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Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting is an innovative technology in the biomedical field, allowing the fabrication of living constructs through an approach of layer-by-layer deposition of cell-laden inks, the so-called bioinks. An ideal bioink should possess proper mechanical, rheological, chemical, and biological characteristics to ensure high cell viability and the production of tissue constructs with dimensional stability and shape fidelity. Among the several types of bioinks, hydrogels are extremely appealing as they have many similarities with the extracellular matrix, providing a highly hydrated environment for cell proliferation and tunability in terms of mechanical and rheological properties. Hydrogels derived from natural polymers, and polysaccharides, in particular, are an excellent platform to mimic the extracellular matrix, given their low cytotoxicity, high hydrophilicity, and diversity of structures. In fact, polysaccharide-based hydrogels are trendy materials for 3D bioprinting since they are abundant and combine adequate physicochemical and biomimetic features for the development of novel bioinks. Thus, this review portrays the most relevant advances in polysaccharide-based hydrogel bioinks for 3D bioprinting, focusing on the last five years, with emphasis on their properties, advantages, and limitations, considering polysaccharide families classified according to their source, namely from seaweed, higher plants, microbial, and animal (particularly crustaceans) origin.

The majority of giant algal viruses belong to the family Phycodnaviridae, class Algavirales, phylum Nucleocytoviricota. Among them, the genus Chlorovirus is the most studied, with three recognized groups based on genomics and host range, although many fundamental questions remain to be elucidated, particularly regarding their diversity. In this study, we focus on betachloroviruses, a poorly explored subgroup that infects the alga Micractinium conductrix Pbi. Here, we describe the isolation and genomic analysis of 11 new betachloroviruses from water samples collected in Nebraska, USA. With 25 fully sequenced genomes now available, we assessed the genomic diversity of these viruses. They have double-stranded DNA genomes ranging from 295 to 374 kbp, encoding hundreds of ORFs, of which a large number (~40%) lack known function. Comparative genomics and phylogenetic analyses revealed three species of betachlorovirus, each with high intra-species genomic identity. Notably, some isolates with over 99.5% genomic identity display markedly different plaque phenotypes, which led us to propose the use of the term genomovar among giant algal viruses, a concept potentially applicable to other giant viral groups yet to be explored. Altogether, this work advances our understanding of betachloroviruses and highlights the importance of linking viral genotype to phenotype, opening new avenues for exploring the diversity of giant algal viruses.

The assessment of mal-adaptive anxiety is crucial, considering the associated personal, economic, and societal burden. The State-Trait Inventory for Cognitive and Somatic Anxiety (STICSA) is a self-report instrument developed to provide multidimensional anxiety assessment in four dimensions: trait-cognitive, trait-somatic, state-cognitive and state-somatic. This research aimed to extend STICSA’s psychometric studies through the assessment of its dimensionality, reliability, measurement invariance and nomological validity in the Portuguese population. Additionally, the predictive validity of STICSA-Trait was also evaluated, through the analysis of the relationship between self-reported trait anxiety and both the subjective and the psychophysiological response across distinct emotional situations. Similarly to previous studies, results supported both a four-factor and two separated bi-factor structures. Measurement invariance across sex groups was also supported, and good nomological validity was observed. Moreover, STICSA trait-cognitive dimension was associated with differences in self-reported arousal between groups of high/low anxiety, whereas STICSA trait-somatic dimension was related to differences in both the subjective and psychophysiological response. Together, these results support STICSA as a useful instrument for a broader anxiety assessment, crucial for an informed diagnosis and practice.

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Conventional treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy have limitations and severe side effects. Magnetic hyperthermia (MH) is an alternative method that can be used alone or in conjunction with chemotherapy or radiotherapy to treat cancer. Cobalt ferrite particles were synthesized using an innovative biogenic sol–gel method with powder of coconut water (PCW). The obtained powders were subjected to heat treatments between 500 °C and 1100 °C. Subsequently, they were characterized by thermal, structural, magnetic, and cytotoxic analyses to assess their suitability for MH applications. Through X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy, it was possible to confirm the presence of the pure phase of CoFe2O4 in the sample treated at 1100 °C, exhibiting a saturation magnetization of 84 emu/g at 300 K and an average grain size of 542 nm. Furthermore, the sample treated at 1100 °C showed a specific absorption rate (SAR) of 3.91 W/g, and at concentrations equal to or below 5 mg/mL, is non-cytotoxic, being the most suitable for biomedical applications.

We perform a qualitative analysis of a periodically-forced SIR model which incorporates the disease transmission rate by direct contact with the natural viral source, in addition to the classic disease transmission rate between individuals. We direct this work towards two main topics: (i) in the absence of seasonality, the endemic equilibrium point (and unique) undergoes both supercritical and subcritical Hopf bifurcations. We identify a specific range of values for the disease transmission rate , for which the system exhibits an attracting periodic solution while the equilibrium is unstable; (ii) in the presence of seasonality, we prove via torus-breakdown theory that the system exhibits strange attractors (observable chaos). These findings reveal that small changes in parameters can generate complex epidemic dynamics, becoming very difficult to control. All findings are derived analytically and supported by numerical simulations.

This paper presents the first systematic literature review (SLR) that includes the concept of an optichannel strategy, examining the main principles, key characteristics, and implications for retailers when switching from a multichannel to an optichannel approach. The SLR was made using Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar to find literature on the optichannel model in retail. The results show a paradigm shift in retailing from a multichannel, passing through omnichannel and phygital, to an optichannel strategy. This shift means marketers are now adopting a more customer-centric approach to brand management and consumer behaviour. This article has practical and managerial implications for researchers and practitioners. For researchers, the study explains how retailers evolved from multi- to cross-, omni-, phygital, and optichannel strategies. For practitioners, this paper indicates future ways to allow retailers to manage their customers’ needs, ensuring a positive impact on customer experience and the company’s commercial and financial performance.

In Portugal, the government has accepted private management within public hospitals since 1996. The objectives of the state were to ensure more efficiency in resource management and maintain or increase the service quality provided to the users. Four public hospitals have been managed with a public–private partnership (PPP) approach. This study aimed to empirically analyse the degree of satisfaction of the Portuguese population regarding the service quality provided by PPP and Public Management Hospitals (PMH) within a structural equation model, and verify if people’s literacy level, age, education, and income moderate their opinions. The study used 2077 valid questionnaire responses applied in the four regions served by the eight hospitals. The results show that the users of the PPP hospitals are more satisfied than those from PMH with statistical significance. Literacy level moderates the relationship between perceived quality and users’ satisfaction, and education moderates the same relationship only in the context of PPP hospitals. More educated people with a high literacy level are more demanding, both regarding PPP and PMH hospitals. Nevertheless, the results are very beneficial to the PPP model; thus, improved decision-making regarding contract renewal might help policymakers consider the findings of this paper.

Despite successful vaccination efforts, the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants poses ongoing challenges to control COVID-19. Understanding humoral responses regarding SARS-CoV-2 infections and their impact is crucial for developing future vaccines that are effective worldwide. Here, we identified 41 immunodominant linear B-cell epitopes in its spike glycoprotein with an SPOT synthesis peptide array probed with a pool of serum from hospitalized COVID-19 patients. The bioinformatics showed a restricted set of epitopes unique to SARS-CoV-2 compared to other coronavirus family members. Potential crosstalk was also detected with Dengue virus (DENV), which was confirmed by screening individuals infected with DENV before the COVID-19 pandemic in a commercial ELISA for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. A high-resolution evaluation of antibody reactivity against peptides representing epitopes in the spike protein identified ten sequences in the NTD, RBD, and S2 domains. Functionally, antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) in SARS-CoV-2 infections of monocytes was observed in vitro with pre-pandemic Dengue-positive sera. A significant increase in viral load was measured compared to that of the controls, with no detectable neutralization or considerable cell death, suggesting its role in viral entry. Cross-reactivity against peptides from spike proteins was observed for the pre-pandemic sera. This study highlights the importance of identifying specific epitopes generated during the humoral response to a pathogenic infection to understand the potential interplay of previous and future infections on diseases and their impact on vaccinations and immunodiagnostics.

Advances in microscopy and molecular strategies have allowed researchers to gain insight into the intricate organization of the mammalian brain and the roles that neurons play in processing information. Despite vast progress, therapeutic strategies for neurological disorders remain limited, owing to a lack of biomaterials for sensing and modulating neuronal signalling in vivo. Therefore, there is a pressing need for developing material-based tools that can form seamless biointerfaces and interrogate the brain with unprecedented resolution. In this Review, we discuss important considerations in material design and implementation, highlight recent breakthroughs in neural sensing and modulation, and propose future directions in neurotechnology research. Our goal is to create an atlas for nano-enabled neural interfaces and to demonstrate how emerging nanotechnologies can interrogate neural systems spanning multiple biological length scales.

Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) straw is a promising feedstock for bioelectricity and cellulosic ethanol in Brazil, but some straw is also needed to sustain nutrient cycling and crop yields. A literature review and two field studies were conducted to quantify above-ground macronutrient accumulation by sugarcane. Five straw removal scenarios using different amounts of biomass and nutrient composition data of top (green) and bottom (dry) leaves were constructed to estimate fertilizer requirements associated with straw removal in central southern Brazil. Calculated straw removal for five scenarios (S1 to S5) was 3.5, 7, 3, 6, and 12 Mg ha−1, respectively. By removing 12 Mg ha−1 of straw (S5), the potential N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and S removal was 69, 7, 92, 45, 16, and 14 kg ha−1, respectively. It represents a nutrient (NPK) replacement cost of US$ 90.00 ha−1 or US$ 7.60 per Mg of removed straw. The scenario analysis shows that less-impacting strategies are those that maintain top leaves in the field and harvesting only bottom leaves (S1 and S2), whereas total removal (S5) could double NPK-fertilizer consumption in sugarcane fields by 2050. Our findings provide stakeholder guidelines for improved straw management, establish an economic value for accumulated plant nutrients, and promote both socio-economic and environmental benefits of more sustainable bioenergy production in Brazil.