Advances in IgY antibody dosage form design and delivery strategies: Current status and future perspective.

Immunoglobulin Y (IgY), a unique type of antibody found in birds, is attracting increasing attention for a broad range of biomedical applications. Rational IgY protection, dosage form design, and delivery are highly essential to transform functional IgY antibodies into desired IgY products for therapeutic and prophylactic administration. Although progress has been made in this field, it remains in the early stages, highlighting the fundamental research and development needed in this aspect of IgY technology.

Processed Food Consumption and Sleep Quality in School-Aged Children: Insights from a Cross-Sectional Study.

Objective: This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the association between processed food consumption and sleep quality among school-aged children.

Methods: Our sample consisted of 137 children, with 52.6% being girls with a mean age of 7.

Development of Thermoplastic Bi-Component Electrodes for Triboelectric Impact Detection in Smart Textile Applications.

Smart textiles provide a significant technological advancement, but their development must balance traditional textile properties with electronic features. To address this challenge, this study introduces a flexible, electrically conductive composite material that can be fabricated using a continuous bi-component extrusion process, making it ideal for sensor electrodes. The primary aim was to create a composite for the filament's core, combining multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), polypropylene (PP), and thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), optimised for conductivity and flexibility.

Acylase-Based Coatings on Sandblasted Polydimethylsiloxane-Based Materials for Antimicrobial Applications.

Indwelling medical devices, such as urinary catheters, often experience bacterial colonization, forming biofilms that resist antibiotics and the host's immune defenses through quorum sensing (QS), a chemical communication system. This study explores the development of antimicrobial coatings by immobilizing acylase, a quorum-quenching enzyme, on sandblasted polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) surfaces. PDMS, commonly used in medical devices, was sandblasted to increase its surface roughness, enhancing acylase attachment.

Experimental Study of Carbonation and Chloride Resistance of Self-Compacting Concretes with a High Content of Fly Ash and Metakaolin, with and Without Hydrated Lime.

The durability of reinforced concrete is associated with several factors that can trigger the corrosion of reinforcement bars. Among these factors, the most significant are chloride-ion attack and carbonation. This study evaluated, through accelerated testing, self-compacting concretes (SCCs) with reduced cement content in binary, ternary, and quaternary mixtures using high-early-strength Portland cement, fly ash (FA), metakaolin (MK), and hydrated lime (HL).

The Effect of Long-Term Cryopreservation on the Properties and Functionality of Platelet-Rich Plasma.

Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) is a biological treatment widely used in regenerative medicine for its restorative capacity. Although PRP is typically applied at the time of obtention, long-term storage and preservation could enhance its versatility and clinical applications. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of long-term freezing on PRP.

Magnetic Field-Assisted Orientation and Positioning of Magnetite for Flexible and Electrically Conductive Sensors.

Magnetic field-assisted control of magnetite location is a promising strategy for developing flexible, electrically conductive sensors with enhanced performance and adjustable properties. This study investigates the effect of static magnetic fields applied on thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) composites with magnetite and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT). The composites were prepared by compression moulding and the magnetic field was applied on the mould cavity during processing.

Fabrication and Electrical Characterization of Low-Temperature Polysilicon Films for Sensor Applications.

The development of low-temperature piezoresistive materials provides compatibility with standard silicon-based MEMS fabrication processes. Additionally, it enables the use of such material in flexible substrates, thereby expanding the potential for various device applications. This work demonstrates, for the first time, the fabrication of a 200 nm polycrystalline silicon thin film through a metal-induced crystallization process mediated by an AlSiCu alloy at temperatures as low as 450 °C on top of silicon and polyimide (PI) substrates.

Impact of Physical Exercise on Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema and Non-Invasive Measurement Tools: A Systematic Review.

Breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) is a chronic disease with lasting effects, making it one of the most feared sequelae of breast cancer with significant personal and social impacts. Therapeutic exercises play a fundamental role in its treatment. This systematic review aims to provide the most up-to-date findings on the impact of physical exercise on the management of BCRL.

Cognitive and Linguistic Development in Children and Adolescents.

Cognitive development encompasses the mental processes involved in acquiring, organizing, and utilizing knowledge [...

Green Environments and Healthy Aging: Analyzing the Role of Green Infrastructure in the Functional Well-Being of Seniors-A Pilot Study.

Health professionals have slowly integrated the environment and green areas into their prescriptions to connect patients with nature and outdoor activities. The World Health Organization recommends that everyone reside within 300 m of green regions to improve well-being and physical and mental health. The study aimed to explore the effects of urban and rural green areas on multiple physiological and functional variables, as well as evaluate the perception of individuals regarding the ease of use of these same spaces.

Trajectories of intrinsic connectivity one year post pediatric mild traumatic brain injury: Neural injury superimposed on neurodevelopment.

The developing brain undergoes rapid changes throughout middle childhood and adolescence. The disambiguation of long-term changes in intrinsic activity following pediatric mild traumatic brain injury (pmTBI) from typical development can therefore only be ascertained in longitudinal studies with large sample size and at least three serial assessments. A comprehensive clinical battery and resting-state fMRI data were collected approximately 1-week (N = 263; 8-18 years old), 4-months (N = 192) and 1-year (N = 153) post-injury, with identical visits in a large cohort (N = 228) of age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HC).

Validation of the brief physical activity assessment tool: Comparison of telephone and in-person administration.

We examined the reliability and validity of the Brief Physical Activity Assessment Tool (BPAAT) when administered by telephone interview compared to in-person administration. We analyzed data from the Epi-asthma study. Adult participants registered in the participating Portuguese primary health care centres (PCC) completed the BPAAT via telephone.

The Mental Health of Older People Living in Nursing Homes in Northern Portugal: A Cross-Sectional Study Protocol.

: In Portugal, evidence regarding the mental health of institutionalized older people is limited, leaving this area poorly described and the mental health needs of this population largely unknown. This research aims to describe the mental health of older persons residing in nursing homes in Northern Portugal. : A cross-sectional study will be conducted.

How Significant Are Marine Invertebrate Collagens? Exploring Trends in Research and Innovation.

This review is focused on the research, innovation and technological breakthroughs on marine invertebrate collagens and their applications. The findings reveal that research dates back to the 1970s, and after a period of reduced activity, interest in collagens from several marine invertebrate groups was renewed around 2008, likely driven by the increased commercial interest in these biomolecules of marine origin. Research and development are predominantly reported from China and Japan, highlighting significant research interest in cnidarians (jellyfish), echinoderms (sea cucumbers, sea urchins and starfish), molluscs (squid and cuttlefish) and sponges.

Role of the Molecular Mass on the Elastic Properties of Hybrid Carrageenan Hydrogels.

A set of carrageenans produced in the potassium form and with chemical structures varying from pure iota-carrageenans to nearly pure kappa-carrageenans is submitted to ultrasonication to reduce their molecular masses Mw while maintaining a constant chemical structure and a polydispersity index around 2. The kinetics of ultrasound-induced chain scission are found to be slower for polysaccharides richer in kappa-carrageenan disaccharide units. From the elasticity of samples directly gelled in a rheometer at 1 /% in 0.

Examining Insula-Default Mode Network Functional Connectivity and Its Relationship with Heart Rate Variability.

Background: The Default Mode Network (DMN) is involved in self-referential and emotional processes, while the insula integrates emotional and interoceptive signals. Functional connectivity between the insula and the DMN is proposed to enhance these processes by linking internal bodily states with self-referential thoughts and emotional regulation. Heart Rate Variability (HRV), a measure of parasympathetic regulation of cardiac activity, has been associated with the capacity to regulate autonomic arousal.

Wavefront sensing: A breakthrough for objective evaluation of dynamic accommodation in accommodative dysfunctions.

The purpose of this study was to use wavefront sensing as an objective method to detect and assess dynamic accommodation in subjects with accommodative dysfunctions and symptoms related to near-vision tasks. Sixty-three subjects were divided into control (N = 18), symptomatic without any accommodative dysfunction (SWD) (N = 18), infacility of accommodation (INFA) (N = 6), excess of accommodation (EA) (N = 9), and insufficiency of accommodation (INSA) (N = 12) groups. Accommodation was stimulated in different cycles of accommodation and disaccommodation while ocular aberrations were measured.

Visual Noise Mask for Human Point-Light Displays: A Coding-Free Approach.

Human point-light displays consist of luminous dots representing human articulations, thus depicting actions without pictorial information. These stimuli are widely used in action recognition experiments. Because humans excel in decoding human motion, point-light displays (PLDs) are often masked with additional moving dots (noise masks), thereby challenging stimulus recognition.

Subregional pedoclimatic conditions with contrasted UV-radiation shape host-microbiome and metabolome phenotypes in the grape berry.

This study used integrative omics to address the response of key elements of the grapevine holobiont to contrasted pedoclimatic conditions found in distinct subregions of Douro Valley (Portugal). A metabolic OPLS-DA model predicted with 100 % accuracy the geographic origin of berries; higher UV radiation, higher temperature and lower precipitation stimulated the accumulation of phenolic acids, flavonols and malvidin conjugates, in detriment of amino acids, organic acids, flavan-3-ols, proanthocyanidins and non-malvidin anthocyanins. Metabarcoding showed a trade-off between bacteria and fungal diversity among subregions, with , and acting as intraregional microbial markers.

Baclofen modulates the immune response after spinal cord injury with locomotor benefits.

Background And Purpose: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a neurological condition that affects motor and sensory functions below the injury site. The consequences of SCI are devastating for the patients, and although significant efforts have been done in the last years, there is no effective therapy. Baclofen has emerged in the last few years as an interesting drug in the SCI field.

Assessing Motives for Delaying Bedtime: Development and Psychometric Properties of the Reasons for Bedtime Procrastination Scale.

Background: (BP) is an increasingly prevalent behavior with detrimental outcomes for individuals. Three reasons for BP have been identified: Deliberate procrastination, mindless procrastination, and strategic delay. Developing an instrument to assess the reasons for BP allows better identification of patterns of behaviors and tailored interventions.

Psychometric proprieties analyses of psychological vulnerability scale for secondary school students.

Background: The concept of psychological vulnerability is associated with the individual's maladaptive cognitive beliefs, such as self-criticism, perfectionism, and the need for external validation and approval, reducing the individual's ability to cope with negative life experiences. This study aimed to explore psychometric proprieties of the Psychological Vulnerability Scale in secondary school students.

Methods: A psychometric study was conducted with a non-probabilistic sample of 1,875 secondary school students (55.