Acidochromic Free-Standing Multilayered Chitosan-Pyranoflavylium/Alginate Membranes toward Food Smart Packaging Applications.

Food smart packaging has emerged as a promising technology to address consumer concerns regarding food conservation and food safety. In this context, we report the rational design of azide-containing pyranoflavylium-based pH-sensitive dye for subsequent click chemistry conjugation toward a chitosan-modified alkyne. The chitosan-pyranoflavylium conjugate was characterized by infrared (ATR-FTIR), ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopies, and dynamic light scattering (DLS), as well as its thermodynamic parameters related to their pH-dependent chromatic features. The fabrication of thin-films through electrostatic-driven layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly technology was first screened by quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) onto gold substrates, and then free-standing (FS) multilayered membranes from polypropylene substrate were obtained using a homemade automatic dipping robot. The membranes' characterization included morphology analysis and thickness evaluation, assessed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), pH-responsive color change performance tests using buffer solutions at different pH levels, and biogenic amines-enriched model solutions, demonstrating the feasibility and effectiveness of the chitosan-pyranoflavylium/alginate biomembranes for food spoilage monitoring. This work provides insights toward the development of innovative pH-responsive smart biomaterials for advanced and sustainable technological packaging solutions, which could significantly contribute to ensuring food safety and quality, while reducing food waste.

Feedback from the Science Café roundtables at the ninth European Bioanalysis Forum Young Scientist Symposium: optimizing the work-life balance in a bioanalytical laboratory.

As part of the European Bioanalysis Forum's continued commitment to develop young scientists beyond their scientific skills, we also focus on soft skills and a community responsibility during the Young Scientist Symposia, with the Science Café. In previous years, we have focused on topics such as sustainability (green lab) or the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on career development. At the ninth Young Scientist Symposium, the Science Café roundtables focused on the work-life balance and how caring for it can be beneficial for both the individual and the company. Feedback from a premeeting survey and from the discussions during the roundtables can be an important addition to personal and professional development. If organizations are not already focusing on the importance of a healthy work-life balance, they can be inspired to include some aspects of the outcome of the Science Café discussions when developing their staff toward future (scientific) leadership.

Type 1 and type 2 diabetes predisposed to higher Nd:YAG capsulotomy rates following cataract surgery: analysis of 53,471 consecutive cases.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of diabetes type on Nd:YAG capsulotomy rates following cataract surgery. DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study. METHODS: All patients who underwent cataract extraction at the Department of Ophthalmology, Bristol Eye Hospital, Bristol, UK, between 2003 and 2017 were included. The Nd:YAG capsulotomy rate following cataract surgery was assessed and compared between nondiabetic, type 1 diabetes (T1D), and type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients. Multivariate Cox regression analysis controlling for age and sex was used to estimate hazard ratios for Nd:YAG laser capsulotomies. RESULTS: Included were 53,471 consecutive cataract surgeries. Overall, 42,651 eyes (79.8%) were in nondiabetic patients, 823 eyes (1.5%) were in T1D patients, and 9,997 eyes (18.7%) were in T2D patients. The mean follow-up time was 6.8 ± 4.2 years. In univariate analysis, the eyes of T1D patients (p < 0.001) and T2D patients (p = 0.003) had significantly higher Nd:YAG laser capsulotomy rates than the eyes of nondiabetic patients. In Cox regression analysis adjusted for the patient's age and sex, DM1 (HR 1.692, 95%CI 1.390-2.059, P<0.001) and DM2 (HR 1.157, 95%CI 1.075-1.244, P<0.001) remained significantly predictive for higher Nd:YAG laser capsulotomy rates. CONCLUSION: In our large cohort study, patients with T1D and T2D were predisposed to high risk for Nd:YAG capsulotomy following cataract surgery. This study may be beneficial and raise awareness regarding the assessment of posterior capsular opacification development in pseudophakic diabetic patients, particularly those with T1D. The significance of ophthalmology screening for diabetes individuals is further supported by this issue.

Phylogenetic analysis reveals a new introduction of Yellow Fever virus in São Paulo State, Brazil, 2023.

Yellow Fever (YF) is a viral arbovirosis of Public Health importance. In Brazil, surveillance is focused mainly on detecting epizootic events of Platyrrhini. Herein, we compared the detection and phylogenetic analysis of YF virus in two neotropical primates (NTP), a Callithrix detected in the previous epidemic period (2016-2020), and a Callicebus nigrifons, showing a new introduction of YF in 2023. This paper illustrates the importance of joint actions of laboratory and field teams to ensure quick response to Public Health emergencies, such as the intensification of vaccination of susceptible human populations.

Percepção de alunos ingressantes de Medicina sobre o aprendizado durante a pandemia da Covid-19 / Perception of freshmen Medical students about learning during the Covid-19 pandemic

RESUMO Introdução: No ano de 2019, com o surgimento pandemia pelo coronavírus, o mundo teve que se adaptar e utilizar medidas de distanciamento social visando ao controle da disseminação do vírus. Um dos setores que sofreram maior impacto com essas medidas foi a educação que precisou se adaptar ao ensino remoto emergencial. Objetivo: Este estudo teve como objetivo compreender a percepção dos alunos de um curso de Medicina sobre o próprio aprendizado durante o período da pandemia pela Covid-19. Método: Trata-se de uma pesquisa descritiva e exploratória, de abordagem qualitativa. O referencial teórico foi o interacionismo simbólico. O estudo foi realizado em uma instituição de ensino superior privada do Distrito Federal. Participaram do estudo 14 alunos do terceiro ano da graduação em Medicina de turmas que tiveram a oportunidade de cursar períodos da graduação por meio do ensino remoto emergencial. Os dados foram coletados por meio de entrevista gravada, na modalidade grupo focal, e analisados por meio da análise temática indutiva. Respeitaram-se todos os conceitos éticos da Resolução nº 466/2012 do Conselho Nacional de Saúde. Resultado: A análise dos discursos resultou em três categorias temáticas que exploram a percepção dos estudantes sobre o aprendizado. A primeira categoria, "Vivendo como se fosse em um balão de ensaio", aborda as mudanças vivenciadas pelos alunos no ingresso na faculdade, com sentimentos de medo, insegurança e falta de motivação devido ao estresse da pandemia. A segunda categoria, "Sentindo-se isolados e desolados", observou a percepção do adoecimento mental e a falta de apoio dos colegas, dos professores e da instituição, influenciando no desempenho e aprendizado dos alunos. A terceira categoria, "Lidando com erros e acertos", identificou a percepção dos resultados do aprendizado durante e após a pandemia, destacando o impacto no déficit de conhecimento e a necessidade de adaptação no retorno ao ensino presencial. Conclusão: O ensino remoto emergencial trouxe drásticas mudanças no ensino médico. Entender essas mudanças e compreender a percepção dos alunos sobre o aprendizado nesse período nos permite reconhecer os desafios enfrentados, entender a necessidade de suporte emocional adequado e pensar em estratégias de aprendizado eficazes para superar essas e outras adversidades.

ABSTRACT Introduction: In 2019, with the emergence of the coronavirus pandemic, the world had to adapt to using social distancing measures to control the spread of the virus. Social isolation measures were imposed and one of the sectors that suffered the greatest impact from these measures was the education sector, having to adapt to emergency remote education (ERE). Objectives: To understand the perception of students attending a medical course in relation to their own learning during the period of the Covid-19 pandemic. Method: This is a descriptive and exploratory research with a qualitative approach. The theoretical framework was Symbolic Interactionism. The study was carried out in a private higher education institution in the Federal District. The study included 14 students attending the third semester of medical undergraduate school from classes that had the opportunity to attend undergraduate periods through ERE. Data were collected through recorded interviews, in the Focus Group modality, and analyzed using Inductive Thematic Analysis. All ethical concepts of Resolution n. 466/2012 from the Health National Council were respected. Results and Discussion: The analysis of the discourses resulted in three thematic categories that explore the students' perception of learning. The first category, "Living as if in a test balloon", addresses the changes experienced by students when entering college, with feelings of fear, insecurity and lack of motivation due to the stress of the pandemic. The second category, "Feeling isolated and desolate", observed the perception of mental illness and the lack of support from classmates, teachers and the institution, influencing the students' performance and learning. The third category, "Dealing with mistakes and successes", identified the perception of learning outcomes during and after the pandemic, highlighting the impact on the knowledge deficit and the need to adapt when returning to face-to-face teaching. Final considerations: the Emergency Remote Education brought drastic changes in medical teaching. Understanding these changes and understanding the students' perception of learning in this period allows us to recognize the challenges faced, understand the need for adequate emotional support and think of effective learning strategies to overcome these and other adversities.

Detection of herpesviruses in neotropical primates from São Paulo, Brazil.

Transmission of herpesvirus between humans and non-human primates represents a serious potential threat to human health and endangered species conservation. This study aimed to identify herpesvirus genomes in samples of neotropical primates (NTPs) in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. A total of 242 NTPs, including Callithrix sp., Alouatta sp., Sapajus sp., and Callicebus sp., were evaluated by pan-herpesvirus polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing. Sixty-two (25.6%) samples containing genome segments representative of members of the family Herpesviridae, including 16.1% for Callitrichine gammaherpesvirus 3, 6.1% for Human alphaherpesvirus 1, 2.1% for Alouatta macconnelli cytomegalovirus, and 0.83% for Cebus albifrons lymphocryptovirus 1. No co-infections were detected. The detection of herpesvirus genomes was significantly higher among adult animals (p = 0.033) and those kept under human care (p = 0.008671). These findings confirm the importance of monitoring the occurrence of herpesviruses in NTP populations in epizootic events.

Effects of solvent vapor annealing on the optical properties and surface adhesion of conjugated D : A thin films.

A diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) and perylene diimide (PDI)-based molecule, denoted as PDI-DPP-PDI, was investigated as an electron acceptor material in bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells, with poly[[4,8-bis [5-(2-ethylhexyl)-2-thienyl]benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b']dithiophene-2,6-diyl] [2-(2-ethyl-1-oxohexyl)thieno[3,4-b]thiophenediyl]] (PBDTTT-CT) as an electron donor. The donor polymer and the acceptor molecule have complementary absorption spectra, which is an essential feature for energy collection in organic solar cells. However, AFM images indicated the presence of isolated and microsized PDI-DPP-PDI domains along the surface of the films, which reduced the power conversion efficiency. Therefore, to improve the homogenization of the acceptor along the film, a post-deposition treatment, denoted as solvent vapor annealing (SVA), was performed in a saturated atmosphere containing the vapour of an organic solvent for 3-10 minutes. This procedure changed the optical and morphological properties of the PBDTTT-CT : PDI-DPP-PDI active layer, resulting in increased power conversion efficiency values by more than 2.5 times (reaching 5.1%). Theoretical simulation pointed out that the experimental absorbance band localized at 580 nm, which appeared after SVA treatment, is possibly related to an intense simulated band with a maximum at 572 nm, resulting from a pair of transitions starting in the copolymer and ending in PDI-DPP-PDI, in regions where both are stacked at about 3 Å. The most significant natural transition orbitals (NTOs) related to these transitions indicated charge transfer character. Moreover, analyses carried out by power spectrum density (PDS) of images acquired from the SVA-treated film indicated that in the region of larger frequencies, across the length scale at around 30-70 nm, an additional fractal region appeared with a Ds of 0.95, indicating a flattened region, possibly related to changes in the overall conformation after SVA treatment. This indicates an improvement in the molecular packing, a feature not observed in the as-cast film. The analyses by force curve spectroscopy pointed out increased adhesion forces and adhesion energy in the PBDTTT-CT : PDI-DPP-PDI film after SVA treatment; this feature enhanced the interfacial interaction with the top electrodes, reflecting improved charge extraction in the photovoltaic device.

Anesthetic Management of a Patient With Prinzmetal Angina.

Prinzmetal angina (PA) is characterized by the development of reversible vasoconstriction of the coronary arteries, transient ischemic electrocardiographic changes in the ST segment, chest pain at rest, and prompt response to nitrates. Spasms of the coronary arteries can be precipitated during the perioperative period by an imbalance of vasodilator and vasoconstrictor factors of smooth muscle cells, which can lead to myocardial ischemia, cardiac arrhythmias, and death. Nevertheless, this is a relatively unrecognized topic, and literature is scarce about it. We present a case report detailing the successful anesthetic management of a patient diagnosed with PA and a documented nitrate allergy, who underwent bilateral ureterorenoscopy.

Physical, chemical and sensory implications of pequi (Caryocar brasiliense Camb.) sweet bread made with flour, pulp and fruit by-product.

This study aimed to develop and evaluate bread with the use of pulp and flours of pequi, in partial replacement of water and wheat flour, to develop a bakery product with good technological, nutritional and sensorial qualities. The pequi husk and pulp flours were obtained by means of a thermal pre-treatment, oven drying and standardization of the dry material. Whereas, the bread formulation was defined through the baker's formulation. Besides, the dehydration process caused significant changes (p<0.05) in the L* value and chromaticity (C*), mainly of the flours (husk and pequi pulp), such changes are due to non-enzymatic oxidative processes and pigment degradation, especially carotenoids. The effect of the substitution of ingredients (wheat flour and water) by husk and pulp flours and pequi pulp contributed to the increase in lipid, crude fiber, nitrogen-free extract and energy value content. However, the substitution promoted changes in the attributes of color and textural properties, such as increased hardness, chewiness and cohesiveness. Nevertheless, all formulations showed good sensory acceptance and thus, pequi sweet breads can be implemented in school meals for contributing and meeting the nutritional recommendations established by the School Feeding Brazilian Program (PNAE).

Quality of podcasts recorded by nursing lecturers as pre-class learning material for students: An observational study.

AIM: To evaluate the quality of podcasts produced by lecturers as pre-class learning material; to verify lecturers' buy-in, after a specific workshop, regarding the practice of producing and using podcasts. BACKGROUND: The teaching-learning process has undergone significant changes in recent years with the proposal of the flipped classroom strategy, which places the student at the center of the learning process and uses technology that requires adaptation of lecturers, both inside and outside the classroom. Pre-class learning material is one of the features of the flipped classroom model. It provides basic concepts for problem solving in small group discussion in classroom. Podcasts for this educational purpose are a recent technology and their innovative characteristics require deeper understanding in terms of their influence and usability. DESIGN: Prospective, descriptive and quantitative study. SETTING AND POPULATION: A workshop on the production of educational podcasts was offered to 23 lecturers on the Nursing course. METHODS: Data were collected in the second semester of 2021 and the quality analysis was based on criteria available in the literature. RESULTS: Eighteen professors (78 %) participated in the study and 46 podcasts were produced. Most professors being nurses (61 %), followed by biologists (28 %). Most have a doctorate degree (72 %). These podcasts were available for a mean of five days before the classes and their mean access rate by students was 58 %. There was no correlation between the access rate and the period of availability before the relative class. Most podcasts were informative (100 %) and monologues (98 %). The average duration was 6.2 min, which is within the ideal duration recommended in the literature. All of the podcasts included a description of the learning objectives at the beginning and most of them also included a closing message at the end. CONCLUSION: The nursing lecturers were able to produce their podcasts, which met quality criteria and reached the standards suggested by experts in the field.

Net Promoter Score (NPS) as a tool to assess parental satisfaction in pediatric intensive care units

Abstract Objective To verify the performance of the Net Promoter Score (NPS) as a tool to assess parental satisfaction in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs). Methods The authors conducted an observational cross-sectional multicenter study in the PICUs of 5 hospitals in Brazil. Eligible participants were all parents or legal guardians of PICU-admitted children, aged 18 years or over. The NPS was administered together with the EMpowerment of PArents in THe Intensive Care (EMPATHIC-30), used as the gold standard, and a sociodemographic questionnaire. For analysis, the results were dichotomized into values greater than or equal to the median of the tests. The associations between the 2 tools were evaluated and the distribution of their results was compared. Results The parents or legal guardians of 78 PICU-admitted children were interviewed. Of the respondents, 85% were women and 62% were in a private hospital. The median NPS was 10 (IQR, 10-10), and the median EMPATHIC-30 score was 5.7 (IQR, 5.4-5.9). Compared with the gold standard, the NPS had a sensitivity of 100% at all cutoff points, except at cutoff 10, where the sensitivity was slightly lower (97.5%). As for specificity, NPS performance was poorer, with values ranging from 0% (NPS ≥ 5) to 47.4% (NPS = 10). Conclusions NPS proved to be a sensitive tool to assess parental satisfaction, but with poor ability to identify dissatisfied users in the sample.

Bilateral Gonadal Dysgerminoma in a Phenotypic Female With 46,XY Disorder of Sexual Development: A Case Report.

The 46,XY disorder of sexual development (DSD) is a rare congenital condition characterized by a 46,XY karyotype associated with complete or disturbed female gonadal development and a non-virilized phenotype. The presence of Y chromosome material in these patients' karyotypes increases the risk of germ cell tumor development. The present study reports a unique case of a 16-year-old phenotypically female patient presenting with primary amenorrhea, who was later diagnosed with 46,XY DSD. After bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, the patient was diagnosed with stage IIIC dysgerminoma. The patient received four cycles of chemotherapy and showed a good response. The patient is currently alive and well, with no evidence of disease after the residual lymph node resection.

Perioperative Management of Lewis-Sumner Syndrome.

Lewis-Sumner syndrome (LSS) is a rare immune-mediated neuromuscular disorder. It shares some clinical and pathological features with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). We report on the anaesthetic management of a patient with LSS. There are several concerns when anaesthetizing patients with demyelinating neuropathies, the main ones being the post-operative worsening of symptoms and respiratory depression related to muscle relaxants. In our experience, the rocuronium effect was prolonged and an even lower dosage (0.4 mg/kg) was sufficient for intubation and maintenance. Sugammadex allowed total reversion of neuromuscular block and no respiratory complications occurred. In conclusion, the combination of lower dose rocuronium and sugammadex was safely used in a patient with LSS.

Genetic characterization of the rare Bruconha virus (Bunyavirales: Orthobunyavirus) isolated in Vale do Ribeira (Atlantic Forest biome), Southeastern Brazil.

Brazil is a great source of arbovirus diversity, mainly in the Amazon region. However, other biomes, especially the Atlantic Forest, may also be a hotspot for emerging viruses, including Bunyaviruses (Negarnaviricota: Bunyavirales). For instance, Vale do Ribeira, located in the Southeastern region, has been widely studied for virus surveillance, where Flavivirus, Alphavirus and Bunyaviruses were isolated during the last decades, including Bruconha virus (BRCV), a member of Orthobunyavirus genus Group C, in 1976. Recently, a new isolate of BRCV named Span321532 was obtained from an adult sentinel mouse placed in Iguape city in 2011, and a full-length genome was generated with nucleotide differences ranging between 1.5%, 5.3% and 5% (L, M and S segments, respectively) from the prototype isolated 35 years earlier. In addition, each segment placed BRCV into different clusters, showing the high variety within Bunyavirales. Although no evidence for reassortants was detected, this finding reiterates the need for new surveillance and genomic studies in the area considering the high mutation rates of arbovirus, and also to identify the hosts capable of supporting the continuous circulation of Orthobunyavirus.

In Vitro Activity of Essential Oils from Piper Species (Piperaceae) against Tachyzoites of Toxoplasma gondii.

Toxoplasmosis is a tropical and neglected disease caused by the parasitic protozoa Toxplasma gondii. Conventional treatment with sulfadiazine and pyrimethamine plus folinic acid, has some drawbacks, such as inefficacy in the chronic phase, toxic side effects, and potential cases of resistance have been observed. In this study, the activity of essential oils (EOs) from three Piper species and their main constituents, including α-Pinene (Piper lindbergii and P. cernuum), ß-Pinene (P. cernuum), and dillapiole (P. aduncum), were evaluated against tachyzoites of T. gondii. α-Pinene was more active [(IC50 0.3265 (0.2958 to 0.3604) µg/mL)] against tachyzoites than P. lindbergii EO [0.8387 (0.6492 to 1.084) µg/mL]. Both α-Pinene and P. lindbergii EO exhibited low cytotoxicity against NHDF cells, with CC50 41.37 (37.64 to 45.09) µg/mL and 83.80 (75.42 to 91.34) µg/mL, respectively, suggesting they could be of potential use against toxoplasmosis.

Net Promoter Score (NPS) as a tool to assess parental satisfaction in pediatric intensive care units.

OBJECTIVE: To verify the performance of the Net Promoter Score (NPS) as a tool to assess parental satisfaction in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs). METHODS: The authors conducted an observational cross-sectional multicenter study in the PICUs of 5 hospitals in Brazil. Eligible participants were all parents or legal guardians of PICU-admitted children, aged 18 years or over. The NPS was administered together with the EMpowerment of PArents in THe Intensive Care (EMPATHIC-30), used as the gold standard, and a sociodemographic questionnaire. For analysis, the results were dichotomized into values greater than or equal to the median of the tests. The associations between the 2 tools were evaluated and the distribution of their results was compared. RESULTS: The parents or legal guardians of 78 PICU-admitted children were interviewed. Of the respondents, 85% were women and 62% were in a private hospital. The median NPS was 10 (IQR, 10-10), and the median EMPATHIC-30 score was 5.7 (IQR, 5.4-5.9). Compared with the gold standard, the NPS had a sensitivity of 100% at all cutoff points, except at cutoff 10, where the sensitivity was slightly lower (97.5%). As for specificity, NPS performance was poorer, with values ranging from 0% (NPS ≥ 5) to 47.4% (NPS = 10). CONCLUSIONS: NPS proved to be a sensitive tool to assess parental satisfaction, but with poor ability to identify dissatisfied users in the sample.

Serological evidence of arenavirus circulation in wild rodents from central-west, southeast, and south regions of Brazil, 2002-2006.

Viral hemorrhagic fevers caused by arenaviruses are severe zoonotic diseases. In reservoirs, the presence of antibodies may indicate viral circulation in a population of a specific region, and these data can be used as an indicator for further investigations by molecular techniques. The present study aimed to detect the presence of arenavirus antibodies in wild rodents captured from 1998 to 2008 during epidemiological surveillance activities. A retrospective analysis of 2243 wild rodent blood samples using a broad cross-reactive in-house developed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) revealed a 0.44% (10/2243) positive rate in wild rodents, which included Necromys lasiurus (6/1012), Calomys callosus (2/94), and Akodon sp. (2/273) species. These rodents were captured between 2002 to 2006 in Campo Alegre de Goiás/GO, Bodoquena/MS, Nuporanga/SP, and Mogi das Cruzes/SP. Our findings suggest the sylvatic circulation of arenavirus among wild rodents in the southeast region of Brazil. However, future virological and molecular studies are necessary to confirm the viral presence in these regions.

Nursing students' opinion on the use of Escape ZOOM® as a learning strategy: Observational study.

The teaching-learning process has gone through major changes due to the COVID-19 pandemics and it has been left to professors to adapt the teaching process and find ways to keep students engaged. There has been a need to establish collaborative and active strategies for working in the online environment. The development of a game for both teaching and evaluating de interdisciplinary learning content on an online platform may create a gameful experience and stimulating environment that makes complex learning goals achievable. To analyze how nursing students feel in relation to their participation and learning in an Escape Room activity taking place in an online environment. This is a descriptive and exploratory cross-sectional cohort study. The study was carried out in a higher education institution. The sample consisted of 73 students. After implementation of Escape Zoom® in the first semester of 2021, adapted questionnaires to assess students' satisfaction and perception of learning were applied. In the Educational Practices Questionnaire, all statements obtained greater than 70% agreement, which revealed students' satisfaction, especially with learning with colleagues. As for learning, 93.2% of students' statements expressed that the Escape Zoom® favors teamwork and 91.8% of student's statements agreed that the activity is effective for learning and would recommend it to other colleagues. The Escape Zoom® is an effective teaching strategy, perceived with satisfaction by students as a form of learning with colleagues, in a game-oriented way. It also has the potential to promote the development of soft skills.