SafeVRwards: Designing a complementary virtual reality module to the Safewards framework intended to relax and manage conflict in mental health wards.

BACKGROUND: Aggression and negative activation in mental health inpatient units pose significant challenges for both patients and staff with severe physical and psychological ramifications. The Safewards model is an evidence-based conflict-containment framework including 10 strategies, such as 'Calm Down Methods'. As virtual reality (VR) scenarios have successfully enhanced anxiolytic and deactivating effects of therapeutic interventions, they are increasingly considered a means to enhance current models, like Safewards. OBJECTIVES: The present participatory design investigates the feasibility and user experience of integrating VR therapy as an add-on strategy to the Safewards model, gathering preliminary data and qualitative feedback from bedside staff in an adult inpatient mental health unit. METHODS: An exploratory within-subjects design combining qualitative observations, self-report questionnaires and semistructured interviews is employed with four nurse champions from the mental health unit at Michael Garron Hospital (Toronto, Canada). RESULTS: A chronological overview of the design process, adaptations and description of the user experience is reported. CONCLUSION: 'SafeVRwards' introduces VR as a promising conflic-containment strategy complementary to the Safewards model, which can be optimised for deployment through user-oriented refinements and enhanced customisation capacity driven by clinical staff input.

Using CNN Saliency Maps and EEG Modulation Spectra for Improved and More Interpretable Machine Learning-Based Alzheimer's Disease Diagnosis.

Biomarkers based on resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) signals have emerged as a promising tool in the study of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recently, a state-of-the-art biomarker was found based on visual inspection of power modulation spectrograms where three "patches" or regions from the modulation spectrogram were proposed and used for AD diagnostics. Here, we propose the use of deep neural networks, in particular convolutional neural networks (CNNs) combined with saliency maps, trained on power modulation spectrogram inputs to find optimal patches in a data-driven manner. Experiments are conducted on EEG data collected from fifty-four participants, including 20 healthy controls, 19 patients with mild AD, and 15 moderate-to-severe AD patients. Five classification tasks are explored, including the three-class problem, early-stage detection (control vs. mild-AD), and severity level detection (mild vs. moderate-to-severe). Experimental results show the proposed biomarkers outperform the state-of-the-art benchmark across all five tasks, as well as finding complementary modulation spectrogram regions not previously seen via visual inspection. Lastly, experiments are conducted on the proposed biomarkers to test their sensitivity to age, as this is a known confound in AD characterization. Across all five tasks, none of the proposed biomarkers showed a significant relationship with age, thus further highlighting their usefulness for automated AD diagnostics.

Influence of hydrogel use on soybean cultivation hydrical stress / Influência do uso do hidrogel no cultivo da soja sob estresse hídrico

Among the agricultural production factors, the water deficit is one of the main reasons that limits soy production in Brazil. In order to mitigate losses due to water stress in the plants, hydrogels appear as soil water conditioners. They are polymers capable of absorbing large amounts of water and are being used as a viable alternative to improve the storage of water in areas of scarcity. Hydrogen concentrations between 14 and 18 kg ha-1 resulted in higher plant height, number of pods, one hundred grain mass and grain yield.

Dentre os fatores de produção agrícola, o déficit hídrico é um dos principais motivos que mais limita a produção de soja no Brasil. A fim de amenizar os prejuízos por estresse hídrico nas plantas, os hidrogéis surgem como condicionadores de água no solo, já são polímeros capazes de absorver grande quantidade de água e estão sendo utilizados como alternativa viável para melhorar o armazenamento de água em áreas de escassez. Objetivou-se com este trabalho avaliar a eficiência da utilização do hidrogel na retenção e disponibilização de água para o desenvolvimento e produção da cultura da soja quando submetido a estresse hídrico. As concentrações de hidrogéis entre 14 e 18 kg ha-1 resultaram em maior altura de plantas, número de vagens, massa de cem grãos e produtividades de grãos.

High performance separation of quaternary amines using microchip non-aqueous electrophoresis coupled with contactless conductivity detection.

This study describes the development of an analytical methodology for the separation of quaternary amines using non-aqueous microchip electrophoresis (NAME) coupled with capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection (C4D). All experiments were performed using a commercial microchip electrophoresis system consisting of a C4D detector, a high-voltage sequencer and a microfluidic platform to assemble a glass microchip with integrated sensing electrodes. The detection parameters were optimized and the best response was reached applying a 700-kHz sinusoidal wave with 14Vpp excitation voltage. The running electrolyte composition was optimized aiming to achieve the best analytical performance. The mixture containing methanol and acetonitrile at the proportion of 90:10 (v:v) as well as sodium deoxycholate provided separations of ten quaternary amines with high efficiency and baseline resolution. The separation efficiencies ranged from 8.7×104 to 3.0×105 plates/m. The proposed methodology provided linear response in the concentration range between 50 and 1000µmol/L and limits of detection between 2 and 27µmol/L. The analytical feasibility of the proposed methodology was tested in the determination of quaternary amines in corrosion inhibitor samples often used for coating oil pipelines. Five quaternary amines (dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride, tetradecyltrimetylammonium bromide, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, tetraoctylammonium bromide and tetradodecylammonium bromide) were successfully detected at concentration levels from 0.07 to 6.45mol/L. The accuracy of the developed methodology was investigated and the achieved recovery values varied from 85 to 122%. Based on the reported data, NAME-C4D devices exhibited great potential to provide high performance separations of hydrophobic compounds. The developed methodology can be useful for the analysis of species that usually present strong adsorption on the channel inner walls.

Níveis de estresse e características sociobiográficas de alunos de pós-graduação / Niveles de estrés y características socio biográficas de alumnos de posgrado / Levels of estresse and sociobiographic characteristics among graduate students

Buscou investigar-se a presença e o nível de estresse em alunos de pós-graduação da UFRJ, além de caracterizar a amostra. Usou-se o inventário de sintomas de estresse para adultos de Lipp e um questionário sociobiográfico. Participaram 140 alunos voluntários de todos os centros universitários. A idade média dos participantes foi de 30.3 ± 7.5, sendo 74 mulheres e 66 homens. Verificou-se que 58,6 por cento dos alunos encontravam-se estressados. O índice de estresse mais elevado foi encontrado no Centro de Ciências da Matemática e da Natureza (82,4 por cento), seguindo-se do Centro Tecnológico (61 por cento), Fórum de Ciência e Cultura (60 por cento), Centro de Letras e Artes e Centro de Filosofia e Ciências Humanas (55 por cento), Centro de Ciências Jurídicas e Econômicas e Centro de Ciências da Saúde (50 por cento). O nível de estresse se mostra bastante preocupante, podendo relacionar-se a demandas específicas de um curso stricto sensu. É importante desenvolver estudos que identifiquem os eestresseores específicos.

The objective of this study was to investigate the estresse presence and level in graduate students from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and characterize the sample. We used the Lipp's Estresse Symptoms Inventory for Adults and a sociobiographic questionnaire. The 140 participants were volunteer students from all University Schools. The participants' average age was 30.3 ± 7,5, including 74 female and 66 male. We observed that 58.6 percent of the students were estresseed. The highest estresse level was observed in the School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (82.4 percent), followed by the Schools of Technology (61 percent), Science and Culture (60 percent), Languages and Arts and Philosophy and Humanities (55 percent), Law and Economics and Health Sciences (50 percent). The estresse level found in the research is extremely worrying, once it can be related to specific demands from a graduate course. It is important to develop studies in order to identify specific estresseors.

El objetivo ha sido investigar la presencia y el nivel de estrés en estudiantes de postgrado de la UFRJ, además caracterizar la muestra. Se utilizó el Inventario de Síntomas de Estrés de Adultos de Lipp y cuestionario socio biográfico. Estudiantes voluntarios,140, han participado en todos los centros universitarios. La edad media de los participantes fue de 30 ± 7,5, 74 mujeres y 66 hombres. Se encontró 58,6 por ciento de los estudiantes estresados. El numero más elevado de estrés se encontró en el Centro de Ciencias matemáticas y da Naturaleza (82, 4 por ciento), seguido por el Centro Tecnológico (61 por ciento), Foro de Ciencia y Cultura (60 por ciento), Centro de Artes y Letras y Centro de Filosofía y Ciencias Humanas (55 por ciento), Centro de Economía y Ciencias Jurídicas y Centro de Ciencias de la Salud (50 por ciento). El nivel de estrés se muestra muy preocupante y puede estar relacionado con demandas específicas de un curso stricto sensu. Importante desarrollar estudios para identificación de los factores estresantes específicos.

Sistema de integração lavoura-pecuária: efeito do manejo da altura em pastagem de aveia preta e azevém anual sobre o rendimento da cultura da soja / Crop-livestock integration system: effect of oat and Italian ryegrass sward height management on soybean yield

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar os efeitos da altura de manejo em pastagem de aveia preta e azevém anual sobre o estabelecimento e o rendimento de grãos da cultura de soja. Os tratamentos utilizados foram quatro alturas de manejo do pasto: 10, 20, 30 e 40cm e um tratamento sem pastejo. Foram avaliados atributos referentes à pastagem (altura do pasto, oferta de forragem, massa de forragem, taxa de acúmulo, taxa de lotação animal e palhada residual) e à cultura da soja (estande inicial de plantas e rendimento de grãos). As alturas reais do pasto ficaram próximas daquelas pretendidas, havendo um aumento linear da oferta de forragem e da massa de forragem quando foi observado aumento das alturas de manejo do pasto. A taxa de acúmulo não foi afetada pelos tratamentos. A taxa de lotação apresentou resposta linear decrescente com o aumento da altura do pasto. A massa de forragem remanescente aumentou na medida em que houve incremento na altura de manejo do pasto. Foi observada diferença entre os tratamentos para palhada residual e estande inicial de plantas de soja, porém essas diferenças não afetaram o rendimento de grãos da cultura. Os resultados sugerem que a presença dos animais não prejudica o cultivo subsequente, possibilitando aumento da renda do produtor pela oportunidade de utilização das áreas durante a entressafra da soja.

This trial aimed to evaluate the effects of sward height management of pastures composed by black oat and Italian ryegrass upon soybean establishment and yield. The treatments were four sward management heights: 10, 20, 30 and 40cm; and no grazing control. Pasture (sward height, herbage allowance, herbage mass, stocking rate and post grazing herbage mass) and soybean (initial stand of plants and yield) attributes were evaluated. The observed sward heights were very similar to those previously intended. There was a linear increase in herbage allowance and herbage mass with increasing sward height management. Forage accumulation rate was not influenced by treatments. Stocking rate decreased linearly with increasing sward height. Post grazing herbage mass increased with increasing sward height. Treatments had effect on initial soybean stand, but soybean yield was not affected. Results suggest grazing animals do not damage succeeding crop, allowing farmers profitability enhancement by using those areas during soybean intercropping.

Ultrastructural aspects of female aging Wistar rat epithelium tongue: a HRSEM and TEM study.

BACKGROUND: There is general consensus that the effects of intrinsic aging on the oral mucosa are relatively small, though potentially important to understanding the pathologies present in the aged animals. OBJECTIVE: In this paper, the development of dorsal surface of rat tongue was examined using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (HRSEM) in order to understand the age-related structural and ultrastructural changes experimentally. METHODS: In this study, we used female rats 75 and 720 days old (adult and aging). Tissues of rat tongue were prepared and the specimens submitted to HRSEM and TEM techniques. RESULTS: The analysis of HRSEM and TEM demonstrated that the same characteristic keratinous epithelium was found in aging animals, however with some modifications. CONCLUSION: We agree that there are obvious changes in the oral mucosa with aging and these modifications can be observed starting from the ultrastructural aspects.

Ultrastructure of motor nerve terminals in the anterior third of Wistar rat tongue.

The nerve terminals of intrinsic muscular fibers of the tongue of adult wistar rats was studied by using silver impregnation techniques, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and high resolution scanning electron microscopy (HRSEM) to observe the nerve fibers and their terminals. Silver impregnation was done according to Winkelman and Schmit, 1957. For TEM, small blocks were fixed in modified Karnovsky solution, postfixed in 1% buffered osmium tetroxide solution, and embedded in Spurr resin. For HRSEM, the parts were fixed in 2% osmium tetroxide solution with 1/15 M sodium phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) at 4 degrees C for 2 h, according to the technique described by Tanaka, 1989. Thick myelinated nerve bundles were histologically observed among the muscular fibers. The intrafusal nerve fiber presented a tortuous pathway with punctiform terminal axons in clusters contacting the surface of sarcolemma. Several myelinated nerve fibers involved by collagen fibers of the endoneurium were observed in HRSEM in three-dimensional aspects. The concentric lamellae of the myelin sheath and the axoplasm containing neurofilaments interspersed among the mitochondria were also noted. In TEM, myofibrils, mitochondria, rough endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi's apparatus, and glycogen granules were observed in sarcoplasm. It is also noted that the sarcomeres constituted by myofilaments with their A, I, and H bands and the electron dense Z lines. In areas adjacent to muscular fibers, there were myelinated and unmyelinated nerve fibers involved by endoneurium and perineurium. In the region of the neuromuscular junction, the contact with the sarcolemma of the muscular cell occurs forming several terminal buttons and showing numerous evaginations of the cell membrane. In the terminal button, mitochondria and numerous synaptic vesicles were observed.

Three-dimensional characteristics of the interface epithelium-connective tissue surface of fingeres lamina propria of Cebus apella monkey: scanning electron microscopy study / Características tri-dimensionales superficiales de la lámina propia de los dedos de monos Cebus apella: interfase del tejido epitelial-conectivo del estudio con microscopía electrónica de barrido

In the present paper were analysed the three-dimensional characteristics of the interface epithelium-connective tissue surface of finger prints of Cebus apella monkey employing the scanning electron microscopic methods. The connective tissue core (CTC) and epithelial papillae were examined verifying the three-dimensional configuration of the tissue projections. The samples were fixed in Bouin solsution for histologic preparations and in modified Karnovsky for examine to observe in scanning electron microscopy. After treatment in the 10 percent NaOH solution during 3 to 5 day s, the surface of finger prints revealed a distribution of CTC of lamina propria in situ showing original three-dimensional SEM images. The linear and circular dispositions CTC, and the furrows were clearly identified. Each pointed papilla presented a large base and longitudinal disposition of thick collagen fiber bundles and in some areas with a complex reticular formations. The longitudinal furrows between the pointed papillae exhibited a dense layer of connective tissue and showed only low CTC or laminar in shape. The presence of numerous foramina of sweat gland were noted in three-dimensional SEM images.

Se analizaron tridimensionalmente las características de la interfase del tejido epitelio-conectivo en la superficie de huellas dactilares de mono Cebus apella, empleando el microscopio electrónico de barrido. El núcleo del tejido conectivo (NTC) y las papilas epiteliales se examinaron en las tres dimensiones. Las muestras fueron fijadas en solución histológica Bouin para los preparativos y en Karnovsky modificada para examinar y observar en el microscopio electrónico de barrido. Después del tratamiento en solución de NaOH al 10 por ciento, durante 3 a 5 días, la superficie de las huellas dactilares revelaron una distribución de NTC de lámina propia in situ mostrando imágenes en tres dimensiones originales con microscopio electrónico de barrido. Las disposiciones lineal y circular del NTC están claramente identificadas. Cada papila señalada presenta una gran base y la disposición longitudinal de gruesos haces de fibras de colágeno y, en algunas zonas con formaciones de un complejo reticular. Los surcos longitudinales entre las papilas señaladas mostraron una densa capa de tejido conectivo con NTC bajos o de forma laminar. La presencia de numerosos forámenes de las glándulas sudoríparas se observaron en tres dimensiones.

Sistema de integração lavoura-pecuária: desempenho e qualidade da carcaça de novilhos superprecoces terminados em pastagem de aveia e azevém manejada sob diferentes alturas / Crop-livestock integration system: performance and carcass quality of superprecoce beef steers finished in oat and ryegrass pasture managed under different heights

O objetivo do experimento foi avaliar o desempenho e a qualidade da carcaça de novilhos superprecoces submetidos a alturas de manejo do pasto de aveia e azevém (10, 20, 30 e 40cm), suplementado no terço final do ciclo de pastejo. Animais jovens com idade média de dez meses e peso inicial de 190kg foram distribuídos num delineamento experimental de blocos ao acaso, com três repetições. As ofertas de forragem para os tratamentos 10, 20, 30 e 40cm foram respectivamente, 8,8, 14,7, 29,0 e 48,9kg de matéria seca 100kg de peso vivo-1 (PV). O ganho de peso por hectare foi superior nos tratamentos com menor altura, em decorrência da maior carga animal, sendo obtidos para 10, 20, 30 e 40cm de altura ganhos por área de 529,7, 489,5, 320,9 e 201,6kg de PV ha-1, respectivamente. O ganho médio diário e peso ao abate apresentaram resposta quadrática (P<0,05) conforme o incremento na altura do pasto. A deposição de gordura apresentou média de 3,8mm e o rendimento médio de carcaça fria foi de 53,3 por cento (P>0,05). Novilhos superprecoces atingiram peso de abate e grau de acabamento adequados quando terminados em pastagem cultivada de inverno e suplementados no terço final do ciclo de pastejo. O melhor ganho médio diário foi obtido em altura entre 25 a 30cm, e maior produção por área quando a pastagem foi manejada a 10cm de altura.

This trial aimed at evaluating the performance and carcass quality of superprecoce steers grazing oat and annual ryegrass pastures managed at 10, 20, 30 and 40cm height, and supplemented at the final third of the grazing cicle. Young animals with 10 months on average and initial weight of 190kg were distributed in a randomized block design with three replicates. The herbage allowances were 8.8, 14.7, 29.0 and 48.9kg of dry matter 100kg of live weight-1 (LW), respectively for the treatments 10, 20, 30 and 40cm. The live weight gain per hectare was superior in treatments with lower heights, due to the increased stocking rate, being 529.7, 489.5, 320.9 and 201.6kg of LW, respectively for 10, 20, 30 and 40cm height. The average daily gain and slaughter weight increased with pasture height being fitted by a quadratic model (P<0.05). The fat deposition and the medium dressing of cold carcass averaged 3.8mm and 53.3 percent, respectively (P>0.05). Superprecoce steers reached slaughter weight and adequately finishing degree when finished in winter cultivated pasture supplemented in final third of grazing cicle. Better individual animal performance was obtained when pasture height ranges from 25 to 30cm, and animal production per hectare when the pasture was managed at 10 cm height.

Glândula submandibular de ratos com envelhecimento: observações ao microscópio eletrônico de varredura de alta resolução / Submandibular gland of rats with ageing: observations with high resolution scanning electron microscopy

As características tridimensionais dos componentes intracelulares de células acinares e de ductos foram reveladas usando o método ósmio-DMSO-ósmio. As amostras foram maceradas em solução de tetróxido de ósmio diluído após a fratura na solução de dimetil sulfoxido. As lamelas do retículo endoplasmático granular são reveladas entremeadas por várias mitocôndrias. As lamelas do retículo endoplasmático granular são localizados ao redor dos núcleos na porção basal e estas estruturas são observadas em imagens tridimensionais de microscopia eletrônica de alta resolução.

The three-dimensional characteristics of the intracellular components of acinar and ductal cells were revealed using the osmium-DMSO-osmium method. The samples were macerated in diluted osmium after fractured in DMSO solution. The stacks of the rough endoplasmic reticulum are revealed intermingling by several mitochondria. The lamellae of the rough endoplasmic reticulum are located around the nuclei at basal portion and these structures are shown in three-dimensional HRSEM images.

Effects of the CO2 laser on the mucosa of the hard palate of wistar rats: scanning electron microscopy study

Se estudió los efectos del CO2 en la mucosa del paladar duro de ratas Wistar. Los especímenes fueron fijados en solución de Karnovsky modificado y analizados a través de microscopía electrónica de barrido. La mucosa palatina normal presenta células epiteliales queratinizadas y pliegues de profundidad variable. El área carbonizada reveló gran cantidad de estructuras granuladas y agujeros de diferentes diámetros. La capa epitelial se mostró totalmente carbonizada y condensada en formaciones irregulares. En las áreas fundidas se observaron cráteres resultantes de la solidificación del material fundido y además, formas irregulares en toda su extensión