First report of spontaneous hepatic fibrosarcoma in a white-tufted marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) kept in captivity.

Reports of sarcomas in nonhuman primates are scarce and, specifically, primary hepatic sarcomas are rare, as in humans. This is the first report of an aggressive hepatic fibrosarcoma in a young adult Callithrix jacchus. The final postmortem diagnosis was obtained by means of immunohistochemical analysis, which confirmed the tumor histogenesis.

Contribution of ultrasound examination in diagnosing platynosomiasis and correlation with macro and microscopic findings in callitrichids kept under human care.

BACKGROUND: Platynosomiasis in non-human primates kept under human care causes chronic disease of the bile ducts and liver, which initially presents with nonspecific signs and can culminate in the death of the animal. Diagnosing this disease is a challenge, and an ultrasound examination can be an excellent tool when it is suspected. METHODS: This study describes the ultrasound findings from 57 marmosets with suspected infection by Platynosomum sp., the correlated hepatobiliary changes, and the anatomopathological findings that confirmed the occurrence of platynosomiasis. RESULTS: In six marmosets (one C. aurita, two C. jacchus, and three Callithrix sp.), Platynosomum infection was confirmed macroscopically (presence of adult trematodes in the gallbladder) and microscopically (adults, larvae, and eggs in histological examinations and eggs in bile and feces). These findings were compatible with the hepatobiliary changes and with images suggestive of parasitic structures in ante-mortem assessments. CONCLUSION: Ultrasound examination demonstrated its usefulness within the clinical routine for investigating this parasitosis.

Nonpharmacologic Therapies for Postoperative Pain in Cardiac Surgery: A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVES: To search for studies that address the efficacy of nonpharmacologic methods for pain relief in adults undergoing cardiac surgeries. DESIGN: A systematic review registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) under number CRD42020168681. DATA SOURCE: PubMed, LILACS, CINAHL, the Web of Science, Scopus, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. REVIEW/ANALYSIS METHODS: The review used a PRISMA guideline that selected primary randomized controlled trials on the efficacy of nonpharmacologic pain relief therapies in patients undergoing cardiac surgery, with no time or language restrictions. The Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Randomized Clinical Trials was used to assess methodological rigor. RESULTS: After screening, 23 of the 140 studies found in the databases were selected. The studies examined the efficacy of 13 different nonpharmacologic therapies, as well as a combination of therapies, with massage therapy being the most commonly examined, followed by musical intervention and hypnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Some interventions, when combined with pharmacologic therapy, were effective in relieving postoperative pain after cardiac surgeries, according to the studies analyzed. However, most studies had significant methodological flaws, and further studies with high methodological quality are needed.

A Proposal for a Solar Position Sensor System with Multifiber Optical Cable.

A solar position sensor is an essential optoelectronic device used to monitor the sun's position in solar tracking systems. In closed-loop systems, this sensor is responsible for providing feedback signals to the control system, allowing motor adjustments to optimize the angle of incidence and minimize positioning errors. The accuracy required for solar tracking systems varies depending on the specific photovoltaic concentration. In the case of the concentrator photovoltaic (CPV), it is normally essential to track the sun with a position error of less than ±0.6°. To achieve such precision, a proposed sensor configuration composed of low-cost embedded electronics and multifiber optical cable is subjected to characterization through a series of measurements covering range, sensitivity, and resolution. These measurements are performed in controlled indoor environments as well as outdoor conditions. The results obtained exhibit a resolution of 2.6×10-3 degrees when the sensor is illuminated within its designated field of view of ±0.1°, particularly in external conditions. Considering the performance demonstrated by the proposed solar position sensor, coupled with its straightforward modeling and assembly compared to position sensors documented in the literature, it emerges as a promising candidate for integration into solar tracking systems.

Pain Predictors in Patients in the Postanesthesia Care Unit.

PURPOSE: To analyze the effects of pain-predicting factors on patients in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU). DESIGN: This is an observational and prospective study. METHODS: This study was conducted at a University Hospital in the state of Minas Gerais (Brazil). To collect data on demographic, clinical, and surgical factors, a collection instrument was devised. The verbal numerical scale was employed to measure pain levels before and after surgery in the PACU. A path analysis was used to assess a predictive model. FINDINGS: A total of 226 patients were included in this study. The incidence of pain in the PACU was 31.9%. A model with demographic, clinical, and surgical variables was tested. The final model, after including modification indices, obtained results that indicated an acceptable data fit (comparative fit index = 0.996; root mean square error of approximation = 0.08). Age (being young), sex (being a woman), oncological diagnosis as an indication for the surgical procedure, type of surgery (surgery of the digestive system), duration of surgery (longer surgeries), and high intraoperative doses of opioids were predictive variables for pain in the PACU. CONCLUSIONS: This study's findings provide support for pain management in the PACU. Furthermore, the results of this research can be used to anticipate the occurrence of acute postoperative pain and personalized perioperative analgesia needs.

Postoperative Pain Management in Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting: An Integrative Review.

PURPOSE: To identify pharmacological and nonpharmacological interventions adopted for pain relief in the postoperative period of coronary artery bypass graft surgery. DESIGN: Integrative review. METHODS: Studies published in English, Spanish, and Portuguese from January 2010 to December 2019 in Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Latin American and Caribbean Literature on Health Science, PubMed, and Web of Science. Two hundred studies were identified and eleven were included. Methodological analysis was performed using the Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument. FINDINGS: The studies found were organized into three thematic categories: pharmacological interventions (methadone, morphine, lidocaine gel, remifentanil, sufentanil, and nefopam), nonpharmacological interventions (low-level laser therapy, light-emitting diode, Class IV laser, and transcutaneous nerve stimulation) and anesthetic techniques (dexmedetomidine, ultrasound-guided pectoral nerve block, high thoracic epidural analgesia, and perioperative parasternal block with levobupivacaine). CONCLUSIONS: A greater tendency to use drug strategies for postoperative pain relief was identified. The drugs used demonstrated efficacy and safety in the treatment of pain, with the exception of nefopam, which showed little benefit in this population. Nonpharmacological interventions, used as adjuvants to drug treatment, were shown to be safe, effective, and well tolerated by the patients.

Structure-based design of new N-benzyl-piperidine derivatives as multitarget-directed AChE/BuChE inhibitors for Alzheimer's disease.

The pathogenic complexity of Alzheimer's disease (AD) demands the development of multitarget-directed agents aiming at improving actual pharmacotherapy. Based on the cholinergic hypothesis and considering the well-established role of butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) in advanced stages of AD, the chemical structure of the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor drug donepezil (1) was rationally modified for the design of new N-benzyl-piperidine derivatives (4a-d) as potential multitarget-direct AChE and BuChE inhibitors. The designed analogues were further studied through the integration of in silico and in vitro methods. ADMET predictions showed that 4a-d are anticipated to be orally bioavailable, able to cross the blood-brain barrier and be retained in the brain, and to have low toxicity. Computational docking and molecular dynamics indicated the formation of favorable complexes between 4a-d and both cholinesterases. Derivative 4a presented the lowest binding free energy estimation due to interaction with key residues from both target enzymes (-36.69 ± 4.47 and -32.23 ± 3.99 kcal/mol with AChE and BuChE, respectively). The in vitro enzymatic assay demonstrated that 4a was the most potent inhibitor of AChE (IC50 2.08 ± 0.16 µM) and BuChE (IC50 7.41 ± 0.44 µM), corroborating the in silico results and highlighting 4a as a novel multitarget-directed AChE/BuChE inhibitor.

Scale-down of oxygen and glucose fluctuations in a tubular photobioreactor operated under oxygen-balanced mixotrophy.

Oxygen-balanced mixotrophy (OBM) is a novel type of microalgal cultivation that improves autotrophic productivity while reducing aeration costs and achieving high biomass yields on substrate. The scale-up of this process is not straightforward, as nonideal mixing in large photobioreactors might have unwanted effects in cell physiology. We simulated at lab scale dissolved oxygen and glucose fluctuations in a tubular photobioreactor operated under OBM where glucose is injected at the beginning of the tubular section. We ran repeated batch experiments with the strain Galdieria sulphuraria ACUF 064 under glucose pulse feeding of different lengths, representing different retention times: 112, 71, and 21 min. During the long and medium tube retention time simulations, dissolved oxygen was depleted 15-25 min after every glucose pulse. These periods of oxygen limitation resulted in the accumulation of coproporphyrin III in the supernatant, an indication of disruption in the chlorophyll synthesis pathway. Accordingly, the absorption cross-section of the cultures decreased steeply, going from values of 150-180 m2 kg-1 at the end of the first batch down to 50-70 m2 kg-1 in the last batches of both conditions. In the short tube retention time simulation, dissolved oxygen always stayed above 10% air saturation and no pigment reduction nor coproporphyrin III accumulation were observed. Concerning glucose utilization efficiency, glucose pulse feeding caused a reduction of biomass yield on substrate in the range of 4%-22% compared to the maximum levels previously obtained with continuous glucose feeding (0.9 C-g C-g-1 ). The missing carbon was excreted to the supernatant as extracellular polymeric substances constituted by carbohydrates and proteins. Overall, the results point out the importance of studying large-scale conditions in a controlled environment and the need for a highly controlled glucose feeding strategy in the scale-up of mixotrophic cultivation.

Expression of glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase increases non-polar lipid accumulation in Nannochloropsis oceanica.

Microalgae are considered a suitable production platform for high-value lipids and oleochemicals. Several species including Nannochloropsis oceanica produce large amounts of essential [Formula: see text]-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) which are integral components of food and feed and have been associated with health-promoting effects. N. oceanica can further accumulate high contents of non-polar lipids with chemical properties that render them a potential replacement for plant oils such as palm oil. However, biomass and lipid productivities obtained with microalgae need to be improved to reach commercial feasibility. Genetic engineering can improve biomass and lipid productivities, for instance by increasing carbon flux to lipids. Here, we report the overexpression of glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase (GPAT) in N. oceanica during favorable growth conditions as a strategy to increase non-polar lipid content. Transformants overproducing either an endogenous (NoGPAT) or a heterologous (Acutodesmus obliquus GPAT) GPAT enzyme targeted to the endoplasmic reticulum had up to 42% and 51% increased non-polar lipid contents, respectively, compared to the wild type. Biomass productivities of transformant strains were not substantially impaired, resulting in lipid productivities that were increased by up to 37% and 42% for NoGPAT and AoGPAT transformants, respectively. When exposed to nutrient stress, transformants and wild type had similar lipid contents, suggesting that GPAT enzyme exerts strong flux control on lipid synthesis in N. oceanica under favorable growth conditions. NoGPAT transformants further accumulated PUFAs in non-polar lipids, reaching a total of 6.8% PUFAs per biomass, an increase of 24% relative to the wild type. Overall, our results indicate that GPAT is an interesting target for engineering of lipid metabolism in microalgae, in order to improve non-polar lipid and PUFAs accumulation in microalgae.

Judicialization and cancer: quality of life of patients and caregivers in the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: In Brazil, cancer patients and caregivers of cancer patients seek judicial intervention for free access to medications from the public health system. Indeed, the COVID-19 pandemic potentially affected the health-related quality of life of cancer patients and caregivers of cancer patients. This study aimed to describe the sociodemographic profile and assess the health-related quality of life of patients and caregivers in the state of Goias, Brazil, in 2020. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted using the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) and a sociodemographic questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 88 (67,7%) patients and 42 (32,3%) caregivers participated in the study, mostly women (55,5%); aged from 18 to 60 (66%) years old; with up to nine years of education (73,1%) and monthly family income lower than the minimum wage (69,2%); married or in a stable union (92,3%); living with multiple people in the same household (73,8%). The quality of life domains with the best scores were mental health for patients and pain for caregivers. The most affected quality of life domain was physical limitation for patients and caregivers. Factors associated with better quality of life were female gender and age between 18 and 60 years in patients, more than 9 years of education, living with multiple people in the same house, and having a monthly family income higher than US$200 for caregivers. CONCLUSION: The study found evidence of physical and emotional vulnerability during the pandemic, highlighting the need to strengthen public policies of assistance support to this population.

Mental Health and Emotional Disorders During the COVID-19 Pandemics: Prevalence and Extent in PICU Staff.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the prevalence of burnout, anxiety and depression symptoms, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in PICU workers in Brazil during the first peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. To compare the results of subgroups stratified by age, gender, professional category, health system, and previous mental health disorders. DESIGN: Multicenter, cross-sectional study using an electronic survey. SETTING: Twenty-nine public and private Brazilian PICUs. SUBJECTS: Multidisciplinary PICU workers. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Self-reported questionnaires were used to measure burnout (Maslach Burnout Inventory), anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), and PTSD (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition [PCL-5]) in 1,084 respondents. Subjects were mainly young (37.1 ± 8.4 yr old) and females (85%), with a median workload of 50 hours per week. The prevalence of anxiety and depression was 33% and 19%, respectively, whereas PTSD was 13%. The overall median burnout scores were high in the emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment dimensions (16 [interquartile range (IQR), 8-24] and 40 [IQR, 33-44], respectively) whereas low in the depersonalization one (2 [IQR, 0-5]), suggesting a profile of overextended professionals, with a burnout prevalence of 24%. Professionals reporting prior mental health disorders had higher prevalence of burnout (30% vs 22%; p = 0.02), anxiety (51% vs 29%; p < 0.001), and depression symptoms (32.5% vs 15%; p < 0.001), with superior PCL-5 scores for PTSD ( p < 0.001). Public hospital workers presented more burnout (29% vs 18.6%, p < 0.001) and more PTSD levels (14.8% vs 10%, p = 0.03). Younger professionals were also more burned out ( p < 0.05 in all three dimensions). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of mental health disorders in Brazilian PICU workers during the first 2020 peak of COVID-19 was as high as those described in adult ICU workers. Some subgroups, particularly those reporting previous mental disorders and younger professionals, should receive special attention to prevent future crises.

Health literacy of people with spinal cord injury: a systematic review.

STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review. OBJECTIVE: To systematically review the evidence on health literacy (HL) of people diagnosed with spinal cord injury (SCI). METHODS: PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science and Embase databases were used to identify studies published from 1974 to 2021. Two reviewers independently carried out the study selection process and assessed the methodological quality of the studies. The risk of bias in the studies was classified according to the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI). RESULTS: In total, 1398 studies were identified from the initial search, and 11 were selected for reading thoroughly. After screening, five studies were included. All had a cross-sectional design, and most scientific production was from the United States. In the studies, people with SCI received assistance in rehabilitation services. The results were heterogeneous compared to the HL: reasonable HL; suitable HL; Inadequate HL. Better HL was identified in individuals from the white population compared to the black population with SCI. CONCLUSION: Studies on HL in the SCI population are limited. Guidance and personalized education provided in rehabilitation programs seem to have an influence on HL levels in this population. More research is needed to broaden the understanding of HL in the rehabilitation process of people diagnosed with SCI.

Brazilian national production of active pharmaceutical ingredients: regulatory and strategic framework.

Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) is any component of the final pharmaceutical product that serves as the active ingredient. The goal of the API Manufacturing is to produce APIs that are competitively priced and meet the quality standards with the least possible impact on the environment. The global API market is expected to experience massive growth in the coming years reaching the size of USD 355.94 billion. The global Pharmaceutical Industry is facing a new scenario in 2023 after responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. In this new panorama, rethinking the pharmaceutical production and market is necessary. Despite Brazil's prominence in terms of worldwide pharmaceutical spending, only 5% of the APIs required by local pharmaceutical companies are produced domestically. Therefore, Brazil is an untapped field for APIs' manufacturing and faces a scenario of health vulnerability associated with the reliance on foreign API imports to ensure the viability of national Pharmaceutical Production and Services. Huge investments are required to boost the growth of the API Manufacturing sector. Herein is presented a critical analysis of the current regulatory and strategic status of Brazilian national production and/or acquisition of APIs, which represent the key starting materials for the Pharmaceutical Industry.

Genetic mechanisms underlying increased microalgal thermotolerance, maximal growth rate, and yield on light following adaptive laboratory evolution.

BACKGROUND: Adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) is a powerful method for strain optimization towards abiotic stress factors and for identifying adaptation mechanisms. In this study, the green microalga Picochlorum sp. BPE23 was cultured under supra-optimal temperature to force genetic adaptation. The robustness and adaptive capacity of Picochlorum strains turned them into an emerging model for evolutionary studies on abiotic stressors such as temperature, salinity, and light. RESULTS: Mutant strains showed an expanded maximal growth temperature of 44.6 °C, whereas the maximal growth temperature of the wild-type strain was 42 °C. Moreover, at the optimal growth temperature of 38 °C, the biomass yield on light was 22.3% higher, and the maximal growth rate was 70.5% higher than the wild type. Genome sequencing and transcriptome analysis were performed to elucidate the mechanisms behind the improved phenotype. A de novo assembled phased reference genome allowed the identification of 21 genic mutations involved in various processes. Moreover, approximately half of the genome contigs were found to be duplicated or even triplicated in all mutants, suggesting a causal role in adaptation. CONCLUSIONS: The developed tools and mutant strains provide a strong framework from whereupon Picochlorum sp. BPE23 can be further developed. Moreover, the extensive strain characterization provides evidence of how microalgae evolve to supra-optimal temperature and to photobioreactor growth conditions. With this study, microalgal evolutionary mechanisms were identified by combining ALE with genome sequencing.

First report of Colletotrichum siamense causing grape ripe rot in Brazil.

Vitis vinifera cv. BRS Vitória is a seedless black table grape cultivar with an extremely pleasant flavor and is adapted to cultivation in all Brazilian regions. Between November and December 2021, grape berries presenting typical ripe rot symptoms were found in three vineyards located in Petrolina, Pernambuco Brazil. The first symptoms are small and depressed lesions on ripe berries, presenting tiny black acervuli. As the disease progress, lesions enlarge and affect the whole fruit, and abundant orange masses of conidia can be observed. Finally, berries become completely mummified. Symptoms were observed in the three vineyards visited, and disease incidence was above 90%. Some producers are considering eradicating the plantations due to the losses caused by the disease. Control measures used so far are costly and ineffective. Fungal isolation was performed by transferring conidial masses from 10 diseased fruit to plates containing potato dextrose agar medium. Cultures were incubated at 25 °C under continuous light. Seven days after inoculation, three fungal isolates (LM1543-1545) were obtained and subcultivated in pure culture for species identification and pathogenicity test. Isolates presented white to grey cottony mycelia, and hyaline conidia with cylindrical with rounded ends, which resemble the genus Colletotrichum (Sutton 1980). Partial sequences of APN2-MAT/IGS, CAL, and GAPDH loci were amplified, sequenced, and deposited on GenBank (OP643865-OP643872). Isolates from V. vinifera were placed within the clade including the ex-type and representative isolates of C. siamense. The clade was strongly supported (99.8% bootstrap support) in the maximum likelihood multilocus tree of the three loci combined, which confidently assign the isolates to this species. Inoculation on grape bunches was performed to confirm pathogenicity. Grape bunches were surface sterilized for 30 s in 70% ethanol, 1 min in 1.5% NaOCl, rinsed two times with sterile distilled water, and air-dried. Fungal conidial suspensions (106 conidia mL-1) were sprayed to the point of run-off. The negative control was represented by grape bunches sprayed with sterile distilled water. Grape bunches were kept in a humid chamber for 48 h at 25 °C and a light period of 12 h. The experiment was conducted with four replicates (four inoculated bunches per isolate) and repeated once. Typical ripe rot symptoms were observed on grape berries 7 days after inoculation. No symptoms were observed on the negative control. The fungal isolates recovered from inoculated berries were morphologically identical to the C. siamense isolates originally recovered from symptomatic berries collected in the field, fulfilling Koch's postulates. Colletotrichum siamense was reported in association with grape leaves in USA (Weir et al. 2012) and causing grape ripe rot in North America (Cosseboom & Hu 2022). Only C. fructicola, C. kahawae, C. karsti, C. limetticola, C. nymphaeae and C. viniferum were reported causing grape ripe rot in Brazil (Echeverrigaray et al. 2020). To our knowledge, this is the first report of C. siamense causing grape ripe rot in Brazil. This finding is important for disease management because C. siamense has a high phytopathogenic potential due to its wide distribution and host range.

Respiratory device-related pressure injuries in hospitalised adults: An integrative review.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the main ventilatory support medical devices related to the occurrence of pressure injuries in hospitalised adults, as well as the most frequent anatomical localisations of these injuries. METHODS: The Integrative review was registered at Open Science Framework as per DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/P3NTZ. Two independent reviewers, in May 2022, searched the databases: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, LILACS and CINAHL; no language or publication year restriction. The review question was: What are the ventilatory support medical devices that cause PIs in hospitalised adults more often? The terms for searching the database were: "adult," "noninvasive ventilation," "artificial respiration." and "pressure injury," and their synonyms. This review followed the PRISMA checklist. RESULTS: The final sample was 21 articles. Oxygen nasal catheters caused up to 40.7% of the pressure injuries by ventilatory support devices identified, all in the ears. Noninvasive mechanical ventilation oronasal masks presented an incidence of pressure injuries of 63.3%. The nasal bridge was the site most affected by this mask. The Set of Holders for Insight® endotracheal tubes was the device that caused the most pressure injuries, with an incidence of 75%, affecting lip commissure. Tracheostomy cannula accounted for 18.2% of the pressure injuries related to ventilatory support devices; all lesions were in the neck. CONCLUSION: The ventilatory support devices causing pressure injuries and the most affected sites were, respectively, nasal catheters, ears; masks, nasal bridge; endotracheal tubes, lip commissures; tracheostomy cannulas, neck. RELEVANCE FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE: Knowing which respiratory devices cause pressure injuries more often in hospitalised adults and which anatomical localisations are more likely to be affected is fundamental for adopting preventive measures and reducing the occurrence of this problem. NO PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public contribution because of the review.

Breastfeeding success and its relation to maternal pain, behaviour, mental health, and social support.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to understand the maternal experience of breastfeeding onset and how psychological, social and clinical variables as pain during breastfeeding, may interfere with it. METHODS: A cross-sectional study investigated 395 post-delivery women able to breastfeed from 48 hours to 6 days for unpleasant breastfeeding, maternal stress during pregnancy and postnatal mental state. Social Readjustment Rating Scale evaluated prenatal maternal stress. Perceived Maternal Parenting Self-Efficacy Scale, Pain Catastrophizing Scale - Parent version, and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale evaluated maternal mental state. RESULTS: Unpleasant breastfeeding experience showed to be positively related to the longer number of days the pain lasts; late onset of breastfeeding; less search for information about pregnancy and baby care (p < .01); lower catastrophizing behaviour towards infant´s stress and C-section delivery (p < .04). Pain levels were positively correlated to longer periods of pain, later onset of antenatal consultations and depression (p < .05). Binary logistic regression pointed to the effects of lower self-efficacy and pain in breastfeeding, higher depression levels, gestational stress, labour adversities and success in breastfeeding. CONCLUSIONS: The relationship among maternal perceived self-efficacy, anxious and depressive thoughts, catastrophizing behaviours, and unpleasant breastfeeding need to be evaluated to elucidate the best health professional intervention.

Growth parameter estimation and model simulation for three industrially relevant microalgae: Picochlorum, Nannochloropsis, and Neochloris.

Multiple models have been developed in the field to simulate growth and product accumulation of microalgal cultures. These models heavily depend on the accurate estimation of growth parameters. In this paper growth parameters are presented for three industrially relevant microalgae species: Nannochloropsis sp., Neochloris oleoabundans, and Picochlorum sp. (BPE23). Dedicated growth experiments were done in photobioreactors to determine the maximal biomass yield on light and maintenance rate, while oxygen evolution experiments were performed to estimate the maximal specific growth rate. Picochlorum sp. exhibited the highest specific growth rate of 4.98 ± 0.24 day-1 and the lowest specific maintenance rate of 0.079 day-1 , whereas N. oleoabundans showed the highest biomass yield on light of 1.78 gx ·molph-1 . The measured growth parameters were used in a simple kinetic growth model for verification. When simulating growth under light conditions as found at Bonaire (12 °N, 68° W), Picochlorum sp. displayed the highest areal biomass productivity of 32.2 g.m-2 ·day-1 and photosynthetic efficiency of 2.8%. The presented growth parameters show to be accurate compared to experimental data and can be used for model calibration by scientists and industrial communities in the field.

Judicialization of health: profile of demands for oncological medicines in a state in the central region of Brazil.

BACKGROUND: The significant increase in access to oncological medicines through court cases suggests that constitutional guarantees of integral and universal care in the Brazilian public health system are uncertain. METHODS: A retrospective observational study was conducted to analyze data from lawsuits requesting oncological medicines from 2014 to 2020 in the State of Goiás, Brazil, in state and federal courts. Sociodemographic, medical, and legal variables were statistically examined using descriptive, association, and correlation methods. RESULTS: Women brought more than half (54%) of the 301 processes analyzed. The most frequent age group was over 55 years, with income below 3 × the minimum wage (total about USD$600/month), and their cases were promoted through the public minister and public defender's offices. The most requested medications, not on official public health system lists, were indicated for multiple myeloma and brain cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Improved quality of life, frequently used as a justification, could be conceptually confused with increased survival. Finally, judicialization itself indicates that individual health needs arise even with properly defined and adequately implemented public policies. These needs should be considered for the adequate provisioning of services by the state to ensure the right to health.

Bacterial diversity in different outdoor pilot plant photobioreactor types during production of the microalga Nannochloropsis sp. CCAP211/78.

As large-scale outdoor production cannot be done in complete containment, cultures are (more) open for bacteria, which may affect the productivity and stability of the algae production process. We investigated the bacterial diversity in two indoor reactors and four pilot-scale outdoor reactors for the production of Nannochloropsis sp. CCAP211/78 spanning four months of operation from July to October. Illumina sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons demonstrated that a wide variety of bacteria were present in all reactor types, with predominance of Bacteroidetes and Alphaproteobacteria. Bacterial communities were significantly different between all reactor types (except between the horizontal tubular reactor and the vertical tubular reactor) and also between runs in each reactor. Bacteria common to the majority of samples included one member of the Saprospiraceae family and one of the NS11-12_marine group (both Bacteroidetes). Hierarchical clustering analysis revealed two phases during the cultivation period separated by a major shift in bacterial community composition in the horizontal tubular reactor, the vertical tubular reactor and the raceway pond with a strong decrease of the Saprospiraceae and NS11-12_marine group that initially dominated the bacterial communities. Furthermore, we observed a less consistent pattern of bacterial taxa appearing in different reactors and runs, most of which belonging to the classes Deltaproteobacteria and Flavobacteriia. In addition, canonical correspondence analysis showed that the bacterial community composition was significantly correlated with the nitrate concentration. This study contributes to our understanding of bacterial diversity and composition in different types of outdoor reactors exposed to a range of dynamic biotic and abiotic factors. Key points • Reactor types had significantly different bacterial communities except HT and VT • The inoculum source and physiochemical factors together affect bacterial community • The bacterial family Saprospiraceae is positively correlated to microalgal growth.