the three fundamental mechanisms of the epigenetic regulation of gene expression and play an important role in viral infections.

Modeling the potential impact of a sugar-sweetened beverage tax on ischemic heart disease and stroke in Brazil.

Background: A high intake of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) is associated with the risk of several chronic diseases, including ischemic heart disease (IHD) and stroke. This study aimed to model the impact of a 20% tax on all SSBs for IHD and stroke among Brazilian adults.

Methods: This was an ex-ante risk comparative study.

Researching New Drug Combinations with Senolytic Activity Using Senescent Human Lung Fibroblasts MRC-5 Cell Line.

Therapeutically targeting senescent cells seems to be an interesting perspective in treating chronic lung diseases, which are often associated with human aging. The combination of the drug dasatinib and the polyphenol quercetin is used in clinical trials as a senolytic, and the first results point to the relief of physical dysfunction in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. In this work, we tested new combinations of drugs and polyphenols, looking for senolytic activity using human lung fibroblasts (MRC-5 cell line) with induced senescence.

Evaluation of the apical sealing of an eggshell hydroxyapatite-based sealer.

Background: The success of endodontic treatment can be influenced by the type of endodontic sealer used, as certain sealers may be prone to apical microleakage, leading to treatment failure. The limitations of currently available sealers necessitate the development of new materials to improve the success rate of endodontic treatment. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the apical microleakage of newly developed hydroxyapatite-based endodontic sealers, including one derived from eggshells, and compare them with other commercially available sealers.

School Memories about Homophobic Bullying: A Study Based on Cultural-Historical Psychology.

The expression of homophobic violence in schools reveals the urgency of an analytical approach to debate the impact of this phenomenon on students' mental health. This article seeks to debate and better comprehend school memories from young gays, lesbians, and bisexuals, as well as to discuss how homophobic bullying affected their school trajectories. This study is based on cultural-historical psychology in intersection with gender and sexuality studies.

Association of health predictors with quality of life in children and adolescents.

Objectives: To evaluate the association of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) with physical activity, food consumption, sleep duration and screen time in children and adolescents.

Methods: Cross-sectional study with 268 students aged 10-17 years from a public school in Brazil. The outcome variable was HRQOL score, evaluated by the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ (PedsQL™).

Focal nonconvulsive status epilepticus with impaired consciousness in older adults: Prognosis-related variables.

Objective: To assess the prognosis-related clinical-EEG characteristics in older adults with focal nonconvulsive status epilepticus with impaired consciousness (focal NCSE).

Methodology: We prospectively assessed clinical variables and EEG data at diagnosis and after an initial pharmacological protocol (within 24 hours) and their relationship with prognosis in older adults with focal NCSE treated at the emergency room.

Results: The clinical presentation of focal NCSE in 45 adults (mean age 73.

Self-Reported Chronic Back Pain and Current Depression in Brazil: A National Level Study.

There is limited literature investigating the association between chronic back pain (CBP) and depression in Brazil. This study evaluates the association between CBP, CBP-related physical limitations (CBP-RPL), and self-reported current depression (SRCD), in a nationally representative sample of Brazilian adults. The data for this cross-sectional study came from the 2019 Brazilian National Health Survey ( = 71,535).

The Potential Impact of Different Taxation Scenarios towards Sugar-Sweetened Beverages on Overweight and Obesity in Brazil: A Modeling Study.

The adoption of fiscal policies based on the specific taxation of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) has been recommended by international health agencies, as they are measures that potentially reduce consumption. This study is an ex ante risk comparison that estimates the impact of three tax scenarios (20, 25, and 30%) with a 100% pass-on rate to SSBs on the prevalence of high weight and obesity in the Brazilian population. Data on the consumption habits, weight, and height of 46,164 adults aged 20 years or over from Brazilian recent national surveys were used.

The use of medicinal plants for the treatment of psoriasis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease that presents as scaly patches on the skin that affects about 3% of the world's population. Adherence to treatment and discrimination against people are common problems, adversely impacts quality of life. Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate the use of medicinal plants as therapeutic adjuvants in the treatment of plaque psoriasis through a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Sexuality Transmitted Infection in the COVID-19 Pandemic and Non-Pandemic Time.

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization recognized the SARS-CoV-2 infection as a pandemic. The pandemic itself in addition to its containment measures affects individuals' lifestyles and welfare including their sexual behaviors. Thus, we hypothesized that sexually transmitted infection (STI) incidence may be changed and so we evaluate urethritis incidence as the most common STI in men and some other related factors.

Impact of COVID-19 RT-PCR testing of asymptomatic health care workers on absenteeism and hospital transmission during the pandemic.

Background: Reducing the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic patients is critical in controlling the circulation of the virus.

Methods: This study evaluated the prevalence of Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) positivity in serial tests in 429 asymptomatic health care workers (HCW) and its impact on absenteeism. HCW from a COVID-19 reference hospital were tested, screened, and placed on leave.

Towards Transfer Learning Techniques-BERT, DistilBERT, BERTimbau, and DistilBERTimbau for Automatic Text Classification from Different Languages: A Case Study.

The Internet of Things is a paradigm that interconnects several smart devices through the internet to provide ubiquitous services to users. This paradigm and Web 2.0 platforms generate countless amounts of textual data.

Obesity influence on bladder inflammation and cancer: a cystitis model.

Background: Recently, the role of subclinical inflammation in obesity has gained prominence. An association between obesity and chronic inflammation has been observed in several studies that show a relationship between increased morbidity and high Body Mass Index (BMI). This study aims to compare inflammatory pathways in obese (by high-fat diet) and non-obese mice after exposure to an intravesical carcinogen in a cystitis model.

Impact of a reduction in sugar-sweetened beverage consumption on the burden of type 2 diabetes in Brazil: A modeling study.

Aim: To model the impact of a 20 % tax on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) on the disease burden of T2DM among Brazilian adults.

Methods: This is an ex-ante risk comparative study. The model applied a 20 % tax on SSB and projected the incidence, prevalence, and mortality of T2DM over a 20-year period (2019 to 2039).

Artificial Intelligence in Allergy and Immunology: Comparing Risk Prediction Models to Help Screen Inborn Errors of Immunity.

Background: Inborn errors of immunity (IEI) are underdiagnosed disorders, leading to increased morbimortality and expenses for healthcare system.

Objectives: The study aimed to develop and compare risk prediction model to measure the individual chance of a confirmed diagnosis of IEI in children at risk for this disorder.

Method: Clinical and laboratory data of 128 individuals were used to derive machine learning (ML) and logistic regression risk prediction models, to measure the individual chance of a confirmed diagnosis of IEI in children with suspected disorder, according to previous general pediatrician/clinician judgement.

Fasting and 24-h urine pH in patients with urolithiasis using potassium citrate.

Purpose: To evaluate the correlation between the pH readings in 24-h urine and the random fasting specimen in patients with urolithiasis using 2 methods.

Methods: A total of 114 patients with urinary lithiasis using potassium citrate were prospectively analyzed. All patients collected 24-h urine and an additional sample, after nocturnal fasting, collected on the day they brought the 24-h sample at the lab.

Effect of Hyperthyroidism Control During Pregnancy on Maternal and Fetal Outcome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Context: Although the overt hyperthyroidism treatment during pregnancy is mandatory, unfortunately, few studies have evaluated the impact of treatment on reducing maternal and fetal outcomes.

Objective: This study aimed to demonstrate whether treatment to control hyperthyroidism manifested during pregnancy can potentially reduce maternal-fetal effects compared with euthyroid pregnancies through a systematic review with meta-analysis.

Data Source: MEDLINE (PubMed), Embase, Cochrane Library Central, LILACS/BIREME until May 2021.

Sexual function criteria post laparoscopic radical prostatectomy: a reverse systematic review.

Objective: To apply a new review methodology, called reverse systematic review (RSR), to assess how different classification criteria can influence erectile dysfunction rates in patients undergoing laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP).

Methods: We used RSR from January 1, 2000, until December 31, 2020. The post-prostatectomy erectile dysfunction (PPED) rates were evaluated at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 18 months after surgery in different criteria selected as the most commonly used and divided into four groups: "Erection Sufficient for Intercourse (ESI)", "IIEF-5 > 17", "IIEF-5 > 22" and "Not Available".

Biosynthesis of Guanitoxin Enables Global Environmental Detection in Freshwater Cyanobacteria.

Harmful cyanobacterial blooms (cyanoHABs) cause recurrent toxic events in global watersheds. Although public health agencies monitor the causal toxins of most cyanoHABs and scientists in the field continue developing precise detection and prediction tools, the potent anticholinesterase neurotoxin, guanitoxin, is not presently environmentally monitored. This is largely due to its incompatibility with widely employed analytical methods and instability in the environment, despite guanitoxin being among the most lethal cyanotoxins.

Testosterone kinetics on hypogonadal men under clomiphene.

Objective: To evaluate total testosterone (TT) kinetics and its predictors 6 months after the discontinuation of clomiphene citrate (CC) in patients with hypogonadism.

Materials And Methods: Consecutive patients with normal testicles and male hypogonadism defined by TT < 300 ng/dl in the presence of signs or symptoms according to the previous consensus were prospectively evaluated in a urologic outpatient clinic by TT levels at baseline (T), after a daily dose of 50 mg CC for 40 days (T), and after the washout period of 6 months of CC discontinuation (T).

Results: Among 75 patients, mean age 56.