Determination of five-parameter grain boundary characteristics in nanocrystalline Ni-W by scanning precession electron diffraction tomography.

Determining the full five-parameter grain boundary characteristics from experiments is essential for understanding grain boundaries impact on material properties, improving related models, and designing advanced alloys. However, achieving this is generally challenging, in particular at nanoscale, due to their 3D nature. In our study, we successfully determined the grain boundary characteristics of an annealed nickel-tungsten alloy (NiW) nanocrystalline needle-shaped specimen (tip) containing twins using Scanning Precession Electron Diffraction (SPED) Tomography. The presence of annealing twins in this face-centered cubic (fcc) material gives rise to common reflections in the SPED diffraction patterns, which challenges the reconstruction of orientation-specific virtual dark field (VDF) images required for tomographic reconstruction of the 3D grain shapes. To address this, an automated post-processing step identifies and deselects these shared reflections prior to the reconstruction of the VDF images. Combined with appropriate intensity normalization and projection alignment procedures, this approach enables high-fidelity 3D reconstruction of the individual grains contained in the needle-shaped sample volume. To probe the accuracy of the resulting boundary characteristics, the twin boundary surface normal directions were extracted from the 3D voxelated grain boundary map using a 3D Hough transform. For the sub-set of coherent Σ3 boundaries, the expected {111} grain boundary plane normals were obtained with an angular error of <3° for boundary sizes down to 400 nm². This work advances our ability to precisely characterize and understand the complex grain boundaries that govern material properties.

COVID-19 Vaccination Acceptance and Hesitancy in Healthcare Workers and the General Population: A Systematic Review and Policy Recommendations.

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic challenged the scientific community to find and develop a vaccine to fight the disease. However, problems with achieving high vaccine coverage have emerged, even among high-risk groups such as healthcare workers (HCWs). OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to examine factors that influence HCW's and the general population's adherence to COVID-19 vaccination and national policies to vaccinate HCWs and other target groups. METHODS: This study implemented a systematic review. The eligibility criterion for inclusion was being a HCW, target population for COVID-19 vaccination, or general population. Vaccination was the target intervention, and the COVID-19 pandemic was the context. We selected publications published between 1 January 2020 and 31 March 2022. Qualitative synthesis used a meta-aggregation approach. RESULTS: Nineteen articles were included in the review, with study samples varying from 48 to 5708 participants. Most of the evidence came from cross-sectional and qualitative studies. The main findings were related to vaccine hesitancy rather than acceptance. Factors associated with HCW vaccine hesitancy included subjective feelings such as safety concerns, rapid vaccine development, and insufficient testing. Countries have adopted few public policies to address this problem, and the main concern is whether to enforce vaccination and the extent to which measures are legal. CONCLUSION: The quality of the evidence base remains weak. Skepticism, mistrust, and hesitancy toward vaccination are global issues that can jeopardize vaccination coverage.

Dairy intake and cardiovascular diseases risk factors: a cross-sectional study on Iranian obese and overweight women.

OBJECTIVE: Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Dietary interventions can directly affect several ASCVD risk factors. This study aimed to assess an association between dairy consumption and the odds of ASCVD and its risk factors in women with overweight and obesity. METHODS: The present cross-sectional study was conducted on 390 Iranian women aged 18-48 years and body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 kg/m². Dairy consumption was assessed using a 147-item food frequency questionnaire. Participants were divided into tertiles based on their dairy consumption with 130 (33.3%) women in each category. RESULTS: The participants had an average age of 36.73 ± 9.18 years, and the mean BMI was 31.28 ± 4.30 kg/m2. In the unadjusted model, individuals in the third tertile of dairy consumption had 0.79 times lower odds of ASCVD compared to those in the first tertile (OR: 0.21; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.11, 0.41; P-value = 0.001). Additionally, we observed a significant inverse relationship between higher dairy intake and adiposity markers, blood pressure, and Triglyceride glucose-body mass index (TyG-BMI). CONCLUSION: The study revealed a negative association between dairy intake and the risk of ASCVD but this association diminished after adjusting for confounding factors. It also found a negative association between dairy consumption with BMI, fat mass index, body fat, blood pressure, and TyG-BMI.

Lymphocyte to High-density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Ratio is Positively Associated with Pre-diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome, and Non-traditional Cardiometabolic Risk Markers: A Cross-sectional Study at Secondary Health Care.

High scores of lymphocyte-to-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (lymphocyte-to-HDL-c) may be a new indicator of inflammation and metabolic syndrome. Here, we investigated the associations of the lymphocyte-to-HDL-c with traditional and non-traditional cardiometabolic risk markers in subjects at high cardiovascular risk. This study is a cross-sectional analysis with subjects assisted in a Secondary Health Care (n = 581, age = 63.06 ± 13.86 years; 52.3% women). Lymphocyte-to-HDL-c ratio were assessed by routine laboratory tests. Anthropometric and/or biochemical variables were used to calculate traditional (body mass index - BMI, and waist-to-height ratio - WHtR) and non-traditional (lipid accumulation product index-LAP, visceral adiposity index-VAI, deep-abdominal-adipose-tissue index-DAAT, atherogenic index of plasma-AIP, and waist-hypertriglyceridemic phenotype-HTGW) cardiometabolic risk markers. Furthermore, anthropometric measurement waist circumference (WC), blood pressure, metabolic syndrome (MS), and biochemical markers (lipid and glycemic profile) were considered traditional markers of cardiometabolic risk. Pearson's chi-square test, Poisson regression with robust variance, or multinomial logistic regression were performed (α = 0.05). Individuals with a high lymphocyte-HDL-c ratio (> 0.84, 3rd tertile) were associated with the HTGW phenotype, high VAI, high LAP, hypertriglyceridemia, high AIP, high very low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (VLDL-c), pre-diabetes, and 3 and 4 MS components compared with individuals in the first tertile, independent of confounders. Our findings supported the lymphocyte-to-HDL-c ratio as a potential biomarker during the screening of subjects at high cardiovascular risk.

A Symbiotic Meal Containing Extruded Sorghum and Probiotic (Bifidobacterium longum) Ameliorated Intestinal Health Markers in Individuals with Chronic Kidney Disease: A Secondary Analysis of a Subsample from a Previous Randomized and Controlled Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease increases uremic toxins concentrations, which have been associated with intestinal dysbiosis. Sorghum bicolor L. Moench has dietary fiber and bioactive compounds, while Bifidobacterium longum can promote beneficial health effects. METHODS: It is a controlled, randomized, and single-blind clinical trial. Thirty-nine subjects were randomly separated into two groups: symbiotic group (SG), which received 100 mL of unfermented probiotic milk with Bifidobacterium longum strain and 40 g of extruded sorghum flakes; and the control group (CG), which received 100 mL of pasteurized milk and 40 g of extruded corn flakes for seven weeks. RESULTS: The uremic toxins decreased, and gastrointestinal symptoms improved intragroup in the SG group. The acetic, propionic, and butyric acid production increased intragroup in the SG group. Regarding α-diversity, the Chao1 index was enhanced in the SG intragroup. The KEGG analysis revealed that symbiotic meal increased the intragroup energy and amino sugar metabolism, in addition to enabling essential amino acid production and metabolism, sucrose degradation, and the biosynthesis of ribonucleotide metabolic pathways. CONCLUSIONS: The consumption of symbiotic meal reduced BMI, improved short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) synthesis and gastrointestinal symptoms, increased diversity according to the Chao1 index, and reduced uremic toxins in chronic kidney disease patients.

Ultra-processed food consumption and quality of life: a cross-sectional study in Iranian women.

Background: Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have been associated with a higher intake of added sugars, sodium, and unhealthy fats; however, the relationship between UPFs and quality of life (QoL) is not well understood. Methods: The present cross-sectional study included 193 Iranian women aged 18-48 years with a body mass index (BMI) of ≥25 kg/m2. UPFs were identified using the NOVA classification. QoL was evaluated using the SF-36 questionnaire. Anthropometric measurements and body composition were assessed using an appropriate method. Results: The mean BMI and fat-free mass (FFM) of the subjects were 30.90 kg/m2 and 46.69 kg, respectively. At first, a significant difference was observed in the height of women across tertiles of UPF consumption. The mean score of the total QoL scale was 66.90. Women who were in the tertile 3 of UPFs intake had 23.59 units lower the scale of limitation in physical capabilities and activity (score of role-physical) (ß = -23.59, 95% CI: -37.77-9.40, p = 0.001). Among those with the highest adherence to UPF intake, there was an 8.76 unit reduction in addressing feelings of energy and fatigue (vitality domain) in model 2 (ß = -8.76, 95% CI: -16.42-1.11, p = 0.02). Finally, a reduction of 15.78 units was observed in the mental health scale, specifically in the mental states of anxiety and depression, among participants in the third tertile of UPF intake (ß = -15.78, 95% CI: -24.11-7.45, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Increased UPF consumption was associated with lower QoL in Iranian women. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings and develop effective strategies to promote healthy food choices.

Microscopic insights into metal diffusion and ohmic contact formation in delta-doped GaAs/(Al,Ga)As core/shell nanowires.

Semiconductor nanowires (NWs) are promising candidates for use in electronic and optoelectronic applications, offering numerous advantages over their thin film counterparts. Their performance relies heavily on the quality of the contacts to the NW, which should exhibit ohmic behavior with low resistance and should be formed in a reproducible manner. In the case of heterostructure NWs for high-mobility applications that host a two-dimensional electron gas, ohmic contacts are particularly challenging to implement since the NW core constituting the conduction channel is away from the NW surface. We investigated contact formation to modulation-doped GaAs/(Al,Ga)As core/shell NWs using scanning transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy and electron tomography to correlate microstructure, diffusion profile and chemical composition of the NW contact region with the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of the contacted NWs. Our results illustrate how diffusion, alloying and phase formation processes essential to the effective formation of ohmic contacts are more intricate than in planar layers, leading to reproducibility challenges even when the processing conditions are the same. We demonstrate that the NW geometry plays a crucial role in the creation of good contacts. Both ohmic and rectifying contacts were obtained under nominally identical processing conditions. Furthermore, the presence of Ge in the NW core, in the absence of Au and Ni, was found as the key factor leading to ohmic contacts. The analysis contributes to the current understanding of ohmic contact formation to heterostructure core/shell NWs offering pathways to enhance the reproducibility and further optimization of such NW contacts.

Challenges of animals shelters in caring for dogs infected with Leishmania and other pathogens.

The incidence of human Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) has decreased in Brazil; however, the number of areas reporting human and canine cases has increased, with Leishmania infantum usually preceding human infection. This study aimed to analyze the profile of infectious diseases that are endemic for both human and canine VL, in dogs housed in a shelter located in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Northeast Brazil. Data was obtained between November/2021 to April/2022. All dogs residing at the shelter (98 dogs) were examined and blood was collected for testing for L. infantum, Ehrlichia canis, and Babesia sp. Statistical analyses considered the clinical and laboratory findings. Of the 98 animals, approximately 43% were positive for L. infantum antibodies, 19% were positive for L. infantum kDNA, and 18% were L. infantum positive by culture. Greater levels of anti-leishmania antibodies were observed in dogs with symptoms suggestive of VL. The dogs tested positive for E. canis (19/98) and B. canis (18/98). Lutzomyia longipalpis was captured inside the shelter, representing 74.25% (n = 225) of whole sandflies in the dog shelter. Concomitant infection by L. infantum and E. canis increased the odds of death. Treatment of VL included the use of allopurinol (n = 48) and miltefosine (n = 8). Treated animals showed more signs of Leishmania infection. Tickborn parasites and Leishmania were prevalent in sheltered dogs in a VL-endemic area, which increases the odds of death and poses an additional challenge for caring for abandoned dogs and at the same time setting protocols to manage reservoirs of L. infantum.

The Brazilian Cardioprotective Nutritional (BALANCE) Program improves diet quality in patients with established cardiovascular disease: Results from a multicenter randomized controlled trial.

Dietary modifications are essential strategies for cardiovascular disease prevention. However, studies are needed to investigate the diet quality of individuals undergoing secondary prevention in cardiology and who received dietary intervention based on cardiovascular disease management. We prospectively evaluated the diet quality in the Brazilian Cardioprotective Nutritional Program Trial (BALANCE Program Trial). We hypothesized that the BALANCE Program could improve patients' dietary pattern according to different indices of diet quality such as the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII); the dietary total antioxidant capacity; overall, healthful, and unhealthful Plant-Based Diet Index (PDI, hPDI, and uPDI, respectively); and modified Alternative Healthy Eating Index (mAHEI). This multicenter randomized, controlled trial included patients aged ≥45 years randomly assigned to either the experimental or control group. Data from 2185 participants at baseline and after 12, 24, 36, and 48 months showed that the intervention group (n = 1077) had lower mean values of DII and higher dietary total antioxidant capacity, PDI, hPDI, and mAHEI than the control group. The results also showed differences between the follow-up times for DII, hPDI, and uPDI (48 months vs baseline) and for PDI and mAHEI (24 months vs baseline), regardless of group. The interaction analysis demonstrated that the intervention group showed better results than the control group at 12, 24, 36, and 48 months for the DII and at months 12, 36, and 48 for the mAHEI. Our results provide prospective evidence that the BALANCE Program improved the diet quality in those in secondary cardiovascular prevention according to different indices, with the intervention group showing better results than the control group.

Brain abscesses caused by Listeria monocytogenes in a patient with myasthenia gravis - Case report and systematic review.

Background: Listeriosis is a known cause of community acquired bacterial meningitis/meningoencephalitis. It occurs more frequently in neonates, older people and immunocompromised hosts. Rarely, brain abscesses can complicate the course of infection, which poses a difficulty in the management and elevates morbidity and mortality. Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disease that often requires immunosuppressive treatment, which increases the risk for invasive infections. Case description: A 75-year-old myasthenic patient, treated with prednisone and pyridostigmine, was diagnosed with invasive listeriosis. He presented with muscle weakness, dyspnea, hemiparesis and altered mental status. Brain imaging revealed multiple abscesses and blood cultures were positive for Listeria monocytogenes. Despite combination antibiotic therapy, he died 6 weeks after admission. Systematic review: Ninety-six cases of brain abscesses from 1968 to 2023 were reviewed; the majority of the patients were men, 54 years-old on average, and had at least one risk factor for invasive listeriosis. The mortality exceeded 22%. Blood cultures and CSF/abscess cultures were positive in only 79.2% and 54.6%, respectively. The most common therapeutic approach was a combination regimen that included amoxicillin or ampicillin. Only 8 patients underwent surgery, of which one died. Conclusion: This case highlights the importance of L. monocytogenes as a cause of brain abscesses in populations at risk, including myasthenic patients. The challenge of diagnosing and treating this condition is aggravated by the paucity of literature and the high mortality rate.

Implementation of policy and management interventions to improve health and care workforce capacity to address the COVID-19 pandemic response: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted pre-existing weaknesses in health and care systems and services and shortages of health and care workers (HCWs). As a result, policymakers needed to adopt measures to improve the health and care workforce (HCWF) capacity. This review aims to identify countries' range of policies and management interventions implemented to improve HCWs' capacity to address the COVID-19 pandemic response, synthesize their evidence on effectiveness, and identify gaps in the evidence. METHODS: The literature was searched in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, LILACS-BVS, WHO's COVID-19 Research Database and the ILO, OECD and HSRM websites for literature and documents published between January 2020 and March 2022. Eligibility criteria were HCWs as participants and policy and management interventions aiming to improve HCWF capacity to address the COVID-19 pandemic response. Risk of bias was assessed with Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Tools (CAT) and certainty of the evidence in presented outcomes with GRADE. RESULTS: The searches retrieved 3378 documents. A total of 69 were included, but only 8 presented outcomes of interventions implemented. Most of the selected documents described at least one intervention implemented by countries at the organizational environment level to increase the flexibility and capacity of the HCWF to respond to the pandemic, followed by interventions to attract and retain HCWs in safe and decent working environments. There was a lack of studies addressing social protection, human resources for health information systems, and regarding the role of community health workers and other community-based providers. Regarding the risk of bias, most of documents were rated as medium or high quality (JBI's CAT), while the evidence presented for the outcomes of interventions was classified as mostly low-certainty evidence (GRADE). CONCLUSIONS: Countries have implemented various interventions, some innovative, in response to the pandemic, and others had their processes started earlier and accelerated by the pandemic. The evidence regarding the impact and efficacy of the strategies used by countries during the pandemic still requires further research.

Policies and Management Interventions to Enhance Health and Care Workforce Capacity for Addressing the COVID-19 Pandemic: Protocol for a Living Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Countries and health systems have had to make challenging resource allocation and capacity-building decisions to promote proper patient care and ensure health and care workers' safety and well-being, so that they can effectively address the present COVID-19 pandemic as well as upcoming public health problems and natural catastrophes. As innovations are already in place and updated evidence is published daily, more information is required to inform the development and implementation of policies and interventions to improve health and care workforce capacity to address the COVID-19 pandemic response. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this protocol review is to identify countries' range of experiences with policies and management interventions that can improve health and care workers' capacity to address the COVID-19 pandemic response and synthesize evidence on the effectiveness of the interventions. METHODS: We will conduct a living systematic review of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods studies and gray literature (technical and political documents) published in English, French, Hindi, Portuguese, Italian, and Spanish between January 1, 2000, and March 1, 2022. The databases to be searched are MEDLINE (PubMed), Embase, SCOPUS, and Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature. In addition, the World Health Organization's COVID-19 Research Database and the websites of international organizations (International Labour Organization, Economic Co-operation and Development, and The Health System Response Monitor) will be searched for unpublished studies and gray literature. Data will be extracted from the selected documents using an electronic form adapted from the Joanna Briggs Institute quantitative and qualitative tools for data extraction. A convergent integrated approach to synthesis and integration will be used. The risk of bias will be assessed with Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools, and the certainty of the evidence in the presented outcomes will be assessed with the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation. RESULTS: The database and gray literature search retrieved 3378 documents. Data are being analyzed by 2 independent reviewers. The study is expected to be published by the end of 2023 in a peer-reviewed journal. CONCLUSIONS: This review will allow us to identify and describe the policies and strategies implemented by countries and their effectiveness, as well as identify gaps in the evidence. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42022327041; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=327041. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): RR1-10.2196/50306.

Consumption of Extruded Sorghum SC319 Improved Gut Microbiota at Genus Level and Reduced Anthropometric Markers in Men with Overweight: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND: Sorghum is a cereal source of energy, carbohydrates, resistant starch, proanthocyanidins, and 3-deoxyanthocyanins; it promotes satiety by slowing digestion and benefits intestinal health. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the effects of extruded sorghum SC319 consumption on intestinal health, weight loss, and inflammatory markers in men with overweight. METHODS: This was a randomized, controlled, single-blind clinical trial. Twenty-one men were randomly allocated into one of two groups: the sorghum group (test), which received 40 g of extruded SC319 whole sorghum (n = 10), or the wheat group (control), which received 38 g of extruded whole wheat (n = 11) for eight weeks. RESULTS: The sorghum consumption increased the weight loss intragroup, decreased the body fat percentage intergroup, and did not change inflammatory markers, while the wheat group had increased IL-6 levels compared to baseline. Short-chain fatty acid production, fecal pH, and α and ß diversity indexes did not differ intra- and intergroup after interventions. However, sorghum consumption decreased genus levels of Clostridium_sensu_stricto 1, Dorea, and Odoribacter and increased CAG-873 and Turicibacter compared to baseline. Further, sorghum showed a tendency (p = 0.07) to decrease the proteobacteria phyla compared to wheat. CONCLUSION: Extruded sorghum SC319 improved intestinal microbiota and body composition and promoted weight loss, demonstrating its prebiotic potential.

The Possible Mediatory Role of Inflammatory Markers on the Association of Dietary Insulin Index and Insulin Load with Metabolic Syndrome in Women with Overweight and Obesity: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is associated with increased inflammation. Diet plays an important role in the prevention and management of MetS, while some dietary factors can also increase or decrease markers of systemic inflammation. In this study, we aimed to determine the mediated association of inflammatory markers induced by dietary insulin index (DII) and dietary insulin load (DIL) with MetS and its components. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted with 219 women aged 18-28 years. Dietary intake was assessed by a 147-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). DII and DIL were calculated using the standard formula. The guidelines of the National Cholesterol Education Program's Adult Treatment Panel III were used to define MetS. Biochemical parameters and anthropometric and blood pressure measures were evaluated by standard protocols. Results: After the adjustment for potential confounders, a marginally significant association was found between DII and MetS (OR = 2.11; 95% CI = 0.93-4.82; P = 0.06). However, we did not find a significant association between DIL and MetS. Furthermore, DII was significantly associated with waist circumference (WC) (OR = 1.67; 95% CI = 1.09- 4.03; P = 0.03) and marginally associated with triglyceride (TG) (OR = 1.10; 95% CI = 0.92-2.33; P = 0.07) and systolic blood pressure/diastolic blood pressure (SBP/DBP) (OR = 1.84; 95% CI = 0.85-3.99; P = 0.07). Moreover, there was a significant association between DIL and SBP/DBP (OR = 1.74; 95% CI = 1.54-5.61; P = 0.04). Also, we found that MCP-1 may have a mediatory role in the association between DII and DIL with MetS and several components of MetS. Hs-CRP did not have mediatory role in the association between DII and MetS. However, hs-CRP had a mediatory role in several MetS components. Furthermore, hs-CRP may have a mediatory role in the association of DIL with MetS and with some of its components. Conclusions: A higher DII score may increase the odds of MetS and its components. DIL was not significantly associated with the odds of MetS, but the association of DIL and SBP/DBP was significant. MCP-1 may have a mediatory role in associations between DII and DIL with MetS. In addition, hs-CRP may have a mediatory role in the association between DIL and MetS.

Preoperative Carbohydrate Quality Index Is Related to Markers of Glucose Metabolism 12 Months After Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass.

OBJECTIVE: The role of carbohydrates in weight loss in patients undergoing bariatric surgery (BS) remains poorly understood. Therefore, this study aimed to verify the relationship of the carbohydrate quality index (CQI) with weight loss and cardiometabolic risk markers up to 1 year after BS. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study included 50 patients with obesity undergoing Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Data collection was performed preoperatively and 3 and 12 months after surgery. The foods consumed were documented using a 24-h food recall in 3 days. The CQI was calculated considering the following parameters: dietary fiber intake, sugar level; whole grains: proportion of total grains; solid carbohydrate: total carbohydrate ratio. RESULTS: From the total study sample, 58 participants were followed up for 3 months, and eight participants dropped out of the study. The remaining 50 patients were followed up for 12 months. Subjects were classified into tertiles according to the index score. A 1-unit increase in CQI was associated with a -1.02 decrease in insulin concentrations at 12 months and a -1.04 decrease in HOMA-IR. Concerning the total sample, the median of the CQI was 8 points and did not change at 3 and 12 months after surgery, but there was an improvement in some components of the index. CONCLUSION: The data suggest that the quality of carbohydrates can interfere with markers of insulin resistance after BS and the quality of carbohydrates is a point to be guided in patients undergoing BS.

An indirect ELISA to detect antibodies to the gC of bovine alphaherpesvirus 1 (BoAHV1) displaying no crossreactivity with antibodies induced by bovine alphaherpesvirus 5 (BoAHV5).

Seroprevalence of bovine alphaherpesvirus type 1 (BoAHV1) infections may be contaminated by crossreactive antibodies to bovine alphaherpesvirus type 5 (BoAHV5). To avoid such crossreactivity, an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay prepared with a recombinant glycoprotein C (gC) antigen (ELISA-gC1) was developed, aiming the detection of antibodies to BoAHV1, with no crossreactivity with BoAHV5 antibodies. The antigen for the ELISA-gC1 was the product of the expression of 219 bp from the N-terminal portion of the BoAHV1 gC gene, which bears low homology between the two virus types. The test was validated on 131 bovine serum samples, including 26 sera from BoAHV1-experimentally immunized, 38 sera from BoAHV5-experimentally infected or immunized calves, and 67 sera from calves seronegative for both BoAHV1 and BoAHV5, as determined by serum neutralization (SN). When compared to SN for BoAHV1, the ELISA-gC1 presented 100% sensitivity, 95.5 % specificity, 100 % negative predictive value, 89.6 % positive predictive value, 98.8 % precision, and a kappa correlation coefficient (κ) 0.95. None of the 38 BoAHV5-seropositive calves was detected by the ELISA-gC1. The ELISA-gC1 proved highly effective for the identification of BoAHV1-positive sera, with no crossreactivity with anti-BoAHV5 antibodies, thus able to distinguish serological responses from BoAHV1- and BoAHV5-seropositive cattle. Its capacity to detect BoAHV1-specific antibodies should allow the determination of the actual BoAHV1 prevalence in herds, which cannot be serologically determined in countries where BoAHV5 is also prevalent due to antibody crossreactivity. Apart from recognizing exclusively BoAHV1-infected cattle, the ELISA-gC1 may also be used in support of BoAHV5 epidemiological studies by allowing the exclusion of BoAHV1-seropositive animals.

Large-Area Synthesis of Ferromagnetic Fe5- x GeTe2 /Graphene van der Waals Heterostructures with Curie Temperature above Room Temperature.

Van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures combining layered ferromagnets and other 2D crystals are promising building blocks for the realization of ultracompact devices with integrated magnetic, electronic, and optical functionalities. Their implementation in various technologies depends strongly on the development of a bottom-up scalable synthesis approach allowing for realizing highly uniform heterostructures with well-defined interfaces between different 2D-layered materials. It is also required that each material component of the heterostructure remains functional, which ideally includes ferromagnetic order above room temperature for 2D ferromagnets. Here, it is demonstrated that the large-area growth of Fe5- x GeTe2 /graphene heterostructures is achieved by vdW epitaxy of Fe5- x GeTe2 on epitaxial graphene. Structural characterization confirms the realization of a continuous vdW heterostructure film with a sharp interface between Fe5- x GeTe2 and graphene. Magnetic and transport studies reveal that the ferromagnetic order persists well above 300 K with a perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. In addition, epitaxial graphene on SiC(0001) continues to exhibit a high electronic quality. These results represent an important advance beyond nonscalable flake exfoliation and stacking methods, thus marking a crucial step toward the implementation of ferromagnetic 2D materials in practical applications.

AMMI-Bayesian perspective in the selection of pre-cultivars of carioca beans in Agreste-Sertão of Pernambuco, Brazil.

The productivity of beans is greatly influenced by the different edaphoclimatic conditions in the Agreste-Sertão region, requiring the identification of adapted and stable genotypes to minimize the effects of the interaction between genotypes per environments (GxE). The objective of this work was to analyze the adaptability and stability of carioca bean pre-cultivars in three municipalities in the Agreste-Sertão of Pernambuco using the AMMI model in its Bayesian version BAMMI and compare the results with the frequentist approach. According to the results, the BAMMI analysis showed better predictive capacity, as well as better performance in the study of adaptability and stability. The cultivar BRS Notável stood out in terms of main effect and stability. Adaptability of genotypes to specific locations was also observed, enabling the use of the positive effect of the GxE interaction, which was more evident with the BAMMI model. From this work, the flexibility of BAMMI model to deal with data resulting from multi-environmental experiments can be seen, overcoming limitations of the standard analysis of the AMMI model.

Relationship between dietary macronutrient composition with weight loss after bariatric surgery: A systematic review.

This systematic review evaluated the relationship between macronutrient intake and weight loss after bariatric surgery (BS). The MEDLINE/Pubmed, EMBASE, COCHRANE/CENTRAL, and SCOPUS databases were accessed in August 2021 to search for eligible articles: original publications with adults undergoing BS and indicating the relationship between macronutrients and weight loss. Titles that did not meet these criteria were excluded. The review was written according to the PRISMA guide, and the risk of bias was according to the Joanna Briggs manual. Data were extracted by one reviewer and checked by another. Eight articles with 2.378 subjects were included. The studies indicated a positive relationship between weight loss and protein intake after BS. Prioritization of protein followed by carbohydrates with a lower percentage of lipids favors weight loss and increases weight stability after BS. Among the results found, a 1% increase in protein intake raises the probability of obesity remission by 6%, and high-protein diet increase 50% weight loss success. Limitations are the methods of included studies and review process. It is concluded that high-protein intake >60 g a 90 g/day may favor weight loss and maintenance after BS, but it is relevant to balance the other macronutrients.