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The current literature lacks a comprehensive discussion on the trade-off between pollutant degradation/mineralization and treatment time costs in utilizing UV light in combination with H2O2-based electrochemical advanced oxidation processes (EAOPs). The present study sheds light on the benefits of using the photoelectro-Fenton (PEF) process with UVA or UVC for methylparaben (MetP) degradation in real drinking water. Although light boosts the photodegradation of refractory Fe(III) complexes and the photolysis of H2O2 (with UVC only), the energy-intensive nature of light-based treatments is acknowledged. To help tackle the high energy consumption issue, a novel approach was employed: partial application of UVA or UVC light after a predetermined electro-Fenton electrolysis time. The proposed treatment approach yielded satisfactory comparable results to those obtained from the application of PEF/UVA or PEF/UVC in terms of total organic carbon removal (ca. 100%), with notably lower energy consumption (ca. 50%). The study delves into the combined method's feasibility, analyzing pollutant degradation/mineralization process and overall energy consumption. The research identifies possible degradation routes based on intermediate detection and radical quenching experiments. Finally, toxicological assessments evaluate the toxicity levels of MetP and its intermediates. The findings of this study bring meaningful contributions to the fore and point to the highly promising potential of the proposed approach, in terms of sustainability and cost-effectiveness, when applied for decentralized water treatment.

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This descriptive prospective study investigated the clinical features and treatment adherence of individuals who started the treatment for Pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) during the COVID-19 pandemic in São Luís. Thirty-six TB patients and thirty-five age/sex-matched individuals were recruited between January 2021 and January 2022. The clinical features, sociodemographic information, and serum were obtained at the diagnosis time. Adherence to treatment and adverse reactions were investigated monthly. The most common symptoms in TB patients were cough (91.6%) and fever (83.3%). All TB patients had elevated pre-therapy levels of CRP and reduced HDL: 88.9% presented hypocalcemia and 47.2% showed elevated ALP and GGT. TB patients showed higher levels of ALT, AST, ALP, GGT, CRP, amylase, and triglycerides than the comparison group (p < 0.05), while the calcium levels were reduced (p < 0.0001). TB patients with anti-SARS-CoV-2-IgG antibodies (seroprevalence of 66.7%) presented higher values of amylase and lower CRP levels (p < 0.05). Most patients (~70%) reported at least one adverse drug reaction, mainly pruritus and nausea. The treatment abandonment rate was 19.2%. In conclusion, TB patients showed elevated pre-therapy levels of CRP, low levels of HDL, and hypocalcemia. Liver and pancreatic functions were also compromised in several patients before the therapy. The treatment non-adherence rate observed was similar to other studies performed before the pandemic period.

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The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the effects of anthocyanins-interventions on oxidative stress, inflammation, and lipid profile in patients undergoing hemodialysis. This systematic review and meta-analysis were registered on the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO CRD42020209742). The primary outcome was anthocyanins-rich intervention on OS parameters and secondary outcome was anthocyanins-rich intervention on inflammation and dyslipidemia. RevMan 5.4 software was used to analyze the effect size of anthocyanins-rich intervention on OS, inflammation and dyslipidemia. Meta-analysis effect size calculations incorporated random-effects model for both outcomes 1 and 2. Eight studies were included in the systematic review (trials enrolling 715 patients; 165 men and 195 women; age range between 30 and 79 years). Anthocyanin intervention in patients undergoing hemodialysis decrease the oxidant parameters (std. mean: -2.64, 95% CI: [-3.77, -1.50], P ≤ 0.0001, I2 = 97%). Specially by reduction of malondialdehyde products in favor of anthocyanins-rich intervention (std. mean: -14.58 µmol.L, 95% CI: [-26.20, -2.96], P ≤ 0.0001, I2 = 99%) and myeloperoxidase (std. mean: -1.28 ηg.mL, 95% CI: [-2.11, -0.45], P = 0.003, I2 = 77%) against placebo group. Decrease inflammatory parameters (std. mean: -0.57, 95% CI: [-0.98, -0.16], P = 0.007, I2 = 79%), increase HDL cholesterol levels (std. mean: 0.58 mg.dL, 95% CI: [0.23, 0.94], P = 0.001, I2 = 12%) against placebo group. Anthocyanins-rich intervention seems to reduce oxidative stress, inflammatory parameters and improve lipid profile by increasing HDL cholesterol levels in patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis.

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Boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrodes are regarded as the most promising catalytic materials that are highly efficient and suitable for application in advanced electrochemical oxidation processes targeted at the removal of recalcitrant contaminants in different water matrices. Improving the synthesis of these electrodes through the enhancement of their morphology, structure and stability has become the goal of the material scientists. The present work reports the use of an ultranano-diamond electrode with a highly porous structure (B-UNCDWS/TDNT/Ti) for the treatment of water containing carbaryl. The application of the proposed electrode at current density of 75 mA cm-2 led to the complete removal of the pollutant (carbaryl) from the synthetic medium in 30 min of electrolysis with an electric energy per order of 4.01 kWh m-3 order-1. The results obtained from the time-course analysis of the carboxylic acids and nitrogen-based ions present in the solution showed that the concentrations of nitrogen-based ions were within the established maximum levels for human consumption. Under optimal operating conditions, the proposed electrode was successfully employed for the complete removal of carbaryl in real water. Thus, the findings of this study show that the unique, easy-to-prepare BDD-based electrode proposed in this study is a highly efficient tool which has excellent application potential for the removal of recalcitrant pollutants in water.

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Serological databases represent an important source of information to perceive COVID-19 impact on health professionals involved in combating the disease. This paper describes SerumCovid, a COVID-19 serological database focused on the diagnosis of health professionals, providing a preliminary analysis to contribute to the understanding of the antibody response to the SARS-CoV-2. The study population comprises 321 samples from 236 healthcare and frontline workers fighting COVID-19 in Vitória de Santo Antão, Brazil. Samples were collected from at least six days of symptoms to more than 100 days. The used immunoenzymatic assays were Euroimmun Anti-SARS-CoV-2 ELISA IgG and IgA. The most common gender in SerumCovid is female, while the most common age group is between 30 and 39 years old. However, no statistical differences were observed in either genders or age categories. The most reported symptoms were fatigue, headaches, and myalgia. Still, some subjects presented positive results for IgA after 130 days. Based on a temporal analysis, we have not identified general patterns as subjects presented high and low values of IgA and IgG with different evolution trends. Unexpectedly, for subjects with both serological tests, the outcome of IgA and IgG tests were the same (either positive or negative) for more than 80% of the samples. Therefore, SerumCovid helps better understand how COVID-19 affected healthcare and frontline workers, which increases knowledge about the infection and enables direct prevention actions.

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Electrocatalytic production of H2O2 via a two-electron oxygen reduction reaction (ORR-2e-) is regarded as a highly promising decentralized and environmentally friendly mechanism for the production of this important chemical commodity. However, the underlying challenges related to the development of catalytic materials that contain zero or low content of noble metals and that are relatively more active, selective, and resistant for long-term use have become a huge obstacle for the electroproduction of H2O2 on commercial and industrial scales. The present study reports the synthesis and characterization of low metal-loaded (≤6.4 wt %) catalysts and their efficiency in H2O2 electroproduction. The catalysts were constructed using gold palladium molybdenum oxide (AuPdMoOx) and palladium molybdenum oxide (PdMoOx) nanoparticles supported on graphene nanoribbons. Based on the application of a rotating ring-disk electrode, we conducted a thorough comparative analysis of the electrocatalytic performance of the catalysts in the ORR under acidic and alkaline media. The proposed catalysts exhibited high catalytic activity (ca. 0.08 mA gnoble metal-1 in an acidic medium and ca. 6.6 mA gnoble metal-1 in an alkaline medium), good selectivity (over 80%), and improved long-term stability toward ORR-2e-. The results obtained showed that the enhanced ORR activity presented by the catalysts, which occurred preferentially via the two-electron pathway, was promoted by a combination of factors including geometry, Pd content, interparticle distance, and site-blocking effects, while the electrochemical stability of the catalysts may have been enhanced by the presence of MoOx.

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Introdução: O suporte nutricional no paciente oncológico não se restringe ao cálculo das necessidades nutricionais e à prescrição dietética, é necessário que o volume prescrito seja realmente infundido. Objetivo: Comparar a infusão calórica e proteica com a prescrição dietética em pacientes oncológicos sob terapia nutricional enteral. Método: Estudo retrospectivo, analítico, conduzido em fichas de acompanhamento nutricional de pacientes que estiveram internados durante sete dias no mínimo, exclusivamente sob terapia nutricional enteral por sonda ou ostomia entre janeiro/2009 e dezembro/2012. As fichas que atenderam aos critérios de seleção foram ordenadas alfabeticamente e, aleatoriamente, selecionadas por intervalo de retirada (k=5). Coletaram-se: idade, sexo, localização tumoral, composição nutricional, volume prescrito e aquele infundido da fórmula enteral utilizada. Com estes dois últimos, calculou-se o indicador "prescrição versus infusão". Os testes t Student, t pareado e qui-quadrado foram aplicados a um nível de significância máximo de 5%. Resultados: Das 120 fichas analisadas, prevaleceram homens (61,7%) com idade média de 58,3±16,8anos. Em 2010, houve maiores médias de diferença entre volume prescrito e infundido (-392,64ml) e calorias prescritas versus infundidas (-528,23cal). Apenas 37,5% dos pacientes receberam um mínimo de 70% do volume prescrito. Conclusão: Houve um inadequado consumo da dieta infundida em relação à prescrita. Sugere-se que intervenções pela equipe multiprofissional em terapia nutricional minimizem as intercorrências encontradas.

Introduction: Nutritional support for cancer patients is not restricted to the calculation of nutritional needs and dietary prescription, it is necessary that the prescribed volume is actually infused. Objective: To compare caloric and protein infusion with dietary prescription in cancer patients undergoing enteral nutritional therapy. Method: Retrospective, analytical study, conducted on nutritional monitoring cards who were hospitalized at least for seven days, exclusively under enteral nutritional therapy by tube or ostomy, between January 2009 and December 2012. The cards that met the selection criteria were ordered alphabetically and randomly selected by withdrawal interval (k=5). It was collected: age, sex, tumor location, nutritional composition, prescribed and infused volume of the enteral formula utilized. With these last two, the indicator "prescription versus infusion" was calculated. Student t test, paired t test and chi-square test were applied at a maximum significance level of 5%. Results: Of the 120 cards analyzed, men (61.7%) were more prevalent with mean age of 58.3±16.8 years. In 2010, higher means of the difference between prescribed and infused volume (-392.64 ml) and prescribed versus infused calories (-528.23 cal) were observed. Only 37.5% of the patients received a minimum of 70% of the prescribed volume. Conclusion: There was an inadequate intake of the infused in relation to the prescribed diet. It is suggested nutritional therapy interventions from the multi-professional team to minimize the complications encountered.

Introducción: El soporte nutricional en pacientes oncológicos no se limita al cálculo de necesidades nutricionales y prescripción dietética, es necesario que el volumen prescrito sea efectivamente infundido. Objetivo: Comparar la infusión calórica y proteica con la prescripción dietética en pacientes oncológicos sometidos a terapia nutricional enteral. Método: Estudio retrospectivo, analítico, realizado en formularios de seguimiento de pacientes que estuvieron hospitalizados durante al menos siete días, exclusivamente bajo terapia nutricional enteral por sonda u ostomía entre enero/2009 a diciembre/2012. Los formularios que cumplieron con los criterios de selección se ordenaron alfabéticamente y se seleccionaron aleatoriamente por intervalo de retiro (k=5). Se recogió: edad, sexo, localización del tumor, composición nutricional, volumen prescrito y el infundido con la fórmula enteral empleada. Con estos dos últimos se calculó el indicador "receta versus infusión". La prueba t de Student, la prueba t pareada y la prueba de chi-cuadrado se aplicaron a un nivel máximo de significancia del 5%. Resultados: De los 120 registros analizados, predominó: hombres (61,7%), con una edad promedio de 58,3±16,8 años. En 2010, hubo mayores promedios de diferencia entre el volumen prescrito y el infundido (-392,64 ml) y las calorías prescritas frente a las infundidas (-528,23cal). Solo el 37,5% de los pacientes recibió un mínimo del 70% del volumen prescrito. Conclusión: Existió un consumo inadecuado de la dieta infundida en relación con la prescrita. Se sugiere que intervenciones del equipo multiprofesional en terapia nutricional minimicen las complicaciones encontradas.

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Introdução: O exercício físico é praticado com diversos objetivos, destacando-se a promoção na mudança da composição corporal, com a redução de gordura e aumento de massa magra. Assim, compreender os fatores que podem estar associados nesta modificação se torna relevante. Objetivo: Analisar os fatores demográficos, estilo de vida, bioquímico, alimentares e de treinamento associados ao percentual de gordura corporal em praticantes de exercício físico em academias. Materiais e Métodos: Estudo transversal com 143 praticantes de exercícios físicos saudáveis, de ambos os sexos. Características sociodemográficas e estilo de vida foram obtidas através da aplicação de questionário. O consumo alimentar foi obtido através de registros alimentares de 24h, considerando as médias de três dias. A composição corporal foi avaliada por meio de avaliação antropométrica e pelo teste de bioimpedância elétrica. A análise estatística contemplou o teste de Shapiro Wilk para verificação da normalidade; o qui-quadrado e exato de Fisher foram usados para avaliar a associação entre as variáveis categóricas e a variável resposta e os testes de Mann-Whitney e t de Student para as contínuas. A regressão de Poisson com variância robusta foi usada para determinar as associações entre variáveis estudadas. O software Stata versão 14.0 foi usado para análise estatística, tendo sido adotado o valor de p <0,05. Resultados: A prevalência de gordura corporal elevada foi de 49,3% nos homens e 79,2% nas mulheres. Os fatores associados foram o maior consumo de proteína e fibras nas mulheres e a concentração de monócitos nos homens. Conclusão: Apesar de se tratar de público fisicamente ativo, observou-se elevado percentual de gordura entre os participantes do estudo e os fatores associados reforçam o caráter multietiológico deste indicador. (AU)

Introduction: Physical exercise is practiced with several objectives, especially the promotion of changes in body composition, with fat reduction and increase in lean mass. Thus, understanding the factors that may be associated with this modification becomes relevant. Objective: To analyze demographic, lifestyle, biochemical, dietary, and training factors associated with the percentage of body fat in practitioners of physical exercise in gyms. Materials and Methods: Cross-sectional study with 143 healthy physical exercise practitioners, of both sexes. Sociodemographic characteristics and lifestyle were obtained through the application of a questionnaire. Food consumption was obtained through 24-hour food records, considering the averages of three days. Body composition was assessed using anthropometric assessment and the electrical bioimpedance test. The statistical analysis included the Shapiro Wilk test to verify normality, the chi-square and Fisher's exact test were used to assess the association between categorical variables and the response variable and the Mann-Whitney and Student t tests for the continuous variables. Poisson regression with robust variance was used to determine the associations between studied variables. Stata software version 14.0 was used for statistical analysis and a value of p <0.05 was adopted. Results: The prevalence of high body fat was 49.3% in men and 79.2% in women. The associated factors were the higher consumption of protein and fibers in women and the concentration of monocytes in men. Conclusion: Despite being a physically active public, a high percentage of fat was observed among the study participants and the associated factors reinforce the multi-etiological character of this indicator. (AU)

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Sea turtle eggs are heavily influenced by the environment in which they incubate, including effects on hatching success and hatchling viability (hatchling production). It is crucial to understand how the hatchling production of sea turtles is influenced by local climate and how potential changes in climate may impact future hatchling production. Generalized Additive Models were used to determine the relationship of six climatic variables at different temporal scales on loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) hatchling production at seventeen nesting beaches in Bahia, Espirito Santo, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Using extreme and conservative climate change scenarios throughout the 21st century, potential impacts on future hatching success (the number of hatched eggs in a nest) were predicted using the climatic variable(s) that best described hatchling production at each nesting beach. Air temperature and precipitation were found to be the main drivers of hatchling production throughout Brazil. CMIP5 climate projections are for a warming of air temperature at all sites throughout the 21st century, while projections for precipitation vary regionally. The more tropical nesting beaches in Brazil, such as those in Bahia, are projected to experience declines in hatchling production, while the more temperate nesting beaches, such as those in Rio de Janeiro, are projected to experience increases in hatchling production by the end of the 21st century.

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Objetivo: Avaliar o risco cardiovascular de usuários de um Centro de Atenção Psicossocial em Álcool e Drogas. Métodos: Estudo retrospectivo e analítico, realizado em um Centro de Atenção Psicossocial em Álcool e Drogas em São Luís, Maranhão. A amostra compôs-se por prontuários de homens adultos atendidos nos anos de 2015 a 2017. Os prontuários de usuários exclusivos de álcool não foram incluídos no estudo. Coletaram-se informações referentes aos aspectos socioeconômicos, demográficos, estilo de vida, histórico de dependência química, além das informações antropométricas. Utilizou-se o programa Stata®, versão 13.0, para análise dos dados, sendo realizada regressão de Poisson. Resultados: Dos 122 prontuários analisados, 73,5% (n=89) pertenciam à faixa etária de 20 a 39 anos, 79,5% (n=97) eram solteiros e 49,2% (n=60) possuíam ensino fundamental incompleto ou completo. Quanto ao estado nutricional, 54,9% (n=67) dos dependentes estavam eutróficos, 18,0% (n=22) deles estavam em risco para doenças cardiovasculares, de acordo com a circunferência da cintura, e também 17,2 % (n=21) pela razão cintura/estatura. Além disso, 36,6% (n=41) e 41,8% (n=51) dos dependentes permaneceram com risco de doença cardiovascular conforme a relação cintura/quadril e o índice de conicidade, respectivamente. Apresentar idade entre 40 e 59 anos (OR = 4,40; IC 95%: 1,52-12,75) e utilizar cocaína (OR = 3,27; IC 95%: 1,15 - 9,27) foram fatores de risco para doenças cardiovasculares pela razão cintura/estatura. Conclusão: O estudo identificou como dependentes químicos adultos jovens, eutróficos, com risco de doença cardiovascular e associação significativa da razão cintura/estatura com a idade e a utilização de cocaína. (AU)

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Climate change is expected to impact animals that are heavily reliant on environmental factors, such as sea turtles, since the incubation of their eggs, hatching success and sex ratio are influenced by the environment in which eggs incubate. As climate change progresses it is therefore important to understand how climatic conditions influence their reproductive output and the ramifications to population stability. Here, we examined the influences of five climatic variables (air temperature, accumulated and average precipitation, humidity, solar radiation, and wind speed) at different temporal scales on hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) hatchling production at ten nesting beaches within two regions of Brazil (five nesting beaches in Rio Grande do Norte and five in Bahia). Air temperature and accumulated precipitation were the main climatic drivers of hawksbill hatching success (number of eggs hatched within a nest) across Brazil and in Rio Grande do Norte, while air temperature and average precipitation were the main climatic drivers of hatching success at Bahia. Solar radiation was the main climatic driver of emergence success (number of hatchlings that emerged from total hatched eggs within a nest) at both regions. Warmer temperatures and higher solar radiation had negative effects on hatchling production, while wetter conditions had a positive effect. Conservative and extreme climate scenarios show air temperatures are projected to increase at this site, while precipitation projections vary between scenarios and regions throughout the 21st century. We predicted hatching success of undisturbed nests (no recorded depredation or storm-related impacts) will decrease in Brazil by 2100 as a result of how this population is influenced by local climate. This study shows the determining effects of different climate variables and their combinations on an important and critically endangered marine species.

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Mixtures of monoazo Tartrazine, diazo Ponceau SS and triazo Direct Blue 71 dyes with 105 mg L-1 of total organic carbon (TOC) in 0.050 M Na2SO4 at pH 3.0 have been treated by solar photoelectro-Fenton (SPEF). Experiments were carried out in a 2.5 L pre-pilot plant with a Pt/air-diffusion cell coupled to a solar planar photoreactor. Comparative trials were made by anodic oxidation with electrogenerated H2O2 (AO-H2O2) and electro-Fenton (EF) to better understand the role of oxidizing agents. AO-H2O2 gave poor degradation due to the low oxidation ability of OH formed at the Pt anode and H2O2 produced at the cathode. Similar color removal was achieved in EF and SPEF because the main oxidant was OH formed in the bulk from Fenton's reaction. EF yielded partial mineralization by formation of molecules with high stability against OH. In contrast, these by-products were rapidly photolyzed under sunlight irradiation in SPEF, which was the most powerful treatment. Up to 8 linear final carboxylic acids were detected, along with the release of sulfate and ammonium ions. The effect of Fe2+ and azo dye concentrations, and current density over the SPEF performance was assessed. Total mineralization of azo dyes mixtures occurred when operating up to 105 mg L-1 TOC with 0.50 mM Fe2+ at 100 mA cm-2.

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Objective: To evaluate anemia as a cause of clinical disability in blood donors in the state of Maranhão- Brazil. Methods: This study addresses a time series of prevalence of anemia among blood donor candidates. Secondary data were collected from the Information System of the Blood Center of Maranhão. Donor candidates were treated between 2001 and 2010. Statistical analysis was performed with Epi Info version 6.04d. Results: The proportion of clinical disability was 16.8% (n = 1,672) and 63.27% (n = 6,198) consisted of men. Considering the unfit group, anemia was the second most frequent cause with 16.68% (n = 16,729). In men, drug use was the most frequent cause of inability (90.94%, n = 650) and anemia was the last cause with 28.76% (n = 458). In women, anemia was the major cause of clinical inability (71.24%, p = 0.000). Conclusion: Anemia is an important cause of inability, and in women it is the first one (AU)

Objetivo: Avaliar a anemia como causa de inaptidão clínica de candidatos a doação de sangue no estado do Maranhão. Métodos: Este estudo trata de uma série temporal da prevalência de anemia entre os candidatos doadores de sangue. Foram coletados dados secundários do Sistema de Informação do Hemocentro do Maranhão. Os candidatos a doação foram atendidos entre os anos de 2001 e 2010. A análise estatística foi realizada com Epi Info versão 6.04d. Os dados foram considerados estatisticamente significativos quando p <0,05. Resultados: A proporção de inaptidão clínica foi de 16,8% (n=1,672) sendo desses 63,27% (n=6,198) eram homens. Considerando-se o grupo de inaptos, a anemia foi a segunda causa mais frequente com 16.68% (n= 16,729). Nos homens, o uso de drogas foi a causa mais frequente de inaptidão (90.94%; n= 650) e a anemia foi a última causa com 28.76% (n=458). Em mulheres a anemia representou a maior causa de inaptidão clínica (71.24%; p=0,000). Conclusão: A anemia configura-se como causa importante de inaptidão, principalmente em mulheres, sendo a primeira (AU)

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A complex mosaicism of the short arm of chromosome 1 detected by SNP microarray analysis is described in a patient presenting a 4-Mb 1p36 terminal deletion and associated phenotypic features. The array pattern of chromosome 1p displayed an intriguing increase in divergence of the SNP heterozygote frequency from the expected 50% from the centromere towards the 1p36 breakpoint. This suggests that various overlapping segments of UPD were derived by somatic recombination between the 1p homologues. The most likely explanation was the occurrence of a series of events initiated in either a gamete or an early embryonic cell division involving a 1pter deletion rapidly followed by multiple telomere captures, resulting in additive, stepped increases in frequency of homozygosity towards the telomere. The largest segment involved the entire 1p, and at least four other capture events were observed, indicating that at least five independent telomere captures occurred in separate cell lineages. The determination of breakpoint position by detection of abrupt changes in B-allele frequency using a moving window analysis demonstrated that they were identical in blood and saliva, the tissues available for analysis. We developed a model to explain the interaction of parameters determining the mosaic clones and concluded that, while number, size, and position of telomere captures were important initiating determinants, variation in individual clone frequencies was the main contributor to mosaic differences between tissues. All previous reports of telomere capture have been restricted to single events. Other cases involving multiple telomere capture probably exist but require investigation by SNP microarrays for their detection.

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Mixotrophy is a metabolic strategy in which an organism is autotrophic and heterotrophic simultaneously. Considering that the aquatic environment provides several organic sources of carbon, it is probably common for microalgae to perform mixotrophy and not only photoautotrophy, but little is known about microalgae mixotrophy. The present work aimed at investigating the growth, photosynthetic activity, morphology, and biochemical composition of the microalga Chlorella sorokiniana in mixotrophic and photo-mixotrophic conditions, comparing it with photoautotrophy. The results showed pH changes after glucose addition, reaching pH 11.62 in mixotrophic and 10.47 in sequential photo-mixotrophic cultures, which limited the microalgal growth. Highest biomass was obtained in the mixotrophic culture in comparison with the sequential photo-mixotrophic one. Rapid light saturation curves showed that α (photosynthetic efficiency, 1.69) and relative electron transport rate (rETR; 565.61) were higher in the mixotrophic cultures, whereas the highest Ik (irradiance saturation, 386.68) was obtained in the photoautotrophic ones. In the sequential photo-mixotrophic cultures, photosynthetic activity varied during glucose consumption, decreasing the maximum quantum yield Fv/Fm after glucose addition, indicating change in metabolism, from photoautotrophy to mixotrophy by the microalga. The results showed that the mixotrophic cultures had higher production of chlorophyll a (6.26 mg mL-1), cell density (6.62 × 107 cell mL-1), and lipids (0.06 pg µm-3). Sequential photo-mixotrophic cultures showed the highest biovolume (360.5 µm3 cell-1) and total carbohydrates (0.026 pg µm-3). The protein concentration was 3.2 and 2.4 times higher in photoautotrophy and photo-mixotrophic growth, respectively, than in mixotrophy, but lipids were three times higher under mixotrophy. The biochemical changes we observed indicate that the microalga's plasticity in face of new environmental characteristics, such as the presence of organic carbon, can change the flow of energy through natural ecosystems.

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Water scarcity is one of the major concerns worldwide. In order to secure this appreciated natural resource, management and development of water treatment technologies are mandatory. One feasible alternative is the consideration of water recycling/reuse at the household scale. Here, the treatment of actual washing machine effluent by electrochemical advanced oxidation processes was considered. Electrochemical oxidation and electro-Fenton technologies can be applied as decentralized small-scale water treatment devices. Therefore, efficient decolorization and total organic abatement have been followed. The results demonstrate the promising performance of solar photoelectro-Fenton process, where complete color and organic removal was attained after 240 min of treatment under optimum conditions by applying a current density of 66.6 mA cm-2. Thus, electrochemical technologies emerge as promising water-sustainable approaches.

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ABSTRACT Objective To determine the association of a scored patient-generated Subjective Global Assessment with mortality and length of hospital stay in cancer patients. Methods Cross-sectional study carried out between July and September 2014 using secondary data collection using data from 366 medical records of patients admitted to a hospital recognized as a cancer center of excellence. The present study included patients with hospital stay over than or equal three days and minimum age of 20 years. The patient-generated Subjective Global Assessment scores were calculated and compared with the patients' clinical and anthropometric characteristics and outcomes (death and long length of stay in hospital). Results Of the 366 patients evaluated, 36.0% were malnourished. The presence of malnutrition, according to the scored patient-generated Subjective Global Assessment, was statistically associated with the presence of metastasis (52.4%). On the other hand, malnutrition, according to the body mass index in adults (55.8%) and in older elderly patients (54.2%), was associated with death (55.0%). The adjusted logistic regression model showed that the following factors were associated with prolonged hospitalization: early nutritional screening, presence of severe malnutrition, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and surgical procedures. As for mortality, the associated factors were: male reproductive system tumor, presence of metastasis, clinical treatment, prolonged hospitalization, and the presence of some degree of malnutrition. Conclusion The patient-generated Subjective Global Assessment score is an important risk marker of prolonged hospitalization and mortality rates. It is a useful tool capable of circumventing significant biases in the nutritional evaluation of cancer patients.

RESUMO Objetivo Associar a Avaliação Subjetiva Global produzida pelo paciente à mortalidade e ao tempo de internação em pacientes com câncer. Métodos Pesquisa transversal analítica com coleta secundária de dados, conduzida entre julho e setembro de 2014 em 366 prontuários de pacientes internados entre janeiro de 2010 a janeiro de 2014 de um hospital de referência em câncer. Participaram do estudo pacientes com tempo de internação maior ou igual a três dias e idade mínima de 20 anos. Foi coletado o escore da avaliação subjetiva global produzida pelo paciente e associado às características clínicas, antropométricas e do desfecho dos pacientes (óbito e elevado tempo de internação). Resultados Dos 366 avaliados, 36.0% eram desnutridos. A presença de desnutrição pela avaliação subjetiva global produzida pelo paciente se associou estatisticamente com a presença de metástase (52.4%), desnutrição (e morte (55.0%) pelo índice de massa corporal em adultos (55.8%) e em idosos (54.2%) e morte (55.0%). O modelo de regressão logística ajustada demonstrou que foram associadas ao tempo de internação prolongada: triagem nutricional precoce, presença de desnutrição grave e os tratamentos radio e quimioterápicos associados e o cirúrgico. Já em relação à mortalidade: a localização tumoral no sistema reprodutor masculino, a presença de metástase, o tratamento clínico, a internação prolongada e a presença de algum grau de desnutrição estiveram associadas. Conclusão O escore da avaliação subjetiva global produzida pelo paciente é um marcador de risco importante para internação prolongada e morte. Sendo um instrumento valioso, capaz de contornar vieses significativos na avaliação nutricional do paciente com câncer.

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BACKGROUND: Radiotherapy causes the regression of many human tumors by increasing DNA damage, and the novel molecular mechanisms underlying the genomic instability leading to cancer progression and metastasis must be elucidated. Atypical dual-specificity phosphatase 3 (DUSP3) has been shown to down-regulate mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) to control the proliferation and apoptosis of human cancer cells. We have recently identified novel molecular targets of DUSP3 that function in DNA damage response and repair; however, whether DUSP3 affects these processes remains unknown. METHODS: Tumor cell lines in which DUSP3 activity was suppressed by pharmacological inhibitors or a targeted siRNA were exposed to gamma radiation, and proliferation, survival, DNA strand breaks and recombination repair pathways were sequentially analyzed. RESULTS: The combination of reduced DUSP3 activity and gamma irradiation resulted in decreased cellular proliferation and survival and increased cellular senescence compared with the effects of radiation exposure alone. Gamma radiation-induced DNA damage was increased by the loss of DUSP3 activity and correlated with increased levels of phospho-H2AX protein and numbers of ionizing radiation-induced γ-H2AX foci, which were reflected in diminished efficiencies of homologous recombination (HR) and non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) repair. Similar results were obtained in ATM-deficient cells, in which reduced DUSP3 activity increased radiosensitivity, independent of increased MAPK phosphorylation. CONCLUSION: The loss of DUSP3 activity markedly increases gamma radiation-induced DNA strand breaks, suggesting a potential novel role for DUSP3 in DNA repair. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: The radioresistance of tumor cells is effectively reduced by a combination of approaches through the inhibition of DUSPs.

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Water recycling and industrial effluents remediation are a hot topic of research to reduce the environmental impact of the human activity. Persistent organic pollutants are highly recalcitrant compounds with hazardous effects associated to their fate in water bodies. Several novel technologies have been developed during the last decades to deal with this novel contamination. However, the natural sources and idiosyncrasy of each country lead to the potential application of different technologies. In this context, we have focused on the development of phocotalytic treatment of solutions containing dyes using a novel photocatalytic material, the NbO2OH. The NbO2OH was synthesized and characterized with different techniques. Several assays demonstrated the solar photoactivity of this novel oxyhydroxide catalyst, achieving complete decolorizations after 10min of treatment under optimal conditions of 1.0gL-1 NbO2OH photocatalyst loading, 0.1M of H2O2 as electron scavenger, pH4.0 and methyl orange concentrations up to 15mgL-1. Also, the catalyst recuperation demonstrated the potential reuse of this photocatalyst without losing catalytic response after five cycles. This work is of significant importance because niobium is a natural resource, mainly extracted in Brazil and the annual global sunlight irradiation in the near-equatorial region of northeast Brazil is over the average solar irradiation of the planet. Thus, the solar photocatalytic treatment using NbO2OH in northeast Brazil appears as a highly potential environmental-friendly nanotechnology to mitigate the water pollution.

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ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION: The elderly population is growing rapidly. Political and socio-economic changes led to the demographic transition in this population with the highest number of surgeries and as well as many comorbidities. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of cardiovascular intervention on quality of life of elderly patients after three and six months. METHODS: Analytical prospective cohort study with elderly between 60 and 80 years of age, of both sexes, with a diagnosis of coronary artery disease and underwent cardiovascular intervention during the period June 2010 to June 2011. Data were collected by individual interviews in the pre and postoperative periods (after three and six months) by telephone. We used the SF-36 to analyse quality of life in order to assess the physical and mental health of the study population. RESULTS: Of the 44 individuals evaluated, 59.1% were men, 75% in the range of 65 to 74 years, 38.6% were white and 38.6% were black, 31.8% were uneducated, 43.2% were married and 68.2% had less than a minimum wage. Prevailed patients: non-diabetics (68.2%), non-obese (81.8%), hypertensive (84.1%), non-alcoholic and non-smokers (68.2% and 61.4%, respectively). A significant increase in the average of the SF-36 scores between pre and post-surgical periods (three and six months) for the domains: functional capacity, pain, general health, vitality and emotional aspect. CONCLUSION: The elderly population undergoing intervention may have cardiovascular benefits and improvements of quality of life. Physical fitness improvement measures can be taken to resume that capability.

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