Low-loss SiGe waveguides for mid-infrared photonics fabricated on 200 mm wafers.

This article presents low-loss mid-infrared waveguides fabricated on a Ge-rich SiGe strain-relaxed buffer grown on an industrial-scale 200 mm wafer, with propagation losses below 0.5 dB/cm for 5-7 µm wavelengths and below 5 dB/cm up to 11 µm. Investigation reveals free-carrier absorption as the primary loss factor for 5-6.5 µm and silicon multiphonon absorption beyond 7 µm wavelength. This result establishes a foundation for a scalable, silicon-compatible mid-infrared platform, enabling the realisation of photonic integrated circuits for various applications in the mid-infrared spectral region, from hazard detection to spectroscopy and military imaging.

In silico prospecting of the mtDNA of Macrobrachium amazonicum from transcriptome data.

BACKGROUND: Macrobrachium amazonicum is a freshwater prawn widely distributed in South America that is undergoing speciation, so the denomination "M. amazonicum complex" is used for it. The mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene has been used to elucidate this speciation, but heteroplasmies and pseudogenes have been recorded, making separation difficult. Obtaining genes from cDNA (RNA) rather than genomic DNA is an effective tool to mitigate those two types of occurrences. The aim of this study was to assemble in silico the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of the Amazonian coastal population of M. amazonicum inhabiting the state of Pará. RESULTS: Sequences were obtained from the prawn's transcriptome using the de novo approach. Six libraries of cDNA from the androgen gland, hepatopancreas, and muscle tissue were used. The mtDNA of M. amazonicum was 14,960 bp in length. It contained 13 protein-coding genes, 21 complete transfer RNAs, and the 12S and 16S subunits of ribosomal RNA. All regions were found on the light strand except tRNAGln, which was on the heavy strand. The control region (D-loop) was not recovered, making for a gap of 793 bp. The cladogram showed the formation of the well-defined Macrobrachium clade, with high support value in the established branches (91-100). The three-dimensional spatial conformation of the mtDNA-encoded proteins showed that most of them were mainly composed of major α-helices that typically shows in those proteins inserted in the membrane (mitochondrial). CONCLUSIONS: It was possible to assemble a large part of the mitochondrial genome of M. amazonicum in silico using data from other genomes deposited in GenBank and to validate it through the similarities between its COI and 16S genes and those from animals of the same region deposited in GenBank. Depositing the M. amazonicum mtDNA sequences in GenBank may help solve the taxonomic problems recorded for the species, in addition to providing complete sequences of candidate coding genes for use as biomarkers in ecological studies.

User-Chatbot Conversations During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Study Based on Topic Modeling and Sentiment Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Chatbots have become a promising tool to support public health initiatives. Despite their potential, little research has examined how individuals interacted with chatbots during the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding user-chatbot interactions is crucial for developing services that can respond to people's needs during a global health emergency. OBJECTIVE: This study examined the COVID-19 pandemic-related topics online users discussed with a commercially available social chatbot and compared the sentiment expressed by users from 5 culturally different countries. METHODS: We analyzed 19,782 conversation utterances related to COVID-19 covering 5 countries (the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Malaysia, and the Philippines) between 2020 and 2021, from SimSimi, one of the world's largest open-domain social chatbots. We identified chat topics using natural language processing methods and analyzed their emotional sentiments. Additionally, we compared the topic and sentiment variations in the COVID-19-related chats across countries. RESULTS: Our analysis identified 18 emerging topics, which could be categorized into the following 5 overarching themes: "Questions on COVID-19 asked to the chatbot" (30.6%), "Preventive behaviors" (25.3%), "Outbreak of COVID-19" (16.4%), "Physical and psychological impact of COVID-19" (16.0%), and "People and life in the pandemic" (11.7%). Our data indicated that people considered chatbots as a source of information about the pandemic, for example, by asking health-related questions. Users turned to SimSimi for conversation and emotional messages when offline social interactions became limited during the lockdown period. Users were more likely to express negative sentiments when conversing about topics related to masks, lockdowns, case counts, and their worries about the pandemic. In contrast, small talk with the chatbot was largely accompanied by positive sentiment. We also found cultural differences, with negative words being used more often by users in the United States than by those in Asia when talking about COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the analysis of user-chatbot interactions on a live platform, this work provides insights into people's informational and emotional needs during a global health crisis. Users sought health-related information and shared emotional messages with the chatbot, indicating the potential use of chatbots to provide accurate health information and emotional support. Future research can look into different support strategies that align with the direction of public health policy.

Selecting tropical wheat genotypes through combining ability analysis.

The selection of parents to originate promising base populations, as well as the knowledge of the gene effects controlling agronomic traits by means of diallel, are useful to drive genetic gains in Brazilian tropical wheat breeding programs. The goals of this study were to select tropical wheat parents with a high frequency of favorable alleles and segregating populations with high potential to originate superior progenies through partial diallel analysis. Thus, 14 parents were divided in two groups and crossed in a 7 × 7 partial diallel scheme to originate 49 F1 combinations. After obtaining F2 generation, the populations and the parents were evaluated in the field in the summer of 2021. Days for heading, plant height, rust and yellow spot resistance, and grain yield were evaluated. The data were subjected to partial diallel analysis. There were significant effects of general combining ability for all traits. The specific combining ability effect was significant for days for heading and plant height. The additive gene effects were predominant over the non-additive ones. The parents with the highest frequency of favorable alleles for the traits evaluated were selected in each group. Four populations with high genetic potential to originate superior progenies were selected.

Two-year efficacy and safety of erenumab in participants with episodic migraine and 2-4 prior preventive treatment failures: results from the LIBERTY study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate individual and group long-term efficacy and safety of erenumab in individuals with episodic migraine (EM) for whom 2-4 prior preventatives had failed. METHODS: Participants completing the 12-week double-blind treatment phase (DBTP) of the LIBERTY study could continue into an open-label extension phase (OLEP) receiving erenumab 140 mg monthly for up to 3 years. Main outcomes assessed at week 112 were: ≥50%, ≥75% and 100% reduction in monthly migraine days (MMD) as group responder rate and individual responder rates, MMD change from baseline, safety and tolerability. RESULTS: Overall 240/246 (97.6%) entered the OLEP (118 continuing erenumab, 122 switching from placebo). In total 181/240 (75.4%) reached 112 weeks, 24.6% discontinued, mainly due to lack of efficacy (44.0%), participant decision (37.0%) and adverse events (AEs; 12.0%). The ≥50% responder rate was 57.2% (99/173) at 112 weeks. Of ≥50% responders at the end of the DBTP, 36/52 (69.2%) remained responders at ≥50% and 22/52 (42.3%) at >80% of visits. Of the non-responders at the end of the DBTP, 60/185 (32.4%) converted to ≥50% responders in at least half the visits and 24/185 (13.0%) converted to ≥50% responders in >80% of visits. Change from baseline at 112 weeks in mean (SD) MMD was -4.2 (5.0) days. Common AEs (≥10%) were nasopharyngitis, influenza and back pain. CONCLUSIONS: Efficacy was sustained over 112 weeks in individuals with difficult-to-treat EM for whom 2-4 prior migraine preventives had failed. Erenumab treatment was safe and well tolerated, in-line with previous studies. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03096834.

Immunogenicity of erenumab: A pooled analysis of six placebo-controlled trials with long-term extensions.

BACKGROUND: Immunogenicity of erenumab, a human anti-calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor monoclonal antibody developed for migraine prevention, has been evaluated throughout clinical development. METHODS: Integrated post hoc analysis assessing immunogenicity of erenumab across six clinical trials in patients with episodic and chronic migraine (N = 2985). Anti-erenumab antibody incidence and potential impact on pharmacokinetics, efficacy, and safety were evaluated in short-term (double-blind treatment phase 12-24 weeks) and long-term (double-blind treatment phase plus extensions of up to 5 years) analyses. RESULTS: Anti-erenumab binding antibody incidence was low with few patients developing neutralizing antibodies. Antibody responses were mostly transient with low magnitude. Binding antibodies developed as early as 2-4 weeks after the first dose; the majority developed within the first 6 months and very few after the first year. Serum concentrations of erenumab in antibody-positive patients were generally lower than, but within the range of, antibody-negative patients. There was no impact of anti-erenumab antibodies on erenumab efficacy or safety with no differences between antibody-positive and antibody-negative patients in change in monthly migraine days or adverse event rates. CONCLUSIONS: This pooled analysis showed that immunogenicity had no meaningful clinical impact on efficacy or safety of erenumab in patients with migraine.Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01952574; ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02456740; Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02483585; Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02174861; Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02630459; Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT03812224.

What Do We Know about Frame Running? A Narrative Review.

ABSTRACT: This narrative review aims to provide a general overview of the literature about frame running, which is a recent modality of Para-Athletics. Frame running is practiced by using a tricycle without pedals called PETRA RaceRunner, by people with moderate to severe cerebral palsy and other lower limb functional limitations. Briefly, the movement pattern is very similar to walking and running. This review includes studies from scientific databases and content of official sports web sites by using the keywords "framerunning," "racerunning," and "petra racerunning." According to our search, this narrative review highlighted three themes involving the practice of frame running, namely health and quality of life, sports classification, and training and testing in the frame running context.

Erenumab prevents the occurrence of migraine attacks and not just migraine days: Post-hoc analyses of a phase III study.

BACKGROUND: This post-hoc analysis was conducted to evaluate the effect of erenumab on monthly migraine days, monthly migraine attacks, and attack duration in patients with episodic migraine to investigate whether erenumab actually prevents the occurrence of migraine attacks and/or shortens them. METHODS: We conducted a post-hoc analysis of the data from the STRIVE study, in 955 patients with episodic migraine. Relative changes from baseline to mean over months 4, 5 and 6 of the double-blind treatment phase in monthly migraine days, monthly migraine attacks and mean migraine attack duration were assessed. RESULTS: Erenumab reduced monthly migraine days and monthly migraine attacks compared with placebo in a similar way. Erenumab had only a minor impact on shortening the duration of migraine attacks. CONCLUSION: These post-hoc analyses demonstrate that the decrease in monthly migraine days by erenumab is mainly driven by a reduction in the frequency of monthly migraine attacks and to a much lesser extent by shortening the duration of migraine attacks.Trial registration: This study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02456740).

Reduction in migraine pain intensity in patients treated with erenumab: A post hoc analysis of two pivotal randomized studies.

BACKGROUND: Erenumab (erenumab-aooe in the US) effectively reduces monthly migraine days in episodic and chronic migraine. This traditional outcome does not capture the intensity of headache pain on days with migraine. METHODS: This post hoc analysis of two pivotal randomized, placebo-controlled studies in patients with episodic migraine and chronic migraine examined the effect of erenumab 70 and 140 mg on migraine pain. Cumulative monthly migraine pain intensity is the sum of the peak pain intensity scores (0 = no migraine to 3 = migraine day with severe pain) on migraine days. Change from baseline in cumulative monthly migraine pain and average monthly pain intensity was assessed over months 4 to 6 for episodic migraine and month 3 for chronic migraine; change in average monthly pain intensity was assessed among monthly migraine days responders/non-responders. RESULTS: Efficacy analysis included 946 patients for the episodic migraine study and 656 patients for the chronic migraine study. Cumulative monthly migraine pain decreased significantly with erenumab versus placebo (p < 0.001, for episodic migraine and chronic migraine). In addition, monthly average migraine pain intensity decreased significantly with erenumab versus placebo for episodic migraine (p < 0.01); decreases were non-significant for chronic migraine. In comparison with placebo-treated patients, a greater proportion of erenumab-treated patients were pain intensity responders regardless of threshold used. Episodic migraine and chronic migraine patients with a ≥50% reduction in monthly migraine days (responders) had a greater reduction in monthly average pain intensity than non-responders. CONCLUSIONS: Erenumab reduced cumulative monthly migraine pain in episodic migraine and chronic migraine patients and significantly reduced monthly average migraine pain in episodic migraine, demonstrating treatment benefit beyond reduction in migraine frequency.Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02456740; ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02066415.

Long-term efficacy and safety of erenumab in migraine prevention: Results from a 5-year, open-label treatment phase of a randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Although erenumab has demonstrated significant reduction in migraine frequency and improved quality of life in studies lasting 3 to 12 months, little is known about long-term therapy. METHODS: This study was an open-label, 5-year treatment phase following a 12-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in adults with episodic migraine. Patients initially received open-label erenumab 70 mg, which increased to 140 mg following a protocol amendment. Efficacy analyses included change from baseline in monthly migraine days (MMDs), monthly acute migraine-specific medication (AMSM) days, and health-related quality of life. RESULTS: Of 383 patients enrolled, 250 switched to 140 mg; 215 (56.1%) completed open-label treatment. Mean (standard error) change in MMDs from baseline of 8.7 (0.2) days was -5.3 (0.3) days; an average reduction of 62.3% at year 5. Among patients using AMSM at baseline (6.3 [2.8] treatment days), mean change in monthly AMSM days was -4.4 (0.3) days at the end of 5 years. Patient-reported outcomes indicated stable improvements in disability, headache impact, and migraine-specific quality of life. Exposure-adjusted patient incidence rates of adverse events (AEs) were 123.0/100 patient-years; AEs were most frequently nasopharyngitis, upper respiratory tract infection, and influenza. Serious AEs (SAEs) reported by 49 patients (3.8/100 patient-years) were mostly single occurrence. Two fatal adverse events were reported. There were no increases in incidence of AEs, SAEs, or AEs leading to treatment discontinuation over 5 years of exposure. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with erenumab was associated with reductions in migraine frequency and improvements in health-related quality of life that were maintained for at least 5 years. No new safety signals were observed.

Timing and durability of response to erenumab in patients with episodic migraine.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to evaluate temporal response patterns to erenumab treatment in patients with episodic migraine. BACKGROUND: Although many patients treated with erenumab experience onset of efficacy as early as 1 week, clinical benefits of migraine preventive therapies may accrue with continued treatment. Furthermore, details about the maintenance of clinical responses have not been reported. METHODS: This was a post hoc analysis of a 6-month, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 study of erenumab for the prevention of episodic migraine. We analyzed temporal responses to erenumab using a threshold of ≥50% reduction from baseline in monthly migraine days (MMDs). RESULTS: During the 6-month treatment period, 73.7% (230/312) and 79.6% (253/318) of patients in the erenumab 70 mg (n = 312) and 140 mg (n = 318) groups, respectively, achieved a response in at least 1 month. In this group of responders, at least half reached first monthly response (first month with ≥50% reduction from baseline in MMDs) by month 2 and at least 75% of them by month 3. The remainder responded in months 4-6. Of patients in the erenumab 70 and 140 mg groups, 35.3% (110/312) and 41.8% (133/318), respectively, responded over months 1-3 (mean response over first 3 months). Of these patients, 81.8% (90/110) and 81.9% (109/133) maintained this response over months 4-6 (mean response over last 3 months) in the 70 and 140 mg groups, respectively. Many patients who did not achieve an initial response (≥50% reduction from baseline in MMDs during month 1) responded later with continued treatment, with approximately one-half or more of initial nonresponders responding by months 4-6. CONCLUSIONS: These results support guidelines recommending at least 3 months following the initiation of erenumab for migraine prevention before the assessment of response.

Timing and durability of response to erenumab in patients with chronic migraine.

BACKGROUND: Erenumab is a human anti-calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor monoclonal antibody approved for migraine prevention. We sought to further assess the temporal patterns of response to erenumab in patients with chronic migraine (CM), specifically the onset and sustainability of monthly migraine day (MMD) response. METHODS: This is a post hoc analysis of a 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of erenumab for migraine prevention in patients with CM (≥15 headache days/month, including ≥8 migraine days/month). Onset and sustainability were assessed according to MMD reduction from baseline, with the following response categories: responders (≥50% reduction), partial responders (≥30% and <50%), or nonresponders (<30%). RESULTS: Among the erenumab 140 mg group (n = 187), 54.0% (101/187) achieved a response at any month during the study with a median time to onset of monthly response of 1 month. This improvement was maintained in most patients with continued treatment. An initial response was achieved at Month 1 by 28.3% (53/187) of patients; 69.8% (37/53) of whom maintained a response at Months 2 and 3. Although many patients responded early, some patients required longer treatment to achieve a response; 79.4% (27/34) of initial partial responders and 21.0% (21/100) of initial nonresponders subsequently achieved a response. Similar findings were observed for the erenumab 70mg group (n = 188). CONCLUSION: A majority of erenumab-treated patients with CM who achieved an initial response at Month 1 sustained this benefit. Many patients responded later with continued treatment. Our data support recommendations to assess outcomes after ≥3 months of preventive treatment with erenumab in CM.

Anosognosia for memory in dementia with Lewy bodies compared with Alzheimer's disease.

OBJECTIVES: Anosognosia is the inability to recognize one's own symptoms. Although dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is the second most common degenerative dementia, there is little evidence of memory deficit awareness in this condition. The objectives of this research were to compare anosognosia between individuals with DLB and dementia due to Alzheimer's disease (AD) and to evaluate whether medial temporal atrophy, a marker of AD pathology, could help to explain different rates of anosognosia in DLB and dementia due to AD. METHODS/DESIGN: This is a cross-sectional study that took place at the Memory Clinic of D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR). Twenty individuals with DLB and 20 with dementia due to AD were included in this study. We assessed anosognosia for memory using an index derived from subjective memory complaints (using the Memory Complaint Questionnaire) and from the performance in memory neuropsychological testing (Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test). Thirty-one participants also underwent brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging to evaluate hippocampal atrophy with a visual scale (MTA-score [medial temporal atrophy score]). RESULTS: There was no significant difference between groups regarding age, years of education, sex or time of disease. Individuals with DLB had a higher index of anosognosia than dementia due to AD (2.92 and 1.87; p = 0.024), meaning worse awareness of memory deficits. MTA-score was slightly higher in dementia due to AD than in DLB, albeit without statistical significance. CONCLUSION: Our study was the first to demonstrate that anosognosia for memory is worse in DLB than in dementia due to AD. This finding supports the hypothesis that anosognosia in DLB is a heterogeneous phenomenon.

Microfibrillated cellulose films containing chitosan and tannic acid for wound healing applications.

The effectiveness of tannic acid as antimicrobial and wound healing for burns have been shown for a century; however, uncontrolled target dosage may result in undesirable side-effects. Remarkably, tannic acid polyphenols compounds crosslinked with polymeric materials produce a strong composite containing the beneficial properties of this tannin. However, investigation of the crosslink structure and its antibacterial and regenerative properties are still unknown when using nanocellulose by mechanical defibrillation; additionally, due to the potential crosslink structure with chitosan, its structure can be complex. Therefore, this work uses bleach kraft nanocellulose in order to investigate the effect on the physical and regenerative properties when incorporated with chitosan and tannic acid. This film results in increased rigidity with a lamellar structure when incorporated with tannic acid due to its strong hydrogen bonding. The release of tannic acid varied depending on the structure it was synthesised with, whereas with chitosan it presented good release model compared to pure cellulose. In addition, exhibiting similar thermal stability as pure cellulose films with antibacterial properties tested against S. aureus and E. coli with good metabolic cellular viability while also inhibiting NF-κB activity, a characteristic of tannic acid.

The evaluation of the potential ecotoxicity of pyroligneous acid obtained from fast pyrolysis.

Pyroligneous acid (PA) is a by-product of bio-oil, which is obtained by pyrolysis of the wood. This product has been tested for use in several areas, such as agriculture, as a promising green herbicide; however, there are few scientific data regarding its environmental impacts. For this study, an ecotoxicity testing battery, composed of Daphnia magna acute toxicity test, Allium cepa test and in vitro Comet assay with the rainbow trout gonad-2 cell fish line (RTG-2) were used to evaluate the acute toxicity and genotoxicity of PA obtained from fast pyrolysis of eucalyptus wood fines. The PA presented acute toxicity to D. magna (microcrustacea) with EC50 of 26.12 mg/L, and inhibited the seed germination (EC50 5.556 g/L) and root development (EC50 3.436 g/L) of A. cepa (higher plant). No signs of genotoxicity (chromosomal aberrations and micronuclei in A. cepa and primary DNA lesions in RTG-2 cells) were detected to this product. The acute toxicity and absence of genotoxicity may relate to the molecules found in the PA, being the phenolic fraction the key chemical candidate responsible for the toxicity observed. In addition, daphnids seem to be more sensitivity to the toxicity of PA than higher plants based on their EC50 values. This first ecotoxicological evaluation of PA from fast pyrolysis pointed out the need of determining environmental exposure limits to promote the safer agriculture use of this product, avoiding impacts to living organisms.

Efficacy of daclizumab beta versus intramuscular interferon beta-1a on disability progression across patient demographic and disease activity subgroups in DECIDE.

BACKGROUND: Demonstration of clinical benefits on disability progression measures is an important attribute of effective multiple sclerosis (MS) treatments. OBJECTIVE: Examine efficacy of daclizumab beta versus intramuscular (IM) interferon beta-1a on measures of disability progression in patient subgroups from DECIDE. METHODS: Twenty-four-week confirmed disability progression (CDP), 24-week sustained worsening on a modified Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite (MSFCS) where 3-Second Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test was replaced by Symbol Digit Modalities Test, and proportion of patients with clinically meaningful worsening in 29-Item Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale physical impact subscale (MSIS-29 PHYS) score from baseline to week 96 were examined in the overall population and subgroups defined by baseline demographic/disease characteristics. RESULTS: Daclizumab beta significantly reduced risk of 24-week CDP (hazard ratio (HR), 0.73; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 0.55-0.98), risk of 24-week sustained MSFCS progression (HR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.67-0.95), and odds of clinically meaningful worsening in MSIS-29 PHYS (odds ratio, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.60-0.95) versus IM interferon beta-1a. Point estimates showed trends favoring daclizumab beta over IM interferon beta-1a across several patient subgroups for all three outcome measures. CONCLUSION: Daclizumab beta showed consistent benefit versus IM interferon beta-1a across measures assessing patient disability/function and across a range of clinical baseline characteristics in patients with relapsing-remitting MS.

Subclinical cardiovascular disease parameters after one year in new users of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate compared to copper-IUD.

PURPOSE: To evaluate markers of cardiovascular disease in women with normal insulin sensitivity who had recently initiated use of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) as a contraceptive. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective, non-randomised, comparative study. Data of 30 women of 18-40 years of age, with normal hyperinsulinaemic-euglycaemic clamp at baseline and body mass index (BMI) < 30, who opted to use DMPA or a copper intrauterine device (IUD) as a contraceptive, were analysed. Serum samples were collected for evaluation of the lipid and hepatic profile, C-reactive protein, TNF-α, interleukin-6, leptin/adiponectin ratio and free fatty acids; body composition was evaluated using DXA, blood pressure and carotid intima-media thickness were measured. Evaluations were performed at baseline and 12 months later. The groups were compared using repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). Significance level was 5%. RESULTS: The mean age of the women in the DMPA and IUD group was 28.7 ± 6.5 and 28.3 ± 5.8 years, respectively; the BMI was 23.0 ± 3.4 and 24.3 ± 2.7 kg/m2, respectively, in the same groups. At 12 months, triglyceride levels were higher in the DMPA group compared to the IUD group and there was an increase in apolipoprotein B-100 in relation to baseline in DMPA group; there were no other difference between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: No clinical cardiovascular effect was found but deterioration in CV markers was observed in the first year of use of DMPA.

Binge eating and biochemical markers of appetite in new users of the contraceptive depot medroxyprogesterone acetate.

PURPOSE: Weight gain has been cited by women as one of the main reasons for discontinuation of the contraceptive depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA). This study aimed to evaluate binge eating and the biochemical markers of appetite in new DMPA users. METHODS: In this prospective non randomized study with adult healthy women, twenty-eight users of DMPA and twenty-five users of a copper intrauterine device (IUD) were paired for age (±1 year) and body mass index (BMI) (±1 kg/m2). We evaluated binge eating using the Binge Eating Scale (BES), the serum levels of neuropeptide Y, leptin and adiponectin, and the BMI at baseline and after 12 months in both groups. For statistical analysis was used ANOVA for to compare the means of the repeated measurements. RESULTS: Mean age was 29.6 and 28.6 years and BMI was 23.9 and 24.5 kg/m2 for the DMPA and IUD groups, respectively. After 12 months, the frequency of the scores of binge eating remained low in both groups. There were no significant differences between the groups at 12 months with respect to BMI, levels of NPY, leptin, adiponectin, and BES scores. CONCLUSIONS: Healthy adult women did not present with central stimulation of appetite or binge eating disorder in their first year after starting use of DMPA. This study reinforces the use of the contraceptive DPMA and the need for guidance related to living a healthy lifestyle for women who attribute the increase of body weight to the use of the method.

Improved tribo-mechanical behavior of CaP-containing TiO2 layers produced on titanium by shot blasting and micro-arc oxidation.

The combination of shot blasting (SB) and micro-arc oxidation (or anodic oxidation--AO) in titanium surfaces was shown to provide enhanced conditions for cell differentiation and osseointegration than those provided by SB or AO alone. This study associated both methods aiming to attain titania layers on Ti with adequate tribo-mechanical features for bone implants. SB was performed using alumina particles, and titania layers were grown by AO using a CaP-based electrolyte. Mechanical properties and scratch resistance were characterized at nanoscale by instrumented indentation and nanoscratch, and correlated with morphological and microstructural changes (XRD, SEM, EDS, AFM, and profilometry). Analytical methods were employed to correct roughness and substrate effects on the indentation results. CaP-containing TiO2 layers were produced on AO and SB + AO. The latter presented small pore size and inhomogeneous layer thickness and Ca/P ratios, caused by the non-uniform surface straining by SB that affects the oxide growth kinetics in the electrochemical process. Elastic modulus of SB + AO layer (37 GPa) were lower than the AO one (45 GPa); both of them were smaller than bulk Ti (130 GPa) and close to bone values. The hardness profiles of AO and SB + AO were similar to the substrate ones. Because of the improved load bearing capacity and unique layer features, the critical load to remove the SB + AO titania coating in scratch tests was three times as much or higher than in AO. Results indicate improved mechanical biocompatibility and tribological strength of anodic titania layers grown on sand blasted Ti surfaces.

Use of psychoactive substances among university students from 2019 to 2020: A systematic review.

Psychoactive substances act on the central nervous system producing changes in mental processes, such as perception, consciousness, cognition or mood and emotions. The present study aims to identify: (i) the most used psychoactive substances, (ii) how psychoactive substances are acquired, (iii) and possible reasons for the use of psychoactive substances amongst university students. A literature search was carried out without language restrictions and included articles published between 2019 and 2020 in journals indexed in the electronic databases of Pubmed and Scielo. The inclusion criteria considered were: (i) original articles, (ii) studies carried out with university students, (iii) providing data on the use of psychoactive substances. 15 studies were included in this review, of which: 4 studies addressed possible reasons that lead to use of psychoactive substances, 10 studies reported usage profile and demographic data, and 1 study addressed how students acquire psychoactive substances. Reasons that led to the consumption of psychoactive substances include: feelings of loneliness after moving away from family; difficulty making new friends; poor academic performance and susceptible environment to acquisition of these substances. In the selected studies, alcohol was identified as the main drug used. In light of the findings reported in this review, new prevention and harm reduction measures can be formulated, based mainly on the reasons that lead to the use of psychoactive drugs, consumption patterns and how the drugs were acquired by university students.