Enhancing Antibody-Specific Productivity: Unraveling the Impact of XBP1s Overexpression and Glutamine Availability in SP2/0 Cells.

Augmentation of glycoprotein synthesis requirements induces endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, activating the unfolded protein response (UPR) and triggering unconventional XBP1 splicing. As a result, XBP1s orchestrates the expression of essential genes to reduce stress and restore homeostasis. When this mechanism fails, chronic stress may lead to apoptosis, which is thought to be associated with exceeding a threshold in XBP1s levels. Glycoprotein assembly is also affected by glutamine (Gln) availability, limiting nucleotide sugars (NS), and preventing compliance with the increased demands. In contrast, increased Gln intake synthesizes ammonia as a by-product, potentially reaching toxic levels. IgA2m(1)-producer mouse myeloma cells (SP2/0) were used as the cellular mammalian model. We explored how IgA2m(1)-specific productivity (qIgA2m(1)) is affected by (i) overexpression of human XBP1s (h-XBP1s) levels and (ii) Gln availability, evaluating the kinetic behavior in batch cultures. The study revealed a two and a five-fold increase in qIgA2m(1) when lower and higher levels of XBP1s were expressed, respectively. High h-XBP1s overexpression mitigated not only ammonia but also lactate accumulation. Moreover, XBP1s overexpressor showed resilience to hydrodynamic stress in serum-free environments. These findings suggest a potential application of h-XBP1s overexpression as a feasible and cost-effective strategy for bioprocess scalability.

Reliability and validity of the Brazilian version of the world health organization disability assessment schedule (WHODAS 2.0) questionnaire for women with urinary incontinence.

PURPOSE: To analyze the reliability and validity of the WHODAS 2.0 instrument for women with urinary incontinence (UI). METHODS: This is a methodological study with Brazilian women with complaints of urge, stress or mixed UI, over 18 years old, without cognitive disorders. The WHODAS 2.0 (36-item version) and the auxiliary instruments were applied through face-to-face and telephone interviews after 7-14 d. The psychometric properties evaluated were: Cronbach's alpha for internal consistency, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for intra-rater test-retest, Spearman's correlation coefficient (rho) for construct validity of WHODAS 2.0 with auxiliary instruments; and ANOVA for discriminative validity with UI severity. RESULTS: 101 women with UI with a mean age of 50.71 ± 10.39 were included. WHODAS 2.0 showed good reliability in all domains and excellent reliability in the total score (>0.80). The intra-evaluator test-retest showed ICC values between 0.59 and 0.87 (p < 0.001). We observed a positive correlation between the WHODAS 2.0 domains and the instruments recommended by International Continence Society (ICS), with greater emphasis on moderate correlation with the Urinary Impact Questionnaire (IUQ-7) subscale (rho = 0.730 p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The WHODAS 2.0 instrument is a reliable and valid questionnaire for investigating the functioning and disability of women with UI.

The WHODAS 2.0 is a valid and reliable tool for future functioning research with women with urinary incontinence.The WHODAS 2.0 can be used in clinical practice to assess disabilities in women with urinary incontinence.The validation of WHODAS 2.0 reinforces the need for rehabilitation based on the functioning needs of each patient with urinary incontinence.The WHODAS 2.0 assesses functioning based on the biopsychosocial model, supported by the ICF (International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health).

Optimizing the enzymatic production of biolubricants by the Taguchi method: Esterification of the free fatty acids from castor oil with 2-ethyl-1-hexanol catalyzed by Eversa Transform 2.0.

The solvent-free esterification of the free fatty acids (FFAs) obtained by the hydrolysis of castor oil (a non-edible vegetable oil) with 2-ethyl-1-hexanol (a branched fatty alcohol) was catalyzed by different free lipases. Eversa Transform 2.0 (ETL) features surpassed most commercial lipases. Some process parameters were optimized by the Taguchi method (L16'). As a result, a conversion over 95% of the FFAs of castor oil into esters with lubricants properties was achieved under optimized reaction conditions (15 wt% of biocatalyst content, 1:4 molar ratio (FFAs/alcohol), 30 °C, 180 rpm, 96 h). The substrates molar ratio had the highest influence on the dependent variable (conversion at 24 h). FFAs/2-ethyl-1-hexanol esters were characterized regarding the physicochemical and tribological properties. Interestingly, the modification of the FFAs with 2-ethyl-1-hexanol by ETL increased the oxidative stability of the FFAs feedstock from 0.18 h to 16.83 h. The biolubricants presented a lower friction coefficient than the reference commercial mineral lubricant (0.052 ± 0.07 against 0.078 ± 0.04). Under these conditions, ETL catalyzed the oligomerization of ricinoleic acid (a hydroxyl fatty acid) into estolides, reaching a conversion of 25.15% of the initial FFAs (for the first time).

The Brazilian version of the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS 2.0) is reliable and valid for chronic stroke survivors.

BACKGROUND: Stroke is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Assessing stroke's impact on patients' daily activities and social participation can provide important complementary information to their rehabilitation process. However, no previous study had been conducted on the psychometric properties of the Brazilian version of the WHO Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0) in the stroke population. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine the internal consistency, test-retest and inter-rater reliability, convergent validity and floor/ceiling effect of the Brazilian version of the WHODAS 2.0 in individuals after chronic stroke. METHODS: Two examiners interviewed 53 chronic stroke individuals who responded to the Brazilian 36-item version of the WHODAS 2.0 three times to analyze test-retest and inter-rater reliabilities. Floor/ceiling effects were calculated as relative frequencies of the lowest or the highest possible WHODAS 2.0 scores. Participants also responded to the Stroke Impact Scale 3.0 (SIS 3.0) and the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) to analyze convergent validity. RESULTS: The internal consistency analyses for domains of WHODAS showed a strong correlation among the items of each domain (0.76-0.91) except for the "getting along" domain, which presented a moderate correlation (ρ = 0,62). Total scores of WHODAS 2.0 showed satisfactory internal consistency (α = 0.93), good inter-rater reliability (ICC = 0.85), excellent test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.92) and no significant floor/ceiling effect. Convergent validity indicated moderate to strong correlations (ρ=-0.51 to ρ=-0.88; p < 0.001), with the highest values associated with the correlation with the SIS scale. CONCLUSIONS: The Brazilian version of the WHODAS 2.0 instrument presented evidence of reliability and validity for chronic post-stroke individuals.

Novedades del consenso de Lyon 2.0 / What's new in Lyon 2.0?

Diagnosing GERD is difficult, because reflux is a physiological phenomenon, there are various methods and variables and each of them has limitations such as day-to-day variability. The Lyon 2.0 consensus suggests that the ways to establish a conclusive diagnosis of GERD are the presence of an ASD greater than 6.0% or endoscopic esophagitis grades B-C-D of Los Angeles. The absence of significant esophagitis and a TEA of less than 4.0% allow GERD to be ruled out. ASDs between 4.0 and 6.0% are in an intermediate range, which does not allow GERD to be ruled out or diagnosed. In these contexts, the use of the total number of reflux events in a ph-impedanciometry study, the basal nocturnal mucosal impedance or the presence of a hiatal hernia can modify this intermediate probability and would allow therapeutic decisions to be made. Finally, Lyon 2.0 su - ggests that monitoring of more than 72 hours is recommended over monitoring of shorter duration, due to its greater sensitivity.

El diagnóstico de la ERGE es difícil, debido a que el reflujo es un fenómeno fisiológico, existen diversos métodos y variables y cada uno de ellos tiene limitantes como la variabilidad día a día. El consenso de Lyon 2.0 sugiere que las formas de establecer un diagnóstico concluyente de ERGE son la presencia de un TEA mayor de 6,0% o esofagitis endoscópica grados B-C-D de Los Angeles. La ausencia de esofagitis significativa y un TEA menor de 4,0% permiten descartar la ERGE. TEAs entre 4,0 y 6,0% están en un rango intermedio, que no permite des- cartar ni diagnosticar ERGE. En estos contextos, el uso del número total de eventos de reflujo en un estudio de ph-impedanciometria, la impedancia basal mucosa nocturna o la presencia de hernia hiatal pueden modificar esta probabilidad intermedia y permitirían tomar decisiones terapéuticas. Finalmente, Lyon 2.0 sugiere que monito- rizaciones de más de 72 h son recomendables por sobre monitorizaciones de menor duración, debido a su mayor sensibilidad.

High Yield of Functional Dopamine-like Neurons Obtained in NeuroForsk 2.0 Medium to Study Acute and Chronic Rotenone Effects on Oxidative Stress, Autophagy, and Apoptosis.

Several efforts to develop new protocols to differentiate in in vitro human mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSCs) into dopamine (DA) neurons have been reported. We have formulated NeuroForsk 2.0 medium containing fibroblast growth factor type beta (FGFb), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), melatonin, purmorphamine, and forskolin. We report for the first time that menstrual stromal cells (MenSCs) cultured in NeuroForsk 2.0 medium for 7 days transdifferentiated into DA-like neurons (DALNs) expressing specific DA lineage markers tyrosine hydroxylase-positive cells (TH+) and DA transporter-positive (DAT+) cells and were responsive to DA-induced transient Ca2+ influx. To test the usefulness of this medium, DALNs were exposed to rotenone (ROT), a naturally occurring organic neurotoxin used extensively to chemically induce an in vitro model of Parkinson's disease (PD), which is a movement disorder characterized by the specific loss of DA neurons. We wanted to determine whether ROT induces apoptotic cell death and autophagy pathway under acute or chronic conditions in DALNs. Here, we report that acute ROT exposure induced several molecular changes in DALNS. ROT induced a loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), high expression of parkin (PRKN), and high colocalization of dynamin-related protein 1 (DRP1) with the mitochondrial translocase of the outer membrane of mitochondria 20 (TOMM20) protein. Acute ROT also induced the appearance of DJ-1Cys106-SO3, as evidenced by the generation of H2O2 and oxidative stress (OS) damage. Remarkably, ROT triggered the phosphorylation of leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) at residue Ser935 and phosphorylation of α-Syn at residue Ser129, a pathological indicator. ROT induced the accumulation of lipidated microtubule-associated protein 1B-light chain 3 (LC3B), a highly specific marker of autophagosomes. Finally, ROT induced cleaved caspase 3 (CC3), a marker of activated caspase 3 (CASP3) in apoptotic DALNs compared to untreated DANLs. However, the chronic condition was better at inducing the accumulation of lysosomes than the acute condition. Importantly, the inhibitor of the LRRK2 kinase PF-06447475 (PF-475) almost completely blunted ROT-induced apoptosis and reduced ROT-induced accumulation of lysosomes in both acute and chronic conditions in DALNs. Our data suggest that LRRK2 kinase regulated both apoptotic cell death and autophagy in DALNs under OS. Given that defects in mitochondrial complex I activity are commonly observed in PD, ROT works well as a chemical model of PD in both acute and chronic conditions. Therefore, prevention and treatment therapy should be guided to relieve DALNs from mitochondrial damage and OS, two of the most important triggers in the apoptotic cell death of DALNs.

Are healthiness and pleasure dimensions perceived similarly by people with food addiction in Brazil? A case study using holistic sensory methodologies.

The relationship between the consumption of hyper-palatable ultra-processed foods and the process of addiction gains notoriety due to its relationship with obesity. Food addiction is a complex phenomenon intrinsically related to the individual's behavioral, emotional, and subjective aspects. Therefore, using classical approaches to sensory science may be insufficient to understand better the individual's sensory experience with hyper-palatable foods. In this context, sensory and consumer science techniques with holistic approaches have been aimed at accessing more subjective consumer perceptions. This study used the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS 2.0) to investigate the prevalence of food addiction and the Structured Projective Mapping (S-MP) and Sorting techniques to verify how individuals with and without food addiction perceive and understand different types of food. The prevalence of food addiction was 21.77% (n = 59 out of 271) and was associated with a higher BMI but not with sociodemographic aspects. Projective Mapping (RV = 0.937) and Sorting (RV = 0.934) indicated that perception in relation to attributes such as health and pleasure was similar for all investigated foods in individuals with or without food addiction. The presence of addictive eating behavior does not seem to be related to the way individuals perceive foods from different categories, for example, minimally or highly processed and hyper-palatable foods.

Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture 2.0 - Brazilian version.

BACKGROUND: Patient safety culture concerns the values, beliefs and standards shared by an organisation's health staff and other personnel which influence their care provision actions and conduct. Several countries have made a priority of strengthening patient safety culture to improve the quality and safety of health care. In this direction, measuring the patient safety culture through validated instruments is a strategy applied worldwide. The purpose of this study was to adapt transculturally and validate the HSOPSC 2.0 to Brazilian Portuguese and the hospital context in Brazil. METHODS: Of the various validated scales for measuring safety culture, the instrument most used internationally is the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (HSOPSC) developed by the United States Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality in 2004 and revised in 2019, when version 2.0 was released. Adaptation was conducted on a universalist approach and the adapted instrument was then applied to a sample of 2,702 respondents (56% response rate) comprising staff of a large general hospital in the city of São Paulo. Construct validity was investigated by Exploratory Structural Equation Modelling-within-Confirmatory Factor Analysis (ESEM-within-CFA) and reliability was measured in each dimension by means of Cronbach alpha coefficients. RESULTS: ESEM fit indexes showed good data fit with the proposed model: χ2 = 634.425 df = 221 χ2/df ratio = 2.9 p-value < 0.0000; RMSEA = 0.045 (90% C.I. = 0.041-0.050) and probability RMSEA < = .05 = 0.963; CFI = 0.986; TLI = 0.968. However, ten items had loads lower than 0.4. Cronbach alpha values were 0.6 or more for all dimensions, except Handoffs and information exchange ([Formula: see text]= 0.50) and Staffing and work pace ([Formula: see text] = 0.41). CONCLUSION: The psychometric properties of the Brazilian version were found to be satisfactory, demonstrating good internal consistency and construct validity as expressed by estimates of reliability and indexes of model fit. However, given factor loadings smaller than 0.4 observed in ten items and considering that the scale translated and adapted to Portuguese was tested on a single sample during the Covid-19 pandemic, the authors recognize the need for it to be tested on other samples in Brazil to investigate its validity.

Diagnostic accuracy of the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS 2.0) to estimate disability after stroke.

PURPOSE: To analyze WHODAS 2.0's diagnostic capacity and accuracy in stroke survivors. METHODS: Cross-sectional methodological study, in which individuals with chronic stroke were evaluated. Disability was considered the outcome variable, being evaluated by WHODAS 2.0; the modified Rankin scale (mRS) was used as the parameter variable. Disability was categorized in two levels being: "No or mild disability" (mRS 0-2) and "Moderate to severe disability" (mRS 3-5). To identify the cutoff point, a Receiver-Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve was constructed with a confidence interval (CI) of 95% and considering sensitivity and specificity. RESULTS: The cutoff point >39.62 proved acceptable for distinguishing individuals with moderate/severe disability from individuals with no or mild disability (≤39.62 points), with 66.22% sensitivity, 72.41% specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) of 45.45%, and negative predictive value (NPV) of 84.74%. The area under the curve (AUC) was 0.747 (CI 95%: 0.65-0.83; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: WHODAS 2.0 demonstrated acceptable diagnostic capacity and the cutoff point of 39.62 proved suitable for distinguishing individuals with moderate/severe disability from those with no or mild disability after stroke.Implications for rehabilitationWHODAS 2.0 demonstrated acceptable diagnostic capacity.The WHODAS 2.0 cut-off point of >39.62 allows stratification of post-stroke disability into two different levels (no/mild disability versus moderate/severe disability).These results facilitate clinical decision-making by rehabilitation professionals.

Process optimization for enzymatic production of a valuable biomass-based ester from levulinic acid.

The enzymatic production of isoamyl levulinate via esterification of isoamyl alcohol (IA) and levulinic acid (LA), a biomass-based platform chemical with attractive properties, in a solvent system has been performed in this study. For such a purpose, a low-cost liquid lipase (Eversa® Transform 2.0) immobilized by physical adsorption via hydrophobic interactions (mechanism of interfacial activation) on mesoporous poly(styrenene-divinylbenzene) (PSty-DVB) beads was used as heterogeneous biocatalyst. It was prepared at low ionic strength (5 mmol.L-1 buffer sodium acetate pH 5.0) and 25 â„ƒ using an initial protein loading of 40 mg.g-1 of support. Maximum protein loading of 31.2 ± 2.8 mg.g-1 of support and an immobilization yield of 83% was achieved. The influence of relevant factors (biocatalyst concentration and reaction temperature) on ester production was investigated using a central composite rotatable design (CCRD). Maximum acid conversion percentage of 65% was achieved after 12 h of reaction at 40 °C, 20% of mass of heterogeneous biocatalyst per mass of reaction mixture (20% m.m-1), and LA:IA molar ratio of 1:1.5 in a methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) medium. The biocatalyst retained around of 30% of its initial activity after five consecutive esterification batches under optimal experimental conditions. The proposed experimental procedure can be considered as an acceptable green process (EcoScale score of 66.5), in addition to the fact that a new strategy is proposed to sustainably produce a valuable industrial ester (isoamyl levulinate) from biomass-based materials using an immobilized and low-cost commercial lipase as catalyst.

Efficacy of chitosan in the treatment of chronic skin lesions in a horse: A case report.

Consultation was requested for a 7-year-old Gypsy Vanner male horse with a 2-year history of foreskin injury. Upon revision, an ulcer, 153 cm2 in size, with yellowish granules was observed; a RESVECH 2.0 evaluation revealed a score of 32/35 points. Medical history confirmed multiple failed deworming, anti-inflammatory, and antibiotic treatments with different topical therapies and recurrence in summer. Laboratory results confirmed elevated total proteins (8.8 g/dL) and globulins (5.5 g/dL), negative bacterial and fungal cultures, as well as negative coproparasitoscopic findings, and finally, identification of stable fly larvae (Stomoxys calcitrans) in the feces. Microscopy showed disorganized collagen, thickened tissue, polymorphonuclear cells, and acanthosis without neoplastic tissue or parasite remains. Debridement was performed and systemic treatment with ivermectin, penicillin, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) continued. In addition, 2% chitosan gel and films were applied to the entire surface of the lesion for 72 hours on 30 occasions; vector control with nets and insecticides was performed. On day 94, there was a 6 cm2 surface with involvement of the dermal and epidermal layers, moist epithelial tissue, and diffuse edges, with a RESVECH 2.0 evaluation of 6/35 points. Microscopy showed an intact basement membrane, presence of hair follicles, sweat glands, aligned collagen, and angiogenesis. It was concluded that chronic skin lesions in horses represent a diagnostic challenge, and topical chitosan is an adequate treatment due to its biocompatibility and efficacy, in addition to the functional and cosmetic results in dermal regeneration.

El rol del pediatra en las redes sociales: identidad digital. Recomendaciones de buena práctica / The role of pediatricians in social media: digital identity. Good practice recommendations

La revolución digital que se produjo con la llegada de la web 2.0 y el advenimiento de las redes sociales, ha cambiado la forma de comunicación entre los seres humanos, y la relación médico-paciente no escapa a este nuevo ecosistema. La génesis de una identidad digital es fundamental para poder participar como comunicadores en las redes sociales, pero el profesionalismo digital debe enmarcarse en las recomendaciones de buena práctica con marcos ético-legales bien definidos. El objetivo de este documento es brindar herramientas para el buen uso de las redes sociales y la presencia digital, considerando el cuidado de la imagen personal y de la información que se difunde.

The digital revolution resulting from the emergence of the Web 2.0 and the arrival of social media have changed how humanbeings communicate, and the physician patient relationship is not an exception to this new environment. The origin of a digital identity is critical for our participation in social media as social communicators, but digital professionalism should be framed within good practice recommendations with well-defined legal and ethical outlines. The objective of this article is to provide tools for the adequate use of social media and digital presence, taking the protection of personalimage and disseminated information into consideration.

EpiBuilder: A Tool for Assembling, Searching, and Classifying B-Cell Epitopes.

Epitopes are portions of a protein that are recognized by antibodies. These small amino acid sequences represent a significant breakthrough in a branch of bioinformatics called immunoinformatics. Various software are available for linear B-cell epitope (BCE) prediction such as ABCPred, SVMTrip, EpiDope, and EpitopeVec; a well-known BCE predictor is BepiPred-2.0. However, despite the prediction, there are several essential steps, such as epitope assembly, evaluation, and searching for epitopes in other proteomes. Here, we present EpiBuilder (https://epibuilder.sourceforge.io), a user friendly software that assists in epitope assembly, classifying and searching using input results of BepiPred-2.0. EpiBuilder generates several output results from these data and supports a proteome-wide processing approach. In addition, this software provides the following features: Chou & Fasman beta-turn prediction, Emini surface accessibility prediction, Karplus and Schulz flexibility prediction, Kolaskar and Tongaonkar antigenicity, Parker hydrophilicity prediction, N-glycosylation domains, and hydropathy. These information generate a unique topology for each epitope, visually demonstrating its characteristics. The software can search the entire epitope sequence in various FASTA files, and it allows to use BLASTP to identify epitopes that eventually have sequence variations. As an EpiBuilder application, we developed a epitope dataset from the protozoan Trypanosoma brucei gambiense, the gram-positive bacterium Clostridioides difficile, and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

The role of pediatricians in social media: digital identity. Good practice recommendations. / El rol del pediatra en las redes sociales: identidad digital. Recomendaciones de buena práctica.

The digital revolution resulting from the emergence of the Web 2.0 and the arrival of social media have changed how human beings communicate, and the physicianpatient relationship is not an exception to this new environment. The origin of a digital identity is critical for our participation in social media as social communicators, but digital professionalism should be framed within good practice recommendations with well-defined legal and ethical outlines. The objective of this article is to provide tools for the adequate use of social media and digital presence, taking the protection of personal image and disseminated information into consideration.

La revolución digital que se produjo con la llegada de la web 2.0 y el advenimiento de las redes sociales, ha cambiado la forma de comunicación entre los seres humanos, y la relación médico-paciente no escapa a este nuevo ecosistema. La génesis de una identidad digital es fundamental para poder participar como comunicadores en las redes sociales, pero el profesionalismo digital debe enmarcarse en las recomendaciones de buena práctica con marcos ético-legales bien definidos. El objetivo de este documento es brindar herramientas para el buen uso de las redes sociales y la presencia digital, considerando el cuidado de la imagen personal y de la información que se difunde.

Modified Artificial Potential Field for the Path Planning of Aircraft Swarms in Three-Dimensional Environments.

Path planning techniques are of major importance for the motion of autonomous systems. In addition, the chosen path, safety, and computational burden are essential for ensuring the successful application of such strategies in the presence of obstacles. In this context, this work introduces a modified potential field method that is capable of providing obstacle avoidance, as well as eliminating local minima problems and oscillations in the influence threshold of repulsive fields. A three-dimensional (3D) vortex field is introduced for this purpose so that each robot can choose the best direction of the vortex field rotation automatically and independently according to its position with respect to each object in the workspace. A scenario that addresses swarm flight with sequential cooperation and the pursuit of moving targets in dynamic environments is proposed. Experimental results are presented and thoroughly discussed using a Crazyflie 2.0 aircraft associated with the loco positioning system for state estimation. It is effectively demonstrated that the proposed algorithm can generate feasible paths while taking into account the aforementioned problems in real-time applications.

Ichthyoplankton DNA metabarcoding: Challenges and perspectives.

DNA metabarcoding has been widely used to access and monitor species. However, several challenges remain open for its mainstream application in ecological studies, particularly when dealing with a quantitative approach. In a From the Cover article in this issue of Molecular Ecology, Mariac et al. (2021) report species-level ichthyoplankton dynamics for 97 fish species from two Amazon river basins using a clever quantitative metabarcoding approach employing a probe capture method. They clearly show that most species spawned during the floods, although ~20% also spawned mainly during the receding period and some other year-round, but interestingly, species from the same genus reproduced in distinct periods (i.e., inverse phenology). Opportunistically, Mariac et al. (2021) reported that during an intense hydrological anomaly, several species had a sharp reduction in spawning activity, demonstrating a quick response to environmental cues. This is an interesting result since the speed at which fish species can react to environmental changes, during the spawning period, is largely unknown. Thus, this study brings remarkable insights into basic life history information that is imperative for proposing strategies that could lead to a realistic framework for sustainable fisheries management practices and conservation, fundamental for an understudied and threatened realm, such as the Amazon River basin.

Immobilization of Eversa Lipases on Hydrophobic Supports for Ethanolysis of Sunflower Oil Solvent-Free.

Lipases are an important group of biocatalysts for many industrial applications. Two new commercial low-cost lipases Eversa® Transform and Eversa® Transform 2.0 was immobilized on four different hydrophobic supports: Lewatit-DVB, Purolite-DVB, Sepabeads-C18, and Purolite-C18. The performance of immobilized lipases was investigated in the transesterification of sunflower oil solvent-free in an anhydrous medium. Interesting results were obtained for both lipases and the four supports, but with Sepabeads support the lipases Eversa showed high catalytic activity. However, the more stable and efficient derivative was Eversa® Transform immobilized on Sepabeads C-18. A 98 wt% of ethyl ester of fatty acid (FAEE) was obtained, in 3 h at 40ºC, ethanol/sunflower oil molar ratio of 3:1 and a 10 wt% of the immobilized biocatalyst. After 6 reaction cycles, the immobilized biocatalyst preserved 70 wt% of activity. Both lipases immobilized in Sepabeads C-18 were highly active and stable in the presence of ethanol. The immobilization of Eversa Transform and Eversa Transform 2.0 in hydrophobic supports described in this study appears to be a promising alternative to the immobilization and application of these news lipases still unexplored.

Adição por comida: prevalência e fatores associados em um estudo de base populacional no Rio de Janeiro / Food addiction: prevalence and factors associated in a population-based study in Rio de Janeiro

Adição por comida caracteriza-se por uma perda de controle sobre o consumo de certos tipos de alimentos, na maioria das vezes hiperpalatáveis, e por tentativas fracassadas de ultrapassar o problema alimentar apesar das consequências adversas. A tese atual descreve a prevalência de adição por comida e fatores associados (socioeconómicos, demográficos, estilos de vida, estado nutricional, comorbilidades psiquiátricas e clínicas) em uma amostra representativa da cidade do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Este é um estudo transversal que utiliza dados do Compulsão alimentar no Rio -Binge Eating in Rio Survey, um inquérito domiciliar que incluiu 2.297 indivíduos dos 18 aos 60 anos. Os participantes forneceram informações sociodemográficas, antropométricas, sobre o estilo de vida, comorbidades clínicas e psiquiátricas. O instrumento utilizado para avaliar a adição por comida foi a escala modificada de adição por comida de Yale 2.0. A entrevista foi aplicada face-a-face. E os dados foram coletados entre setembro de 2019 e fevereiro de 2020. Prevalência e respectivos intervalos de confiança de 95% (95%CI) foram estimados considerando o peso da amostral e o desenho complexo do inquérito. Foram utilizados modelos de regressão logística para estimar a razão de chance entre as comorbidades psiquiátricas, clínicas e adição por comida. Os modelos foram ajustados para potenciais variáveis de confusão, sexo, idade e IMC. A prevalência de Adição por comida foi de 2,78% (95%CI 1,40 a 4,17) e, foi classificada como leve em 17% dos casos, moderada em 36% e como severa em 46%. A prevalência de adição por comida nas mulheres foi superior à dos homens, 4,08% vs 1,39 (p=0.001), com tendência decrescente com a idade (p=0,017). Quanto ao IMC, adição por comida foi mais prevalente entre aqueles com IMC mais elevado 6,76 % (IC95%CI 4,19 a 10,70) em comparação com aqueles com IMC normal 0,69% (IC95%CI 0,31 a 1,53). Entre aqueles que tinham adição por comida, a prevalência de sintomas psiquiátricos foi de: 75,41% com sintomas de depressão, 77,05% com sintomas de ansiedade, 19,7% de transtorno de compulsão alimentar, 32,79% de transtorno de déficit de atenção e hiperatividade, e 19,7% de consumo de álcool. Adição por comida foi associada a todas as comorbidades psiquiátricas, tanto nos modelos brutos como nos modelos ajustados. Entre as morbidades clínicas, os modelos brutos e ajustados mostraram uma associação entre adição por comida e uma maior chance de diabetes, AVC, asma, asma crônica, dores de cabeça, problemas musculares, e refluxo gastroesofágico. Quanto à força da associação, aumentou quando ajustado para problemas crônicos da coluna vertebral e IMC. Como observado em outros países, a adição por comida foi mais frequente nas mulheres e nos indivíduos mais jovens; associou-se à obesidade, também a IMC mais elevado, a comorbidades psiquiátricas e a várias comorbidades clínicas.

Food addiction (FA) is characterized by a loss of control, causing overeating of certain kinds of foods, most often hyperpalatable foods, and failed attempts to overcome the eating problem despite adverse consequences. The current thesis describes the prevalence of FA and associated factors (socioeconomic, demographic, lifestyle, nutritional status, psychiatric and clinical comorbidities) in a representative sample of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This is a cross sectional study using data from the Binge Eating in Rio Survey, a household survey that included 2.297 individuals from 18 to 60 years. The participants will provide sociodemographic information, lifestyle, clinical comorbidities, and psychiatrics. The instrument used to evaluate the FA will be the Modified Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0. The interview was applied face-to face. Data were collected from September 2019 to February 2020. Prevalence and respective 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were estimated considering the sample weight. In analyses were performed logistic regression models to estimate odd ratios between psychiatric and clinical comorbidities. Models were an adjustment for potential confounder variables, gender, age, and Body Mass Index (BMI). The prevalence of FA according to YFAS 2.0 was 2.78% and, 17.42% was classified as mild, 36.49% as moderate, 46.09% as severe. The prevalence of FA in women was higher than men, 4.08% vs 1.39% (p=0.001), and with a decreasing trend with age (p=0.017). Regarding the BMI, FA was more prevalent among those with a higher BMI 6.76 % (95%CI 4.19 to 10.70) compared those in the normal BMI range 0.69% (9is 5%CI 0.31 to 1.53). Among those who had a FA, the prevalence of psychiatric symptoms was as follows: 75.41% with symptoms of Depression, 77.05% symptoms of Anxiety, 19.7% Binge Eating Disorder, 32.79% Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder symptoms, and 19.7% alcohol use. Food addiction was associated with all psychiatric morbidities in both the crude and adjusted models. Among the clinical morbidities the unadjusted and crude models showed an association between food addiction and an increased chance of diabetes, stroke, asthma, chronic asthma, headaches, muscle problems, and gastroesophageal reflux. Regarding the increase of association, when adjusted for chronic spinal problems and BMI increases the OR values: FA was a prevalent condition in Brazil, more frequent in women and younger individuals, and associated also with higher BMI as observed in studies from high income countries. Furthermore, it shows that they constitute a group with specific characteristics and deserve special attention in this regard. FA was associated with psychiatric comorbidity and several clinical comorbidities in our sample.

Total Fat Content and Fatty Acid Profile of Fine-Aroma Cocoa From Northeastern Peru.

Cocoa beans are the raw material for the chocolate industry. In this study, the total fat contents and fatty acid profiles of fine-aroma cocoa beans of 30 cocoa ecotypes from northeastern Peru were evaluated. Results showed that SJJ-1 and ACJ-11 ecotypes from San Martin and Amazonas regions, respectively, presented highest percentages of total fat with an average of 30.49%. With respect to fatty acid profiles, it was found that cocoa ecotypes are composed of 10 fatty acids (C14:0, C16:0, C16:1, C18:0, C17:0, C18:1, C18:2, C18:3, C20:0, and C22:0); based on this profile, 5 clusters were determined. Cluster 5 had the highest content of C17:0 fatty acid (0.47%); however, the clusters 1, 2, 3, and 4 had the lowest content of this fatty acid (0.37%, 0.32%, 0.32%, respectively). The clusters 3 and 4 showed the highest content of C16:0 fatty acid (31.13% y 28.97%, respectively). The clusters 3 and 5 contained the highest content of the acid C18:1 (27.08% y 26.82%, respectively). The PCA found that C18:0 and C20:0 fatty acids are correlated, and are fundamentally opposite to C18:1, C16:0, and C18:3 acids. These results may be useful in identifying raw material for the development of specialty chocolates with better nutritional value than traditional cocoa.

Giving women WOICE postpartum: prevalence of maternal morbidity in high-risk pregnancies using the WHO-WOICE instrument.

BACKGROUND: There are no accurate estimates of the prevalence of non-severe maternal morbidities. Given the lack of instruments to fully assess these morbidities, the World Health Organization (WHO) developed an instrument called WOICE. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of non-severe maternal morbidities in puerperal women and factors associated to impaired clinical, social and mental health conditions. METHOD: A cross-sectional study with postpartum women at a high-risk outpatient clinic in southeast Brazil, from November 2017 to December 2018. The WOICE questionnaire included three sections: the first with maternal and obstetric history, sociodemographic data, risk and environment factors, violence and sexual health; the second considers functionality and disability, general symptoms and mental health; and the third includes data on physical and laboratory tests. Data collection was supported by Tablets with REDCAP software. Initially, a descriptive analysis was performed, with general prevalence of all variables contained in the WOICE, including scales on anxiety and depression (GAD-7 and PHQ-9- impaired if ≥10), functionality (WHODAS- high disability scores when ≥37.4) and data on violence and substance use. Subsequently, an evaluation of cases with positive findings was performed, with a Poisson regression to investigate factors associated to impaired non-clinical and clinical conditions. RESULTS: Five hundred seventeen women were included, majority (54.3%) multiparous, between 20 and 34 years (65.4%) and with a partner (75,6%). Over a quarter had (26.2%) preterm birth. Around a third (30.2%) reported health problems informed by the physician, although more than 80% considered having good or very good health. About 10% reported any substance use and 5.9% reported exposure to violence. Anxiety was identified in 19.8% of cases, depression in 36.9% and impaired functioning in 4.4% of women. Poisson regression identified that poor overall health rating was associated to increased anxiety/depression and impaired functioning. Having a partner reduced perception of women on the presence of clinical morbidities. CONCLUSION: During postpartum care of a high-risk population, over one third of the considered women presented anxiety and depression; 10% reported substance use and around 6% exposure to violence. These aspects of women's health need further evaluation and specific interventions to improve quality of care.