One more step in solving the Chydorus puzzlea morphological comparison between Chydorus tilhoi Rey & Saint-Jeans, 1969 and Chydorus sphaericus (O.F. Mller, 1776) (Crustacea: Cladocera).

A number of species of Chydorus Leach, 1816 (Crustacea: Cladocera) need improvements in their taxonomy much more than any other genus within the family Chydoridae Dybowsky & Grochowski, 1894 emend. Frey, 1967, which makes the systematics of the genus still a puzzle that lacks several pieces. Here, we redescribe the African species Chydorus tilhoi Rey & Saint-Jeans, 1969 and compare its morphology with that of Chydorus sphaericus (O.F. Mller, 1776). The two taxa might be easily differentiated because C. tilhoi has a single and relatively large major head pore with a wide rim, labral keel elongated with a large spine, and postabdomen with postanal part elongated, narrowing distally and with denticles near its anal margin, organized in groups. These morphological traits are absent in C. sphaericus. Chydorus tilhoi and C. sphaericus also differ in the morphology of the first (Inner Distal Lobe setae), third (exopodite proportion), and fifth (exopodite shape) limbs. Based on the literature and our observations, the limb morphology of C. tilhoi has important similarities with that of C. breviceps, C. nitidulus and C. dentifer, and their translocation to a new genus seems to be a fundamental piece in the puzzle of Chydorus.

Preparation and Characterization of a Rifampicin Coamorphous Material with Tromethamine Coformer: An Experimental-Theoretical Study.

Rifampicin (RIF) is an antibiotic used to treat tuberculosis and leprosy. Even though RIF is a market-available drug, it has a low aqueous solubility, hindering its bioavailability. Among the strategies for bioavailability improvement of poorly soluble drugs, coamorphous systems have been revealed as an alternative in the increase of the aqueous solubility of drug systems and at the same time also increasing the amorphous state stability and dissolution rate when compared with the neat drug. In this work, a new coamorphous form from RIF and tromethamine (TRIS) was synthesized by slow evaporation. Structural, electronic, and thermodynamic properties and solvation effects, as well as drug-coformer intermolecular interactions, were studied through density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) data allowed us to verify the formation of a new coamorphous. In addition, the DFT study indicates a possible intermolecular interaction by hydrogen bonds between the available amino and carbonyl groups of RIF and the hydroxyl and amino groups of TRIS. The theoretical spectra obtained are in good agreement with the experimental data, suggesting the main interactions occurring in the formation of the coamorphous system. PXRD was used to study the physical stability of the coamorphous system under accelerated ICH conditions (40 °C and 75% RH), indicating that the material remained in an amorphous state up to 180 days. The thermogravimetry result of this material showed a good thermal stability up to 153 °C, and differential scanning calorimetry showed that the glass temperature (Tg) was at 70.0 °C. Solubility studies demonstrated an increase in the solubility of RIF by 5.5-fold when compared with its crystalline counterpart. Therefore, this new material presents critical parameters that can be considered in the development of new coamorphous formulations.

Validation of the SCORE2 risk prediction algorithm in a Portuguese population: A new model to estimate 10-year cardiovascular disease incidence in Europe.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Subjects without cardiovascular (CV) disease (CVD) may suffer from subclinical atherosclerosis, and are at increased risk for atherosclerotic CV events (ASCVE). The ESC/EAS risk SCORE was updated by SCORE2, which estimates 10-year risk of fatal and non-fatal CVD in European populations aged 40-69 years without established CVD or diabetes. Our aim was to compare the two ESC/EAS risk scores and to validate SCORE2 in our population. METHODS: A total of 1071 individuals (age 57.2±6.1 years; 75.2% male) without CVD or diabetes, from GENEMACOR study controls, were analyzed over 5.4±3.9 years. The population was stratified into risk categories according to the two scores, and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) and Harrell's C-index assessed the scores' performance. Calibration was performed using the goodness-of-fit test, and occurrence of the first event assessed by Cox regression. Kaplan-Meier analysis estimated SCORE2 survival. RESULTS: SCORE stratified subjects into four risk categories: low (7.4%), moderate (46.5%), high (25.3%) and very high (20.8%), and SCORE2 into three: low-to-moderate (24.7%), high (59.0%) and very high (16.2%). SCORE presented good discrimination for CV mortality (AUC=0.838; C-index=0.834, 95% CI: 0.728-0.940), as did SCORE2 for total CV events (AUC=0.744; C-index=0.728, 95% CI: 0.648-0.808). Calibration did not show a disparity between observed and expected ASCVE. The probability of ASCVE was eight times higher in very-high-risk SCORE2 (p=0.001), and three times in the high-risk group (p=0.049). Event-free survival was 99%, 90% and 72% in the low-to-moderate, high and very-high-risk categories, respectively (p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: SCORE2 improved population stratification by identifying higher-risk patients, enabling early preventive measures. It showed good discriminative ability for all ASCVE.

Predictive improvement of adding coronary calcium score and a genetic risk score to a traditional risk model for cardiovascular event prediction.

AIMS: Coronary artery calcium score (CACS) and polygenic risk score have been used as novel markers to predict cardiovascular (CV) events of asymptomatic individuals compared with traditional scores. No previous studies have directly compared the additive capacity of these two markers relative to conventional scores. The aim of the study was to evaluate the change in CV risk prediction ability when CACS, genetic risk score (GRS), or both are added to Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation 2 (SCORE2). METHODS AND RESULTS: In a prospective, observational population-based study, 1002 asymptomatic subjects (mean age 53.1 ± 6.8 years, 73.8% male), free of clinical coronary disease and diabetes, were selected from GENEMACOR-study controls. SCORE2, CACS, and GRS were estimated to evaluate CV events' predictive and discriminative ability through Harrell's C-statistics. Net reclassification improvement (NRI) and integrated discrimination index were used to reclassify the population. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard ratio (HR) analysis assessed the variables independently associated with CV events. C-statistic demonstrated that the discriminative value for CV event occurrence was 0.608 for SCORE2, increasing to 0.749 (P = 0.001) when CACS was added, and improved to 0.802 (P = 0.0008) with GRS, showing a better discriminative capacity for CV events. Continuous NRI reclassified >70% of the population. Cox proportional analysis showed that the highest categories of SCORE2, CACS, and GRS remained in the equation with an HR of 2.9 (P = 0.003), 5.0 (P < 0.0001), and 3.2 (P = 0.003), respectively, when compared with the lowest categories. CONCLUSION: In our population, CACS added to SCORE2 had better ability than GRS in CV event risk prediction, discrimination, and reclassification. However, adding the three scores can become clinically relevant, especially in intermediate-risk persons.

Our study highlights the impact of including coronary artery calcium score (CACS) and genetic risk score (GRS) alongside Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation 2 (SCORE2) for enhancing cardiovascular (CV) risk assessment in primary prevention. In our population, adding CACS to SCORE2 exhibited a superior discriminative capacity for CV events compared with GRS alone in terms of risk prediction, discrimination, and reclassification. Our results emphasize the potential clinical relevance of using all three scores to identify high-risk individuals who would benefit from earlier and more stringent cardiovascular risk management strategies to prevent future cardiovascular events.

Pharmacological Treatment of Acute Unilateral Vestibulopathy: A Review.

There have been few investigations on the epidemiology, etiology, and medical management of acute unilateral vestibulopathy (AUV). Short-term pharmaceutical resolutions include vestibular symptomatic suppressants, anti-emetics, and some cause-based therapies. Anticholinergics, phenothiazines, antihistamines, antidopaminergics, benzodiazepines, and calcium channel antagonists are examples of vestibular suppressants. Some of these medications may show their effects through multiple mechanisms. In contrast, N-acetyl-L-leucine, Ginkgo biloba, and betahistine improve central vestibular compensation. Currently, AUV pathophysiology is poorly understood. Diverse hypotheses have previously been identified which have brought about some causal treatments presently used. According to some publications, acute administration of anti-inflammatory medications may have a deleterious impact on both post-lesional functional recovery and endogenous adaptive plasticity processes. Thus, some authors do not recommend the use of corticosteroids in AUV. Antivirals are even more contentious in the context of AUV treatment. Although vascular theories have been presented, no verified investigations employing anti-clotting or vasodilator medications have been conducted. There are no standardized treatment protocols for AUV to date, and the pharmacological treatment of AUV is still questionable. This review addresses the most current developments and controversies in AUV medical treatment.

New records of Coronatella (Crustacea, Branchiopoda, Chydoridae) from Colombia with the first report of Coronatella undata and of the male of Coronatella monacantha / Novos registros de Coronatella (Crustacea, Branchiopoda, Chydoridae) na Colômbia com o primeiro relato de Coronatella undata e o macho de Coronatella monacantha

Biological samples obtained from a small temporary pond of northern Colombia yielded the first record Coronatella undata Sousa, Elmoor-Loureiro and Santos, 2015 and of the male of C. monacantha (Sars, 1901) for Colombia. In this study, the morphology of female of Coronatella undata and female and male of C. monacantha was described and compared to other species within the genus. C. undata was originally described from Brazil and, among the species of the Coronatella monacantha complex, seems to be closely related to C. acuticostata (Sars, 1903). C. undata shows some similarities with C. monacantha, but it can be identified by important diagnostic characters such as: 1) posterior-ventral corner of valve with two denticles, 2) seta on exopodite of trunk limb II rudimentary, 3) filter comb of trunk limb II with six setae, 4) ODL seta of trunk limb I shorter than longest seta of IDL. C. monacantha is the most reported species in the Neotropical region and the male most resemble C. paulinae Sousa, Elmoor-Loureiro & Santos, 2015 in relation to (i), length/wide of postabdomen ratio (ii) basal spine almost straight and (iii)) long basal spine reaching the mid-length of basal spine. However, they can be separated by (i) number of lateral seta on the antennule, (ii) postanal angle, (iii) position of gonopore (iv) presence of a denticle on posterior-ventral corner of valve.

Amostras biológicas obtidas de uma pequena lagoa temporária do norte da Colômbia proporcionaram o primeiro registro de Coronatella undata Sousa, Elmoor-Loureiro e Santos, 2015 e do macho de Coronatella monacantha (Sars, 1901) na Colômbia. Neste estudo, foi descrita a morfologia de fêmeas de C. undata e de fêmeas e machos de C. monacantha, comparando-a com outras espécies do gênero. Coronatella undata foi descrita originalmente no Brasil e, entre as espécies do complexo C. monacantha, parece estar intimamente relacionada com Coronatella acuticostata (Sars, 1903). Coronatella undata apresenta algumas semelhanças com C. monacantha, mas pode ser identificada por seus principais caracteres, tais como: 1) ângulo posterior ventral da valva com dois dentículos; 2) cerda rudimentar no exopodito do ramo do tronco II; 3) filtro da gnatobase do apêndice torácico II com seis cerdas; 4) cerda ODL do membro do tronco I mais curta que a cerda mais longa do IDL. Coronatella monacantha é a espécie mais relatada na região neotropical, e o macho se assemelha mais a Coronatella paulinae Sousa, Elmoor-Loureiro & Santos em relação à/ao: (i) razão comprimento / largura do pós-abdômen, (ii) espinho basal quase reto e (iii) espinho basal longo com a metade do comprimento do espinho basal. No entanto, eles podem ser separados pelo/pela: (i) número de cerdas laterais na antênula, (ii) ângulo postanal, (iii) posição do gonóporo e (iv) presença de dentículo no canto ventral posterior da valva.

New records of Coronatella (Crustacea, Branchiopoda, Chydoridae) from Colombia with the first report of Coronatella undata and of the male of Coronatella monacantha

Abstract Biological samples obtained from a small temporary pond of northern Colombia yielded the first record Coronatella undata Sousa, Elmoor-Loureiro and Santos, 2015 and of the male of C. monacantha (Sars, 1901) for Colombia. In this study, the morphology of female of Coronatella undata and female and male of C. monacantha was described and compared to other species within the genus. C. undata was originally described from Brazil and, among the species of the Coronatella monacantha complex, seems to be closely related to C. acuticostata (Sars, 1903). C. undata shows some similarities with C. monacantha, but it can be identified by important diagnostic characters such as: 1) posterior-ventral corner of valve with two denticles, 2) seta on exopodite of trunk limb II rudimentary, 3) filter comb of trunk limb II with six setae, 4) ODL seta of trunk limb I shorter than longest seta of IDL. C. monacantha is the most reported species in the Neotropical region and the male most resemble C. paulinae Sousa, Elmoor-Loureiro & Santos, 2015 in relation to (i), length/wide of postabdomen ratio (ii) basal spine almost straight and (iii)) long basal spine reaching the mid-length of basal spine. However, they can be separated by (i) number of lateral seta on the antennule, (ii) postanal angle, (iii) position of gonopore (iv) presence of a denticle on posterior-ventral corner of valve

Resumo Amostras biológicas obtidas de uma pequena lagoa temporária do norte da Colômbia proporcionaram o primeiro registro de Coronatella undata Sousa, Elmoor-Loureiro e Santos, 2015 e do macho de Coronatella monacantha (Sars, 1901) na Colômbia. Neste estudo, foi descrita a morfologia de fêmeas de C. undata e de fêmeas e machos de C. monacantha, comparando-a com outras espécies do gênero. Coronatella undata foi descrita originalmente no Brasil e, entre as espécies do complexo C. monacantha, parece estar intimamente relacionada com Coronatella acuticostata (Sars, 1903). Coronatella undata apresenta algumas semelhanças com C. monacantha, mas pode ser identificada por seus principais caracteres, tais como: 1) ângulo posterior ventral da valva com dois dentículos; 2) cerda rudimentar no exopodito do ramo do tronco II; 3) filtro da gnatobase do apêndice torácico II com seis cerdas; 4) cerda ODL do membro do tronco I mais curta que a cerda mais longa do IDL. Coronatella monacantha é a espécie mais relatada na região neotropical, e o macho se assemelha mais a Coronatella paulinae Sousa, Elmoor-Loureiro & Santos em relação à/ao: (i) razão comprimento / largura do pós-abdômen, (ii) espinho basal quase reto e (iii) espinho basal longo com a metade do comprimento do espinho basal. No entanto, eles podem ser separados pelo/pela: (i) número de cerdas laterais na antênula, (ii) ângulo postanal, (iii) posição do gonóporo e (iv) presença de dentículo no canto ventral posterior da valva.

Profissão e vocação: a enfermagem em questão / Profession and vocation: nursing in question / Profesión y vocación: la enfermería en cuestión

Objetivo: Identificar os motivos pelos quais levaram os estudantes a escolherem a formação universitário em Enfermagem. Metodologia: Estudo exploratório- descritivo, sob abordagem qualitativa, desenvolvido com 276 acadêmicos de Enfermagem de uma universidade pública do Noroeste do estado do Ceará, Brasil. As informações foram coletadas por meio de um questionário eletrônico, aplicado por meio da plataforma Google Forms®. Essas por sua vez, foram analisadas a partir de análise de conteúdo proposto por Minayo, com o suporte do software N VIVO 11®. Resultados: As palavras mais referidas pelos estudantes ao serem questionados acerca dos motivos na escolha do curso de Enfermagem, foram: "Área", "Saúde", "Curso" e "Profissão", as quais suscitam que em algumas situações a escolha do curso aconteceu pela área da Saúde e não pelo curso em específico. Entretanto, outras palavras com maior quantitativo de repetição foram identificadas: "Sempre", "Gosto" e "Enfermagem", que por sua vez, demonstram a identificação com o curso de Enfermagem em específico e com o fazer da profissão. A partir de então, foram definidas seis categorias de análise, a saber "Identificar-se com a profissão", "Determinação Social e Mercado de Trabalho", "Enfermagem como segunda ou única opção", "Influências externas", "Permanência na área da Saúde" e "Vocação e visão solidária-romântica". Considerações finais: A partir dos discursos dos participantes em estudo, evidenciou-se que os motivos pelos quais levaram esses a ingressarem no curso universitário em Enfermagem estão associados ao imaginário da vocação, da concepção da Enfermagem enquanto profissão voltada para o cuidar/cuidado, bem como pelo o interesse de atuação na área da saúde.

Objective: To identify the reasons why students chose a university degree in Nursing. Methodology: Exploratory-descriptive study, under a qualitative approach, developed with 276 Nursing students from a public university in the Northwest of the state of Ceará, Brazil. Information was collected through an electronic questionnaire, applied through the Google Forms® platform. These, in turn, were analyzed based on the content analysis proposed by Minayo, with the support of the N VIVO 11® software. Results: The words most mentioned by students when asked about the reasons for choosing the Nursing course were: "Area", "Health", "Course" and "Profession", which suggest that in some situations the choice of course happened by the Health area and not by the specific course. However, other words with a higher number of repetitions were identified: "Always", "I like" and "Nursing", which, in turn, demonstrate identification with the Nursing course in particular and with the profession. From then on, six categories of analysis were defined, namely "Identifying with the profession", "Social Determination and the Labor Market", "Nursing as a second or only option", "External influences", "Permanence in the area of Health" and "Vocation and solidarity-romantic vision". Final considerations: From the speeches of the participants in the study, it was evident that the reasons why they entered the university course in Nursing are associated with the imaginary of the vocation, of the conception of Nursing as a profession focused on care/care, as well as as well as the interest in acting in the health area.

Objetivo: Identificar las razones por las cuales los estudiantes eligieron la carrera universitaria de Enfermería. Metodología: Estudio exploratorio-descriptivo, con abordaje cualitativo, desarrollado con 276 estudiantes de Enfermería de una universidad pública del Noroeste del estado de Ceará, Brasil. La información se recolectó a través de un cuestionario electrónico, aplicado a través de la plataforma Google Forms®. Estos, a su vez, fueron analizados con base en el análisis de contenido propuesto por Minayo, con el apoyo del software N VIVO 11®. Resultados: Las palabras más mencionadas por los estudiantes cuando se les preguntó acerca de los motivos de la elección de la carrera de Enfermería fueron: "Área", "Salud", "Curso" y "Profesión", lo que sugiere que en algunas situaciones la elección de la carrera pasó por la carrera de Enfermería. área y no por el curso específico. Sin embargo, fueron identificadas otras palabras con mayor número de repeticiones: "Siempre", "Me gusta" y "Enfermería", que, a su vez, demuestran identificación con la carrera de Enfermería en particular y con la profesión. A partir de ahí, se definieron seis categorías de análisis, a saber, "Identificación con la profesión", "Determinación social y mercado de trabajo", "Enfermería como segunda o única opción", "Influencias externas", "Permanencia en el área de la Salud". " y "Vocación y visión solidaria-romántica". Consideraciones finales: A partir de los discursos de los participantes en el estudio, se evidenció que las razones por las cuales ingresaron a la carrera universitaria en Enfermería están asociadas al imaginario de la vocación, de la concepción de la Enfermería como profesión enfocada en el cuidado, así como el interés por actuar en el área de la salud.

Entre o espírito público e o discurso político: as estratégias de comunicação da pandemia no canal de jair bolsonaro no telegram

Este artigo analisa a comunicação feita pelo ex-presidente brasileiro, Jair Bolsonaro, sobre a Covid-19. O corpus do estudo se circunscreve às mensagens publicadas pelo político no Telegram, durante os 100 primeiros dias de sua atuação na plataforma. Analisamos o fenômeno a partir dos conceitos de comunicação pública e governamental (Duarte, 2007; Brandão, 2007, 2016; Oliveira, 2013) e comunicação política (Gerstlé, 2005; Freeman, 2019), confrontandoos com entendimentos sobre o populismo (Waisbord, 2018; 2020; Laclau, 2005; Jagers & Walgrave, 2007; Innerarity, 2015). O estudo utiliza como metodologia a análise de conteúdo (Benoit, 2011; Alonso, 2012; Sampaio & Lycarião, 2021). Os resultados mostram que Bolsonaro não produz comunicação pública ou governamental, mas sim comunicação política a partir de seu canal na plataforma, que é usado para estabelecer uma disputa narrativa pela construção de sentidos da população sobre a crise sanitária.

Este artículo analiza la comunicación realizada por el expresidente brasileño Jair Bolsonaro, sobre el Covid-19. El corpus del estudio se circunscribe a los mensajes publicados por el político en Telegram durante sus primeros 100 días en la plataforma. Analizamos el fenómeno a partir de los conceptos de comunicación pública y gubernamental (Duarte, 2007;Brandão, 2007, 2016;Oliveira, 2013) y comunicación política (Gerstlé, 2005;Freeman, 2019), confrontándolos con comprensiones de populismo (Waisbord, 2018;2020;Laclau, 2005;Jagers & Walgrave, 2007eInnerarity, 2015). El estudio utiliza como metodología el análisis de contenido (Benoit, 2011;Alonso, 2012;Sampaio & Lycarião, 2021). Los resultados muestran que Bolsonaro no produce comunicación pública o gubernamental, sino comunicación política desde su canal en la plataforma, que se utiliza para establecer una disputa narrativa para la construcción de significados de la población sobre la crisis sanitaria.

Perspectivas do ser cuidadora informal de crianças com deficiência / Perspectives of being a female informal caregiver of children with disabilities

Objetivo: Conhecer a perspectiva do ser cuidadora informal de crianças com deficiência.Métodos: Estudo descritivo, exploratório, de abordagem qualitativa. As participantes foram cuidadoras informais de crianças com deficiência. A coleta de dados se deu por meio de quatro grupos focais virtuais, pela plataforma Google Meet. A análise ocorreu por meio da Análise de Conteúdo Temática. O critério para a categorização foi o semântico. As categorias emergidas foram nomeadas à luz da literatura científica pertinente.Resultados: Após a análise dos grupos focais, emergiram três categorias: categoria 1 -Os pares como rede de apoio; categoria 2 -A vivência da espiritualidade; categoria 3 -Inquietações frente a aspectos sociais e legais.Conclusão: A perspectiva do ser cuidadora informal de crianças com deficiência envolve uma ótica negativa e positiva. Negativa, no sentido de que há uma insatisfação mediante os julgamentos imputados pela sociedade em relação a elas e ao arcabouço legal que rege seus direitos. Positiva, por meio da rede de apoio que demais mães de crianças com deficiência formam e da vivência da espiritualidade no contexto do cuidar, tornando a rotina de cuidados mais suave. Descritores:Cuidadores Informais; Crianças com Deficiência; Pesquisa Qualitativa.

Objective: To know the perspective of being a female informal caregiver of children with disabilities.Methods: A descriptive, exploratory and qualitative study. The participants were female informal caregivers of children with disabilities. Data collection took place through four virtual focus groups, via the Google Meet platform. The analysis was carried out by means of Thematic Content Analysis. The criterion for categorization was semantic. The categories that emerged were named in the light of the relevant scientific literature.Results: Three categories emerged after analyzing the focus groups, namely: Category 1 -Peers as support network; Category 2 -The spirituality experience; and Category 3 -Concerns about social and legal aspects.Conclusion: The perspective of being a female informal caregiver of children with disabilities involves a negative and positive aspect. Negative, in the sense that there is dissatisfaction through the judgments imputed by society in relation to them and the legal framework that governs their rights. Positive, through the support network comprised by other mothers of children with disabilities and the spirituality experience in the care context, making the care routine smoother.Descriptors:Caregivers; Disabled Children; Qualitative Research.

Informal caregivers of children with cerebral palsy ways of coping with the uncertainty of illness.

OBJECTIVE: To unveil the process of collective construction of interventions for coping by informal caregivers of children with cerebral palsy using the Theory of Uncertainty in Illness. METHOD: Qualitative action-research in a hybrid format with informal caregivers of children with cerebral palsy registered with the Raros group in Petrolina, Pernambuco. The research followed the planned intervention cycle, going through four phases. The analysis was carried out using the IRAMUTEQ software and content analysis. RESULTS: Interventions were designed collectively, both virtually and in person, which resulted in improvements for informal caregivers in coping with the conditions associated with the disability, promotion of self-care, empowerment and the construction of a sense of belonging to the group. There were 12 participants, all of whom were mothers. CONCLUSION: There was a facilitation of the process of coping with uncertainty in the disease on the part of the informal caregiver of children with cerebral palsy and it was evidenced that for this a prismatic perspective is necessary, which understands that the uncertainties are not only related to the conditions associated with cerebral palsy, but involve subjective aspects of the caregivers.

New polymorphic phase of arachidic acid crystal: structure, intermolecular interactions, low-temperature stability and Raman spectroscopy combined with DFT calculations.

Saturated monocarboxylic fatty acids with long carbon chains are organic compounds widely used in several applied fields, such as energy production, thermal energy storage, antibactericidal, antimicrobial, among others. In this research, a new polymorphic phase of arachidic acid (AA) crystal was synthesized and its structural and vibrational properties were studied by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD) and polarized Raman scattering. The new structure of AA was solved at two different temperature conditions (100 and 300 K). XRD analysis indicated that this polymorph belongs to the monoclinic space group P21/c (C2h5), with four molecules per unit cell (Z = 4). All molecules in the crystal lattice adopt a gauche configuration, exhibiting a R22(8) hydrogen bond pattern. Consequently, this new polymorphic phase, labeled as B form, is a polytype belonging to the monoclinic symmetry, i.e., Bm form. Complementarily, Hirshfeld's surfaces were employed to analyze the intermolecular interactions within the crystal lattice of this polymorph at temperatures of 100 and 300 K. Additionally, density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed to assign all intramolecular vibration modes related to experimental Raman-active bands, which were properly calculated using a dimer model, considering a pair of AA molecules in the gauche configuration, according to the solved-crystal structure.

Metabolomic Profile, Plasmatic Levels of Losartan and EXP3174, Blood Pressure Control in Hypertensive Patients and Their Correlation with COVID-19.

Systemic arterial hypertension (SAH) is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases worldwide and is related to serious health complications. It has been pointed out as a major risk factor for COVID-19. This study aimed to determine the impact of COVID-19 on the metabolomic profile, the correlation with the plasmatic levels of losartan and its active metabolite (EXP3174), biochemical markers, and blood pressure (BP) control in hypertensive patients. 1H NMR metabolomic profiles of hypertensive and normotensive patients with and without previous COVID-19 diagnosis were identified. Plasmatic levels of LOS and EXP3174 were correlated with BP, biochemical markers, and the metabolomic fingerprint of the groups. Biomarkers linked to important aspects of SAH and COVID-19 were identified, such as glucose, glutamine, arginine, creatinine, alanine, choline, erythritol, homogentisate, 0-tyrosine, and 2-hydroxybutyrate. Those metabolites are indicative of metabolic alterations, kidney damage, pulmonary dysfunction, and persistent inflammation, which can be found in both diseases. Some hypertensive patients did not reach the therapeutic levels of LOS and EXP3174, while the BP control was also limited among the normotensive patients with previous COVID-19 diagnoses. Metabolomics proved to be an important tool for assessing the effectiveness of losartan pharmacotherapy and the damage caused by SAH and COVID-19 in hypertensive patients.

Arginine Gemini-Based Surfactants for Antimicrobial and Antibiofilm Applications: Molecular Interactions, Skin-Related Anti-Enzymatic Activity and Cytotoxicity.

The antimicrobial and antibiofilm properties of arginine-based surfactants have been evaluated. These two biological properties depend on both the alkyl chain length and the spacer chain nature. These gemini surfactants exhibit good activity against a wide range of bacteria, including some problematic resistant microorganisms such us methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Moreover, surfactants with a C10 alkyl chain and C3 spacer inhibit the (MRSA) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm formation at concentrations as low as 8 µg/mL and are able to eradicate established biofilms of these two bacteria at 32 µg/mL. The inhibitory activities of the surfactants over key enzymes enrolled in the skin repairing processes (collagenase, elastase and hyaluronidase) were evaluated. They exhibited moderate anti-collagenase activity while the activity of hyaluronidase was boosted by the presence of these surfactants. These biological properties render these gemini arginine-based surfactants as perfect promising candidates for pharmaceutical and biological properties.

Uso de substâncias psicoativas entre adolescentes escolares de Distritos Municipais

Objetivo: analisar o uso de substâncias psicoativas entre adolescentes escolares. Método: estudo transversal, de abordagem quantitativa, realizado em 2021, com 199 alunos de quatro escolas estaduais de Ensino Médio localizadas nos Distritos de um Município do interior do Ceará. Utilizou-se um questionário autoaplicável, DUSI (Drug Use Screening Inventory). Resultados: 92 (46,2%) alunos cursavam o primeiro ano do ensino médio, eram do sexo feminino 114 (57,3%), com idade predominante de 15 a 16 anos (N 31 65,9%). Os adolescentes relataram o uso de todas as substâncias pesquisadas, ainda que fosse somente de uma a duas vezes no último mês. Foram prevalentes: analgésicos (25,6%), álcool (15,1%), tranquilizantes (4,5%) e maconha (3,5%). Quase a totalidade dos participantes negou o uso de tabaco nos últimos 30 dias. A maioria dos participantes negou ter problemas associados ao uso dessas substâncias psicoativas. Conclusão: o estudo auxiliou a compreensão das substâncias psicoativas mais consumidas entre os alunos do Ensino Médio de Distritos Municipais, permitindo ampliar os conhecimentos sobre o uso de drogas no ambiente escolar. Esse achado demonstra a presença dessas substâncias e o uso entre os adolescentes, mesmo nos locais mais distantes dos grandes centros urbanos.

Predictive factors of surgery in metastatic colorectal cancer: a retrospective cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: Current management of metastatic colorectal cancer is based on neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Few studies have reported on surgery procedures in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. The objective of this study was to describe our institutional experience with emergency surgery performed in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer during chemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study including adult patients of ≤80 years with a metastatic colorectal cancer between 2017 and 2020 and undergoing surgery during chemotherapy. Statistical analyses were based on Kaplan-Meier's curve and Cox proportional hazard model. The surgery statistical risk during chemotherapy was studied through all tumor and patient's characteristics. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify predictive factors of emergency surgery in these patients. RESULTS: Seventy-two cases were identified and 60% patients undergone an emergency surgery. By Kaplan-Meier's analyses, intestinal surgery was much more frequent and early in patients who have severe stenosis (either blocking or only permeable using a gastroscope) at the time of diagnosis. Patients with severe malignant stenosis presented a 6.28 time higher surgery risk (p < .0001). The median time between admission and surgery was 54 days in patients with severe stenosis who were operated. CONCLUSION: The degree of colorectal tumor stenosis measured by endoscopy was a risk factor for emergency surgery in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer during neoadjuvant chemotherapy. In this group of patients presenting low survival outcomes, further studies are needed to define the place of preventive surgery, avoiding emergency surgery and morbidity in such fragile patients.

Development of nanostructured formulation from naringenin and silk fibroin and application for inhibition of lipoxygenase (LOX).

A simple low-energy method was used to obtain polymeric nanoparticles containing silk fibroin (SF), fatty butyl esters (oily phase) and the flavonoid naringenin. Experimental planning (Box-Behnken) was applied to investigate the optimal conditions for three factors (variation of the concentrations of SF, naringenin and fatty butyl ester) at three levels, with evaluation of particle size, polydispersity index (PDI) and zeta potential (ZP) as responses. The results showed that the polymeric particle was formed with sizes of 179.6 to 633.9 nm, PDI of 0.33 to 0.77 and ZP of -60.4 to -38.8 mV. The best responses under the optimized conditions (Nari-SF 9 and 15) were characterized through transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR), visible ultraviolet (UV-vis) and fluorescence, which confirmed that coated nanoparticles had been obtained. It was shown that the nanoformulation had excellent stability, the bioavailability of naringenin had been improved through use of the biopolymer and high inhibition of the enzyme lipoxygenase had been achieved in vitro.

Three new records of Cladocera (Crustacea: Branchiopoda) for the State of Maranhão, Northeastern Brazil.

Brazilian biodiversity is still poorly studied, especially in the northeast region of Brazil. In the state of Maranhão, the rich fauna is still under-explored in relation to the Cladocera, and this geographic area covers four biomes, which makes it an important field of research on the Cladocera community. In this work, the record of three species is reported: Dadaya macrops Sars, 1901 first record of the genus for the state, Simocephalus serrulatus (Koch, 1841) and Simocephalus latirostris (Stingelin, 1906). The work presents brief descriptions and illustrations of the morphology of the studied species.

Revision of the guttata-group of Alona s. lato leads to its translocation to Prendalona Sousa, Elmoor-Loureiro & Santos, 2018 (Cladocera: Anomopoda: Chydoridae).

Revision of the guttata-group of Alona s. lato justifies its translocation to the genus Prendalona Sousa, Elmoor-Loureiro & Santos, 2018. Emended diagnosis of the genus and diagnoses for all its species are provided. Prendalona belong to the Hexalona-clade of Alona s. lato, it is a sister-group of genus Flavalona Sinev & Dumont, 2016, but differs from the latter in: (1) minute lateral head pores without any pockets below, (2) absence of the genital process on male postabdomen, and (3) absence of inner setae on endites 1-2 of thoracic limb I. Morphology of North American P. barbulata (Megard, 1967) and widely distributed P. guttata (Sars, 1862) is investigated in detail for the first time. Prendalona julietae sp. nov.,sibling-species of P. guttata, is described from Brazil. Global diversity and distribution patterns of Prendalona are discussed.

Pediatric inferior turbinate surgery: A review and meta-analysis of midterm nasal patency.

OBJECTIVES: The surgical treatment of children with enlarged inferior turbinates is still controversial. Foundational evidence for indicating turbinoplasty is still scarce, and there is a myriad of proposed techniques. This work aimed to address the midterm nasal obstruction outcomes of pediatric inferior turbinate surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A Literature search across PUBMED and Cochrane collaboration databases was undertaken, using the MeSH terms: turbinates, nasal obstruction, surgery, and children. Articles focusing on turbinate surgery with an exclusively pediatric cohort were included. The minimum follow-up time for inclusion was set at four months, and only the latest available follow-up in each study was considered. All the integrated studies used objective instruments to quantify nasal obstruction before and after surgery. A comprehensive review and meta-analysis were performed to assess nasal outcomes after the intervention. The 95% confidence interval of the effect magnitude for each study was calculated to elucidate effect sizes. RESULTS: Seven studies met the inclusion criteria for review, and five were included in the meta-analysis, accounting for a total of 510 patients. The follow-up period ranged from 4 months to 1 year. Pooled results showed that nasal patency was significantly improved after surgery (p < 0.001) in the midterm follow-up. No significant differences were found between bone-sparing and bone-removal procedures (p = 0.38). CONCLUSION: This is the first meta-analysis to address midterm results of pediatric turbinate surgery. Our results suggest a positive impact of inferior turbinate surgery on nasal patency, irrespective of technique.