Measuring effects of screen time on the development of children in the Philippines: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Screen time in young children is discouraged because of its negative effects on their development. However, excessive screen media use has been rising, particularly during the global pandemic when stay-at-home mandates were placed on young children in several countries. This study documents potential developmental effects of excessive screen media use. METHOD: This is a cross-sectional study. Participants were 24 to 36 month old Filipino children recruited through non-probable convenience sampling from August to October 2021. Regression analyses were performed to test the association between screen time and changes in scaled scores for skills and behaviors determined from the Adaptive Behavior Scale and to identify factors associated with increased screen media use. RESULTS: Increased odds of excessive use of screen media of children by 4.19 when parents watch excessively and 8.56 times greater odds when children are alone compared to watching with a parent or other children. When adjusted for co-viewing, more than 2 h of screen time is significantly associated with decrease in receptive and expressive language scores. The effects on personal skills, interpersonal relationships and play and leisure skills were only statistically significant at 4 to 5 or more hours of screen time use. CONCLUSION: The study found that spending no more than 2 h screen time had minimal negative effects on development and that use beyond 2 h was associated with poorer language development among 2 year olds. There is less excessive screen media use when a child co-views with an adult, sibling or other child and when parents likewise have less screen time themselves.

Online monitoring of the redox potential in microaerobic and anaerobic Scheffersomyces stipitis fermentations.

OBJECTIVE: A correlation among different volumetric oxygen transfer coefficients (kLa) and the oxireduction potential (ORP) in batch fermentations using Scheffersomyces stipitis was evaluated. Experiments were performed using a mixture of xylose and glucose as the substrates. RESULTS: Microaerophilic condition (kLa = 4.9 h-1) have shown to be suitable when compared to complete anaerobiosis (kLa = 0), providing an ethanol yield and a productivity after 48 h of 64.3% and 0.45 g ethanol L-1 h-1, respectively; the maximum ethanol titer obtained was 21.50 g ethanol L-1. Values of ORP varying from - 270 to - 330 mV resulted in high ethanol production from xylose by S. stipitis. CONCLUSIONS: Different ORP values were found in anaerobiosis and kLa 4.9 h-1, suggesting that for ethanol production by S. stipitis, values from - 270 to - 330 mV are favorable under the studied circumstances. In this ORP range, the greatest rates of xylose consumption and ethanol production were registered. ORP monitoring was demonstrated to be a suitable option for online control throughout the fermentation processes, which may provide a more efficient bioprocess operation with a very low O2 concentration.

Presence of Candida spp. and candidiasis in liver transplant patients.

BACKGROUND: Candidiasis is the most common opportunistic fungal infection of the oral cavity caused by fungi of the genus Candida and usually associated with immunosuppressed individuals. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the presence of oral candidiasis and identify the presence of Candida spp. in liver transplant recipients and assess the association between the presence of the fungus and sociodemographic variables, dietary habits and environmental exposure. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed with 49 patients who had undergone liver transplants at Hospital São Vicente de Paulo in Passo Fundo - RS. Patient information was collected to obtain sociodemographic data, eating habits and environmental exposure. Fungal infections were screened by oral clinical examination and the presence of Candida spp by the collection of oral samples with a sterile swab, seeded in Sabouraud Dextrose Agar, incubated at 25°C and observed at 48 hours. To identify Candida albicans, the germ tube test was performed. RESULTS: In 49 patient samples, 39% had the yeast of the genus Candida isolated and, of these patients, 12% had candidiasis, 66% of atrophic type and 34% pseudomembranous. Eleven yeast species were (58%) Candida non-albicans and eight (42%) Candida albicans. STUDY LIMITATIONS: The present study presents as a limitation the inclusion of patients in different stages of immunosuppression. CONCLUSION: The high incidence of Candida non-albicans in the oral cavity of transplant patients with a long period of transplantation is warning to a more effective control of the health of these individuals, especially those with older age.

Presence of Candida spp. and candidiasis in liver transplant patients

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Candidiasis is the most common opportunistic fungal infection of the oral cavity caused by fungi of the genus Candida and usually associated with immunosuppressed individuals. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the presence of oral candidiasis and identify the presence of Candida spp. in liver transplant recipients and assess the association between the presence of the fungus and sociodemographic variables, dietary habits and environmental exposure. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed with 49 patients who had undergone liver transplants at Hospital São Vicente de Paulo in Passo Fundo - RS. Patient information was collected to obtain sociodemographic data, eating habits and environmental exposure. Fungal infections were screened by oral clinical examination and the presence of Candida spp by the collection of oral samples with a sterile swab, seeded in Sabouraud Dextrose Agar, incubated at 25°C and observed at 48 hours. To identify Candida albicans, the germ tube test was performed. RESULTS: In 49 patient samples, 39% had the yeast of the genus Candida isolated and, of these patients, 12% had candidiasis, 66% of atrophic type and 34% pseudomembranous. Eleven yeast species were (58%) Candida non-albicans and eight (42%) Candida albicans. STUDY LIMITATIONS: The present study presents as a limitation the inclusion of patients in different stages of immunosuppression. CONCLUSION: The high incidence of Candida non-albicans in the oral cavity of transplant patients with a long period of transplantation is warning to a more effective control of the health of these individuals, especially those with older age.

Dissociative recombination of HCl.

The dissociative recombination of HCl+, including both the direct and indirect mechanisms, is studied. For the direct process, the relevant electronic states are calculated ab initio by combining electron scattering calculations to obtain resonance positions and autoionization widths with multi-reference configuration interaction calculations of the ion and Rydberg states. The cross section for the direct dissociation along electronic resonant states is computed by solution of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation. For the indirect process, an upper bound value for the cross section is obtained using a vibrational frame transformation of the elements of the scattering matrix at energies just above the ionization threshold. Vibrational excitations of the ionic core from the ground vibrational state, v = 0, to the first three excited vibrational states, v = 1, v = 2, and v = 3, are considered. Autoionization is neglected and the effect of the spin-orbit splitting of the ionic potential energy upon the indirect dissociative recombination cross section is considered. The calculated cross sections are compared to measurements.

The Coptotermes gestroi aldo-keto reductase: a multipurpose enzyme for biorefinery applications.

BACKGROUND: In nature, termites can be considered as a model biological system for biofuel research based on their remarkable efficiency for lignocellulosic biomass conversion. Redox enzymes are of interest in second-generation ethanol production because they promote synergic enzymatic activity with classical hydrolases for lignocellulose saccharification and inactivate fermentation inhibitory compounds produced after lignocellulose pretreatment steps. RESULTS: In the present study, the biochemical and structural characteristics of the Coptotermes gestroi aldo-keto reductase (CgAKR-1) were comprehensively investigated. CgAKR-1 displayed major structural differences compared with others AKRs, including the differences in the amino acid composition of the substrate-binding site, providing basis for classification as a founding member of a new AKR subfamily (family AKR1 I). Immunolocalization assays with anti-CgAKR-1 antibodies resulted in strong fluorescence in the salivary gland, proventriculus, and foregut. CgAKR-1 supplementation caused a 32% reduction in phenolic aldehydes, such as furfural, which act as fermentation inhibitors of hemicellulosic hydrolysates, and improved ethanol fermentation by the xylose-fermenting yeast Scheffersomyces stipitis by 45%. We observed synergistic enzymatic interactions between CgAKR-1 and commercial cellulosic cocktail for sugarcane bagasse saccharification, with a maximum synergism degree of 2.17 for sugar release. Our data indicated that additive enzymatic activity could be mediated by reactive oxygen species because CgAKR-1 could produce hydrogen peroxide. CONCLUSION: In summary, we identified the founding member of an AKRI subfamily with a potential role in the termite digestome. CgAKR-1 was found to be a multipurpose enzyme with potential biotechnological applications. The present work provided a basis for the development and application of integrative and multipurpose enzymes in the bioethanol production chain.

Genetic analysis of patients with familial and sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in a Brazilian Research Center.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate gene mutations in familial form (FALS) and sporadic form (SALS) of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in a highly miscegenated population. METHODS: Frequencies of mutations in the C9orfF72, TARDBP, SOD1, FUS and VAPB genes were investigated in a cohort of FALS (n = 39) and SALS (n = 189) subjects from the Research Centre of the University of São Paulo School of Medicine. All patients were subjected to C9orf72 and TARDBP analyses. SOD1, FUS and VAPB were also evaluated in FALS subjects. RESULTS: Mutations were identified in FALS (61.3%) and SALS (5.3%) patients. Mutations in C9orf72 (12.8%, >45 GGGGCC hexanucleotide repeats), VAPB (43.6%, P56S) and SOD1 (7.7%, L145S) were identified in FALS subjects. Pathogenic C9orf72 expansions (2.64%) were identified in some SALS patients. Similar changes of TARDBP were found in SALS (2.64%) but not in FALS subjects. No FUS mutations were seen in any FALS subjects. CONCLUSIONS: TARDBP and C9orf72 mutations in this cohort were similar to those found in other centres worldwide. VAPB mutation (P56S) was highly prevalent in Brazilian FALS patients.

Formation of CN

The existence of negative ions in interstellar clouds has been associated for several decades with the process of radiative electron attachment. In this Letter, we report compelling evidence supporting the fact that the radiative attachment of a low-energy electron is inefficient to form the carbon chain anions CN^{-}, C_{3}N^{-}, and C_{5}N^{-} detected in interstellar clouds. The validity of the approach is confirmed by good agreement with experimental data obtained for the inverse photodetachment process, which represents the major cause of anion destruction in interstellar space. As a consequence, we suggest alternative models that could explain the formation of anions.

Bioethanol production by recycled Scheffersomyces stipitis in sequential batch fermentations with high cell density using xylose and glucose mixture.

Here, it is shown three-step investigative procedures aiming to improve pentose-rich fermentations performance, involving a simple system for elevated mass production by Scheffersomyces stipitis (I), cellular recycle batch fermentations (CRBFs) at high cell density using two temperature strategies (fixed at 30°C; decreasing from 30 to 26°C) (II), and a short-term adaptation action seeking to acclimatize the microorganism in xylose rich-media (III). Cellular propagation provided 0.52gdrycellweightgRS(-1), resulting in an expressive value of 45.9gdrycellweightL(-1). The yeast robustness in CRBF was proven by effective ethanol production, reaching high xylose consumption (81%) and EtOH productivity (1.53gL(-1)h(-1)). Regarding the short-term adaptation, S. stipitis strengthened its robustness, as shown by a 6-fold increase in xylose reductase (XR) activity. The short fermentation time (20h for each batch) and the fermentation kinetics for ethanol production from xylose are quite promising.

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Children and Adolescents With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): A Pilot Study.

Studies investigating the possible benefits of transcranial direct current stimulation on left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in children and adolescents with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have not been performed. This study assesses the effect of transcranial direct current stimulation in children and adolescents with ADHD on neuropsychological tests of visual attention, visual and verbal working memory, and inhibitory control. An auto-matched clinical trial was performed involving transcranial direct current stimulation in children and adolescents with ADHD, using SNAP-IV and subtests Vocabulary and Cubes of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children III (WISC-III). Subjects were assessed before and after transcranial direct current stimulation sessions with the Digit Span subtest of the WISC-III, inhibitory control subtest of the NEPSY-II, Corsi cubes, and the Visual Attention Test (TAVIS-3). There were 9 individuals with ADHD according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fifth Edition) criteria. There was statistically significant difference in some aspects of TAVIS-3 tests and the inhibitory control subtest of NEPSY-II. Transcranial direct current stimulation can be related to a more efficient processing speed, improved detection of stimuli, and improved ability to switch between an ongoing activity and a new one.

Factors associated with recidivism among adolescents girls in conflict with the law in an institution in Brasília, Federal District, Brazil / Fatores associados à reincidência entre adolescentes femininas em conflito com a lei de uma instituição de Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brasil / Factores asociados a la reincidencia entre adolescentes mujeres en conflicto con la ley de una institución de Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brasil

Abstract Recidivism is a challenge for the Brazilian socio-educational system because it is associated with personal, social and environmental factors, especially among juvenile offenders. This study examined key characteristics and potential association with recidivism in 391 female adolescent offenders from a correctional institution in Brasília, Federal District, Brazil, between 2004 and 2011. Cross-sectional data on socio-demographics, drug use and offense characteristics from institutional information were examined. Associate factors with recidivism were examined using negative binomial regression analyses. 32.5% of offenders were recidivists at present admission and the mean frequency of recidivism among recidivists was 2.16. About half (53.6%) of the sample reported drug use. After the adjustment, recidivism was positively associated with: age; offender’s drug use; residence status; offense type; and no family drug use. Factors associated with juvenile offenders’ recidivism confirm findings from elsewhere, and should inform targeted interventions in Brazil.

Resumo A reincidência constitui um desafio para o sistema socioeducativo brasileiro por estar associada a fatores pessoais, sociais e ambientais, especialmente entre adolescentes em conflito com a lei. Este estudo verificou as principais características associadas à reincidência em uma amostra de 391 mulheres adolescentes em conflito com a lei em uma unidade de internação de Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brasil, entre 2004-2011. Dados transversais sociodemográficos acerca do uso de drogas e sobre as características do ato infracional foram analisados. Fatores associados à reincidência foram analisados por regressão binomial negativa. Trinta e dois vírgula cinco por cento das adolescentes pesquisadas eram reincidentes e a frequência média de reincidências foi de 2,16. Cinquenta e três vírgula seis por cento da amostra relataram uso de drogas. Após ajuste, reincidir foi positivamente associado à idade, uso de drogas, residência, tipo de ato infracional e não uso de drogas pela família. Nossos achados corroboram com outros contextos mundiais, demonstrando a necessidade de orientação nas intervenções adotadas pelo sistema socioeducativo brasileiro.

Resumen La reincidencia es un reto para el sistema socio-educativo brasileño. Este estudio examinó características claves y su posible asociación con la reincidencia de 391 adolescentes mujeres infractoras en una institución correccional en Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brasil, entre 2004 a 2011. Se examinaron datos transversales socio-demográficos, uso de drogas y las características del delito cometido a partir de la información institucional. Los factores asociados con la reincidencia se obtuvieron por análisis de regresión negativa-binomial. 32,5% de las internas eran reincidentes y la frecuencia media de reincidencia entre las reincidentes era de 2,16. Un 53,6% de la muestra informó consumo de drogas. Después del ajuste, la reincidencia se asoció positivamente con: edad; uso de drogas de la delincuente; estatus de residencia; tipo de delito; el no uso de drogas por parte de la familia. Los factores asociados con la reincidencia de las delincuentes confirman hallazgos de otros estudios, y deberían informar intervenciones específicas sobre esta población en Brasil.

Factors associated with recidivism among adolescents girls in conflict with the law in an institution in Brasília, Federal District, Brazil.

Recidivism is a challenge for the Brazilian socio-educational system because it is associated with personal, social and environmental factors, especially among juvenile offenders. This study examined key characteristics and potential association with recidivism in 391 female adolescent offenders from a correctional institution in Brasília, Federal District, Brazil, between 2004 and 2011. Cross-sectional data on socio-demographics, drug use and offense characteristics from institutional information were examined. Associate factors with recidivism were examined using negative binomial regression analyses. 32.5% of offenders were recidivists at present admission and the mean frequency of recidivism among recidivists was 2.16. About half (53.6%) of the sample reported drug use. After the adjustment, recidivism was positively associated with: age; offender's drug use; residence status; offense type; and no family drug use. Factors associated with juvenile offenders' recidivism confirm findings from elsewhere, and should inform targeted interventions in Brazil.

Hydrogen production from cheese whey with ethanol-type fermentation: effect of hydraulic retention time on the microbial community composition.

The effects of different hydraulic retention times (HRTs) of 4, 2, and 1h and varying sources of inoculum (sludge from swine and sludge from poultry) on the hydrogen production in two anaerobic fluidized bed reactors (AFBRs) were evaluated. Cheese whey was used as a substrate, and 5000mgCODL(-1) was applied. The highest hydrogen yield (HY) of 1.33molmol(-1) lactose and highest ethanol yield (EtOHY) of 1.22molEtOHmol(-1) lactose were obtained at the highest HRT (4h). When the reactors were operated at an HRT of 1h, methane (0.68LCH4h(-1)L(-1)) was produced concurrently with hydrogen (0.51LH2h(-1)L(-1)). The major metabolites observed were soluble ethanol, methanol, acetic acid, and butyric acid. Cloning of the 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the microbial community were affiliated with the genera Selenomonas sp. (69% of the sequences), and Methanobacterium sp. (98% of the sequences).

Organic loading rate impact on biohydrogen production and microbial communities at anaerobic fluidized thermophilic bed reactors treating sugarcane stillage.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of high organic loading rates (OLR) (60.0-480.00 kg COD m(-3)d(-1)) on biohydrogen production at 55°C, from sugarcane stillage for 15,000 and 20,000 mg CODL(-1), in two anaerobic fluidized bed reactors (AFBR1 and AFBR2). It was obtained, for H2 yield and content, a decreasing trend by increasing the OLR. The maximum H2 yield was observed in AFBR1 (2.23 mmol g COD added(-1)). The volumetric H2 production was proportionally related to the applied hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 6, 4, 2 and 1h and verified in AFBR1 the highest value (1.49 L H2 h(-1)L(-1)). Among the organic acids obtained, there was a predominance of lactic acid (7.5-22.5%) and butyric acid (9.4-23.8%). The microbial population was set with hydrogen-producing fermenters (Megasphaera sp.) and other organisms (Lactobacillus sp.).

Acometimento hepático na síndrome sulfona dapsona-induzida durante tratamento de hanseníase / Hepatic involvement in sulfone dapsone-induced syndrome during treatment of leprosy

A hanseníase é uma doença endêmica no Brasil e constitui grave problema de saúde pública. Em números absolutos, o Brasil é o segundo país que mais registra novos casos da doença por ano no mundo. O tratamento da hanseníase compreende: quimioterapia específica, supressão dos surtos reacionais, prevenção de incapacidades físicas, reabilitação física e psicossocial. A síndrome sulfona é uma condição multissistêmica potencialmente grave que pode ocorrer durante o tratamento de algumas dermatoses, entre elas a hanseníase. Relatamos um caso de síndrome de hipersensibilidade à dapsona (SHD) em um paciente masculino, de 32 anos, ocorrida durante o tratamento de hanseníase multibacilar...

Dissociative recombination of H(3)(+) in the ground and excited vibrational states.

The article presents calculated dissociative recombination (DR) rate coefficients for H(3) (+). The previous theoretical work on H(3) (+) was performed using the adiabatic hyperspherical approximation to calculate the target ion vibrational states and it considered just a limited number of ionic rotational states. In this study, we use accurate vibrational wave functions and a larger number of possible rotational states of the H(3) (+) ground vibrational level. The DR rate coefficient obtained is found to agree better with the experimental data from storage ring experiments than the previous theoretical calculation. We present evidence that excited rotational states could be playing an important role in those experiments for collision energies above 10 meV. The DR rate coefficients calculated separately for ortho- and para-H(3) (+) are predicted to differ significantly at low energy, a result consistent with a recent experiment. We also present DR rate coefficients for vibrationally excited initial states of H(3) (+), which are found to be somewhat larger than the rate coefficient for the ground vibrational level.