Resonance of vector vortex beams in a triangular optical cavity.

We experimentally demonstrate resonance of first-order vector vortex beams (VVB) with a triangular optical cavity. We also show that, due to their symmetry properties, the VVBs commonly known as radial and azimuthal beams do not resonate at the same cavity length, which could be explored to use the triangular resonator as a mode sorter. In addition, an intracavity Pancharatnam phase shifter (PPS) is implemented in order to compensate for any birefringent phase that the cavity mirrors may introduce.

Flavonoids from Siparuna cristata as Potential Inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 Replication.

The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has been affecting the world, causing severe pneumonia and acute respiratory syndrome, leading people to death. Therefore, the search for anti-SARS-CoV-2 compounds is pivotal for public health. Natural products may present sources of bioactive compounds; among them, flavonoids are known in literature for their antiviral activity. Siparuna species are used in Brazilian folk medicine for the treatment of colds and flu. This work describes the isolation of 3,3',4'-tri-O-methyl-quercetin, 3,7,3',4'-tetra-O-methyl-quercetin (retusin), and 3,7-di-O-methyl-kaempferol (kumatakenin) from the dichloromethane extract of leaves of Siparuna cristata (Poepp. & Endl.) A.DC., Siparunaceae, using high-speed countercurrent chromatography in addition to the investigation of their inhibitory effect against SARS-CoV-2 viral replication. Retusin and kumatakenin inhibited SARS-CoV-2 replication in Vero E6 and Calu-3 cells, with a selective index greater than lopinavir/ritonavir and chloroquine, used as control. Flavonoids and their derivatives may stand for target compounds to be tested in future clinical trials to enrich the drug arsenal against coronavirus infections. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s43450-021-00162-5.

Temperature evaluation of colloidal nanoparticles by the thermal lens technique.

The use of highly sensitive thermometric methods is essential for the evaluation of nanoplatforms for photothermal therapy. In this study, the thermal lens technique was introduced to assess the optically induced temperature changes in colloidal samples of gold nanoparticles. Thermal lens measurements also allowed the acquisition of the nanoparticle absorption cross-section value, regardless of knowing the nanostructure scattering properties. The developed thermometric system exhibited 0.2 °C-1 sensitivity and was capable of measuring temperature variations of metallic colloidal samples with a resolution of 0.01 °C. Measuring colloidal temperature changes allows for the estimation of the localized temperature variation reached by each nanoheater, before thermalization of the excitation volume. Our results establish a practical and effective method to evaluate optically induced temperature changes on metallic colloids.

Oral health-related quality of life in caregivers of individuals with Cerebral Palsy: a case-control study.

AIM: The object of this study is to evaluate the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of caregivers of individuals with Cerebral Palsy (CP). METHODS: Ninety-eight caregivers of individuals with CP (SG) and 196 caregivers of individuals without special needs (CG) completed the reduced version of the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14). In addition, a questionnaire with demographic and socioeconomic questions was used. Groups were matched according to gender, schooling and family income. Fisher's exact tests, Chi square and Mann-Whitney, and bi/multivariate logistic regression were used (p < 0.05). RESULTS: The impact on OHRQoL was similar for SG and CG (OHIP-14 total score). For SG, the high negative impact was in the following OHIP domains: "Functional limitation", "Physical disability", "Psychological incapacity" and "Disadvantages". For SG, a higher number of caregivers was single, unemployed, received government financial aid. There was a statistically significant association between the number of children a caregiver has and a negative impact on OHRQoL. CONCLUSIONS: Being a caregiver of children with or without CP had a negative impact of similar magnitude on ORHQoL. The negative impact on OHRQoL of caregivers of children with CP was associated with having a high number of children; the higher the number of children, the greater the negative impact on their OHRQoL.

First evidence of Kunjin strain of West Nile virus associated with saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) skin lesions.

Recently, the Kunjin strain of West Nile virus (WNVKUN ) has been detected using qRT-PCR in belly skin lesions of farmed juvenile saltwater crocodiles. This follows an established association between similar lesions and West Nile virus in American alligators. The lesions present as cutaneous lymphohistiocytic aggregates in the dermal layers of both species. While these lesion do not create an obvious defect on the live crocodile, upon tanning the lesion area collapses and does not uptake the dye evenly, thus reducing its aesthetic appeal. As a result, skins are being rejected jeopardising the economic viability of the Australian crocodile industry. Over 50 skin lesions have since been confirmed as WNVKUN -positive and preliminary evidence of lesion restructuring is presented. Horizontal transmission of WNVKUN by mosquitoes is well-established but other transmission routes, such as ingestion and cloacal shedding, need further evaluation. An infection trial is currently underway to ensure WNVKUN is the causative agent of these skin lesions.

Exploring adaptive optics on focus-scan for nonlinear materials characterization.

Z-scan is a well-established technique used to measure the nonlinear refractive index and absorption coefficient of thin and transparent materials. The method requires the displacement of the sample along the focus of a laser beam. Therefore, the Z-scan is not suitable for experiments where the sample cannot be axially translated. Here, we explore a deformable mirror to create controllable defocus aberrations, translating the focus of the beam through the sample, alternatively to the sample displacement. The technique is based on time behavior analysis of the light beam transmitted by the nonlinear sample, at different defocus configurations. The method is validated by measuring reference samples (CS2 and SiO2) and comparing them with the conventional Z-scan technique.

Impact of Defocus and High-Order Aberrations on Light Disturbance Measurements.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the impact of different levels of positive and negative defocus on light disturbance (LD) measures and to understand how high-order aberrations (HOAs) and topographic quality parameters may influence the perception of photic phenomena. METHODS: Thirty young healthy subjects (21 females and 9 males) attended this cross-sectional study. LD was evaluated with the light distortion analyzer (LDA) in natural accommodative and cycloplegic conditions with positive and negative induced defocus of 1.00D. HOAs were taken for a natural mesopic (without cycloplegia) and for fixed 5 mm (with cycloplegia) pupil size. The impact of corneal morphological parameters (SAI, SRI, and Q-value) in LD was also investigated. RESULTS: Positive and negative induced defocus of 1.00D significantly increased the size of LD (p < 0.010, Wilcoxon signed rank test) but not its irregularity index. Spherical-like HOAs were associated with the size of LD, while coma-like and total-like HOAs were associated with LD irregularity. Our results showed that SRI was significantly correlated with the size of the disturbance area (r=0.519, p=0.003, Spearman correlation) and SAI with both size (r=0.502, p=0.005, Spearman correlation) and irregularity (r=0.371, p=0.044, Spearman correlation). However, no correlation between the Q-value and LD parameters was found. CONCLUSIONS: The uncorrected positive and negative refractive errors might increase the size of the LD, such as the spherical-like HOAs, SAI, and SRI, instead of asphericity. Coma-like and total-like HOAs and SAI may influence the perception of irregularities in the LD shape. These results might have an impact on postrefractive surgery visual performance that should be investigated.

Orbital angular momentum symmetry in a driven optical parametric oscillator.

We investigate the dynamics of a driven optical parametric oscillator under the injection of orbital angular momentum. The injected mode is adiabatically driven through arbitrary transformations on the Poincaré sphere of first-order paraxial beams. As a result, the down-converted beam conjugated to the seed is shown to follow a path imposed by a nontrivial symmetry on the Poincaré sphere. This symmetry allows controllable distinguishability between the spatial modes of the down-converted beams. In this Letter, we provide convincing experimental evidence of this effect.

Vitamin D Supplementation Seems to Improve Fibromyalgia Symptoms: Preliminary Results.

BACKGROUND: Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency have been reported in fibromyalgia. However, to the best of our knowledge, only one study has evaluated the role of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] supplementation on fibromyalgia symptoms. OBJECTIVES: To analyze the effects of 3 months of 25(OH)D supplementation on symptoms of fibromyalgia. METHODS: This study included 11 female patient. Demographic and clinical data, tender points, visual analog scale results, and pre- and post-serum levels of 25(OH)D supplementation were analyzed. The levels of 25(OH)D were measured by a radioimmunologic test. RESULTS: Patients with fibromyalgia diagnosis and 25(OH)D values ≤ 30 ng/ml were recruited to receive 50,000 IU of oral vitamin D once every week for 3 months. The disease was diagnosed based on the American College of Rheumatology criteria. The median age of all patients was 48.5 (28-67) years and 63.4% were Caucasian. Disease duration varied from 1-10 years. The 25(OH)D levels increased significantly after 3 months, 18.4 (15.5-25.8) ng/ml vs. 33.8 (28-58) ng/ml, P = 0.01. Interestingly, an improvement of visual analog scale scores was observed at 3 months, 90 (0-100) vs. 30 (0-80), P = 0.002. Eight patients (72.2%) responded that they experienced a very significant improvement in symptoms. In addition, a trend for reduction of the number of tender points was observed after 3 months, 17 (11-18) vs. 10 (0-18), P = 0.07. CONCLUSIONS: The 25(OH)D levels and disease symptoms in patients with fibromyalgia and vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency seem to improve with vitamin D supplementation.

Single- and Double-Lung Transplantation: Results of an Initial Experience of 39 Cases in Ceará (Northeast Brazil).

INTRODUCTION: The lung transplantation (LTx) program began in Ceará in 2011 and the first LTx was performed on June 11, 2011. The aim of this study was to present the initial results of the 6-year experience of our program. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed our experience on LTx from June 2011 to August 2017. Data on recipients and transoperative and postoperative outcomes were recorded in a database. RESULTS: Twenty-two (56.4%) were single LTx, 15 (38.5%) were double, and 2 (5.1%) bilateral lobar. The mean age was 47.5 ± 15 years, and 26 (66.7%) were men. Twenty-eight (71.8%) had pulmonary fibrosis; 5 (12.8%) had pulmonary emphysema, 3 (7.7%) had bronchiectasis; 2 (5.1%) had pulmonary hypertension, and 1 (2.6%) had lymphangioleiomyomatosis. Complications occurred in 82% (32/39) and in-hospital mortality was 30.8% (single LTx = 27.8% and double LTx = 33.3%). The main complications were infection in 17 (43.5%) cases and primary graft dysfunction in 7 (17.9%). There was a significant improvement in pulmonary function in the first year of follow-up (forced expiratory volume pre-LTx = 37% ± 16% and 12 months post-LTx = 72% ± 22%, P = .001); and overall survival at 36 months was 59.0%, with no difference between single- and double-lung transplants. CONCLUSIONS: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis was the most common underlying disease and single LTx was the most commonly performed operation. There was a high incidence of postoperative complications and in-hospital mortality, but the 36-month follow-up showed a marked improvement in lung function and a global survival similar to the literature.

Frequency of psychological alterations in primary antiphospholipid syndrome: preliminary study.

Objectives To detect the frequency of psychological alterations in primary antiphospholipid syndrome patients. Methods Thirty-six primary antiphospholipid syndrome patients were analyzed by a psychological interview using a standard protocol and review of medical charts. Clinical manifestations, associated comorbidities, antiphospholipid antibodies, and treatment were also evaluated. Results The mean age was 44.2 ± 10.8 years, 29 (80%) were women and 29 (80%) were of Caucasian race. The mean duration of disease was 7.3 ± 5.2 years. The frequency of the presence of psychological alterations was 97.1%. Family dependence was observed in 14 (40%), memory loss in 12 (34.3%), social losses in 12 (34.3%), sexual limitations in seven (20%), sadness in six (17.1%), severe speech limitation in four (11.4%), anxiety in three (8.6%), learning difficulty in two (5.7%), generalized phobia in two (5.7%), suicide ideation in one (2.6%), agoraphobia in one (2.6%), and obsessive-compulsive disorder in one (2.6%). Conclusion This study demonstrated that almost all primary antiphospholipid syndrome patients have psychological alterations. These data reinforce the need for psychological evaluation in primary antiphospholipid syndrome patients.

More than words: The association of childhood emotional abuse and suicidal behavior.

BACKGROUND: All types of abuse and neglect have been associated with suicide attempts. However, the association between the level of each type of childhood trauma and suicidal behavior severity (including the progression from ideation to attempts), adjusting for their co-occurrence, is not yet clear. METHODS: We used a cross-sectional web-based survey collected from the Brazilian Internet Study on Temperament and Psychopathology (BRAINSTEP) to investigate the isolated effects of each type of childhood trauma on suicidal behavior severity. The sample consisted of 71,429 self-selected volunteers assessed with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and the following key question: "Have you ever thought about or attempted to kill yourself?" (Suicidal Behavior Questionnaire, SBQ-17). RESULTS: After adjusting for demographic variables, and childhood trauma subtypes, severe emotional abuse (EA) was associated with suicidal ideation and attempts, mainly for serious suicide attempts (OR, 22.71; 95% CI, 2.32-222.05). We found associations of smaller magnitude for severe emotional neglect (EN) with serious suicide attempts, and for severe physical neglect (PN) and sexual abuse (SA) with attempts without really meaning to die. No meaningful trend for physical abuse (PA) was found. Using as reference group ideators, EA was associated with serious suicide attempts, with a peak at the 95th percentile (OR, 4.39; 95% CI, 2.04-9.41). We found associations of smaller magnitude for PN and SA, and no meaningful trend for EN and PA. CONCLUSIONS: Suicidal behavior was strongly associated with emotional abuse in childhood, even when compared with ideators, suggesting that it is a relevant factor for the progression from ideation to attempts.

Correlation between acute and short-term changes in flexibility using two stretching techniques.

This study aimed to determine whether increases in flexibility following a single session predict increases in flexibility after a short-term stretching training program involving static stretching (SS) or proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) techniques. 70 adults (aged 18-30 years) of both sexes were randomly assigned to 2 groups: PNF (2 series of contract-relax stretching) and SS (static stretching for 1 min). Both stretching protocols were performed for 7 consecutive days. Active knee extension was evaluated before and after the first session and one day after the end of the intervention. Two-way ANOVA showed significant flexibility gains for both groups and no difference between them. The changes in flexibility after the first intervention session were strongly correlated with the changes after the training program in both groups (PNF r=0.82, p=0.001; SS: r=0.82, p=0.001). Linear regression showed that the increases in flexibility predicted the gains after both training programs (PNF: r(2)=0.67, p=0.001; SS: r(2)=0.61, p=0.005). In conclusion, the acute changes in flexibility after a single session of PNF and SS predict the gains in flexibility after longer-term training -programs.

Eclipsing thermal lens spectroscopy for fluorescence quantum yield measurement.

A modified spatial filtering method that improves the sensitivity of single-beam and mode-mismatched thermal lens spectroscopy (TLS) for fluorescence quantum yield measurement is presented. The method is based on the detection of the external part of a laser beam transmitted by the fluorescent sample (eclipsing detection mode). The experimental results show that the signal/noise (S/N) ratio of the absolute quantum yield of Rh6G can be enhanced up to ~1400% using the eclipsing detection mode on the TLS experimental setup. The method was evaluated by measuring the fluorescence quantum yield of varying concentration of ethanolic solutions of Rhodamine 6G.

Semi-automated potentiometric titration method for uranium characterization.

The manual version of the potentiometric titration method has been used for certification and characterization of uranium compounds. In order to reduce the analysis time and the influence of the analyst, a semi-automatic version of the method was developed in the Brazilian Nuclear Energy Commission. The method was applied with traceability assured by using a potassium dichromate primary standard. The combined standard uncertainty in determining the total concentration of uranium was around 0.01%, which is suitable for uranium characterization.

Streptococcus bovis meningitis associated with colonic diverticulosis and hearing impairment: a case report.

A 75-year-old woman presented to the Tropical Diseases Hospital, Goiania, Brazil, with a two-day history of fever and chills followed by headache and vomiting over the last 24 hours. The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) showed 270 leukocytes/mmc (30 percent neutrophils); 20 red cells/mmc; undetectable levels of glucose and 232 mg/dL of protein. The Gram stain revealed several Gram-positive cocci, and CSF culture yielded Streptococcus bovis. A colonoscopy showed diverticula in descendent and transverse colon. After a 14-day course of penicillin G, the patient was discharged in a good state of health, with only mild hearing impairment.

Aedes aegypti egg counting system.

New monitoring methods of dengue vector and evaluation of public policies on dengue control are major concerns for several tropical countries. Drawback on monitoring methods base on oviposition surveys are the counting process of mosquito eggs, information store and analysis. Here we present a new automated egg counting system for remote Aedes aegypti population survey. The system is base on an optical scanning platform, a man-machine interface, and a software for mosquitoes eggs counting. Acquired information are sent over the internet and remotely analyzed. Prototypes of the device were installed and implement in two different cities.

Hartmann-Shack wavefront sensing for nonlinear materials characterization.

We present two new techniques exploiting a Hartmann-Shack wavefront sensor to characterize the optical self-focusing effect of nonlinear materials. We demonstrate that the defocus Zernike coefficient (C5) can be used to quantify nonlinear optical properties of materials. In the first technique proposed, the wavefront of a collimated laser beam transmitted through a nonlinear sample is analyzed with different irradiance values. In the second technique,instead of conventional detectors, a Hartmann- Shack sensor is used in a Z-scan setup. The methods are demonstrated by measuring the nonlinear refractive indices of CS2 and Quartz, using femtosecond Ti:sapphire lasers at 76 MHz and 1 KHz repetition rate.

Non-resonant third-order nonlinearity of nanometric and subnanometric silver particles in aqueous solution.

We have measured and analyzed the behavior of the nonlinear refractive index of silver spheres in water in a non-resonant femtosecond excitation regime. Two different diameter silver nanosphere (0.65 and 9 nm) suspensions were used in the experiments. Thermal and nonthermal contributions to the nonlinear properties of the samples were determined exploring a novel high sensitivity thermal managed eclipse Z-scan technique. The dependence of nonthermal third order nonlinear susceptibility of the colloid with the silver nanoparticles filling factor was described using the generalized Maxwell-Garnett model. The nanoparticle size dependence of the colloid nonlinear refractive index was observed.