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It is common to find in the literature different values for the working voltage window (WVW) range for aqueous-based supercapacitors. In many cases, even with the best intentions of the widening the operating voltage window, the measured current using the cyclic voltammetry (CV) technique includes a significant contribution from the irreversible Faradaic reactions involved in the water-splitting process, masked by fast scan rates. Sometimes even using low scan rates is hard to determine precisely the correct WVW of the aqueous-based electrochemical capacitor. In this sense, we discuss here the best practices to determine the WVW for capacitive current in an absence of water splitting using complementary techniques such as CV, chronoamperometry (CA), and the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). To accomplish this end, we prepare and present a model system composed of multiwalled carbon nanotubes buckypaper electrodes housed in the symmetric coin cell and soaked with an aqueous-based electrolyte. The system electrochemical characteristics are carefully evaluated during the progressive enlargement of the cell voltage window. The presence of residual Faradaic current is verified in the transients from the CA study, as well as the impedance changes revealed by EIS as a function of the applied voltage, is discussed. We verify that an apparent voltage window of 2.0 V determined using the CV technique is drastically decreased to 1.2 V after a close inspection of the CA findings used to discriminate the presence of a parasitic Faradaic process. Some orientations are presented to instigate the establishment in the literature of some good scientific practices concerned with the reliable characterization of supercapacitors.

Considering the interrelationship between the multiple determinants of nutritional status, analyses are needed to estimate direct and mediated effects between the variables that influence body mass index (BMI) in older adults. We aimed to verify the direct and indirect effects of sociodemographic, behavioral and health conditions on the BMI of older adults in the community. This is a longitudinal study based on data collection in 2015 and 2020. Descriptive analysis and Structural Equation Modeling were performed, considering p<0.05. The sample consisted of 220 older adults with a mean baseline age of 68.86 years (± 7.10). Direct associations of higher BMI value with younger age, higher monthly family income, greater functional disability to perform instrumental activities of daily living and greater number of morbidities were found. In addition, education, gender, moderate to vigorous physical activity were indirectly associated with high BMI. These findings provide insights into the complex relationship of multiple determinants of nutritional status in older adults and support the design of public health policies that consider the specificities of this population group.

Uncertainty remains about how long the protective immune responses against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 persists, and suspected reinfection in recovered patients has been reported. We describe a case of reinfection from distinct virus lineages in Brazil harboring the E484K mutation, a variant associated with escape from neutralizing antibodies.

The aim of this finite element analysis (FEA) was to investigate the distribution of von Mises stress within dental implant components, as well as trabecular and cortical bone. The study considered various bone qualities that influence cortical thickness in contact with the implant, specifically examining cortical thicknesses of 0.5, 1.5, and 3 mm, corresponding to Bergkvist’s classifications IV, III, and II, respectively. A simplified 3D model of the bone was developed for the analysis. Two short implants were inserted into the model: one with a 30° inclined abutment (IA) and another positioned at a 30° angle featuring a straight abutment (II). A vertical force (120 N) was applied to the upper surface of the abutments. FEA software was employed to assess the stresses on the peri-implant tissues and the implants. The findings indicated that a reduction in cortical bone thickness results in an increase in stress within the cortical bone. For IA, the stresses recorded 32.56, 56.12, and 96.14 MPa for cortical thicknesses of 3, 1.5, and 0.5 mm, respectively. Conversely, II exhibited increased stresses across all bone qualities (52.32, 76.15, and 126.32 MPa for the same cortical thicknesses). It is advisable to avoid II in cases of poor bone quality and thin cortical due to the heightened risk of overload-induced bone resorption; however, it may be preferable to use IA in scenarios involving good bone quality and thicker cortical.

Understanding species-dependent siRNA length generation provides both fundamental and applied insights. At the basic level, it highlights an underappreciated dimension of RNAi diversity in insects, emphasizing that antiviral immunity cannot be fully understood from Drosophila melanogaster alone. At the applied level, these findings have direct implications for the design of dsRNA-based pest management strategies, where tailoring siRNA production to the target insect order could enhance both efficacy and specificity. Previously studies demonstrated that Dicer-2-generated siRNAs exhibit distinct, species-dependent length distributions: dipterans (D. melanogaster) and coleopterans (Tribolium castaneum) mainly produce 21-nt siRNAs; and hymenopterans (Bombus terrestris) and orthopterans (Locusta migratoria) generate siRNAs enriched at 22 nt; whereas lepidopterans such as Spodoptera exigua and Trichoplusia ni predominantly produce 20-nt siRNAs. The central biological question motivating this study was whether structural divergence in Dicer-2 may explain these lineage-specific differences in siRNA length profiles and antiviral RNAi efficiency. To address this, we interpreted observed structural variations in the context of the “molecular ruler” hypothesis and integrated them with previous experimental data on siRNA length variation across insect taxa. Future studies that combine high-resolution structural biology, comparative genomics, and functional assays will be essential to experimentally test whether the structural correlations proposed here determine Dicer-2 cleavage length in vivo and in vitro, and to leverage this knowledge for both agricultural and biomedical applications.

MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally. They are involved in the regulation of physiological processes, such as adaptation to physical exercise, and also in disease settings, such as systemic arterial hypertension (SAH), type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D), and obesity. In SAH, microRNAs play a significant role in the regulation of key signaling pathways that lead to the hyperactivation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, proliferation, and phenotypic change in smooth muscle cells, and the hyperactivation of the sympathetic nervous system. MicroRNAs are also involved in the regulation of insulin signaling and blood glucose levels in T2D, and participate in lipid metabolism, adipogenesis, and adipocyte differentiation in obesity, with specific microRNA signatures involved in the pathogenesis of each disease. Many studies report the benefits promoted by exercise training in cardiovascular diseases by reducing blood pressure, glucose levels, and improving insulin signaling and lipid metabolism. The molecular mechanisms involved, however, remain poorly understood, especially regarding the participation of microRNAs in these processes. This review aimed to highlight microRNAs already known to be associated with SAH, T2D, and obesity, as well as their possible regulation by exercise training.

User experience (UX) is a quality aspect that considers the emotions evoked by the system, extending the usability concept beyond effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction. Practitioners and researchers are aware of the importance of evaluating UX. Thus, UX evaluation is a growing field with diverse approaches. Despite various approaches, most of them produce a general indication of the experience as a result and do not seek to capture the problem that gave rise to the bad UX. This information makes it difficult to obtain relevant results to improve the application, making it challenging to identify what caused a negative user experience. To address this gap, we developed a UX evaluation technique called UX-Tips. This paper presents UX-Tips and reports two empirical studies performed in an academic and an industrial setting to evaluate it. Our results show that UX-Tips had good performance in terms of efficiency and effectiveness, making it possible to identify the causes that led to a negative user experience, and it was easy to use. In this sense, we present a new technique suitable for use in both academic and industrial settings, allowing UX evaluation and finding the problems that may lead to a negative experience.

Alzheimer disease (AD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases, affecting middle-aged and elderly individuals worldwide. AD pathophysiology involves the accumulation of beta-amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain, along with chronic neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. Physical exercise (PE) is a beneficial non-pharmacological strategy and has been described as an ally to combat cognitive decline in individuals with AD. However, the molecular mechanisms that govern the beneficial adaptations induced by PE in AD are not fully elucidated. MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs involved in the post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression, inhibiting or degrading their target mRNAs. MicroRNAs are involved in physiological processes that govern normal brain function and deregulated microRNA profiles are associated with the development and progression of AD. It is also known that PE changes microRNA expression profile in the circulation and in target tissues and organs. Thus, this review aimed to identify the role of deregulated microRNAs in the pathophysiology of AD and explore the possible role of the modulation of microRNAs as a molecular mechanism involved in the beneficial actions of PE in AD.

The prevalence of developmental alterations associated with in-utero Zika virus (ZIKV) exposure in children is not well understood. Furthermore, estimation of the Population Attributable Fraction (PAF) of developmental alterations attributed to ZIKV has not been performed due to lack of population-based cohorts with data on symptomatic and asymptomatic ZIKV exposures and an appropriate control group. The aim of this study was to characterize neurodevelopmental outcomes of children at 11 to 32 months of age with intrauterine ZIKV exposure and estimate the PAF of alterations secondary to ZIKV exposure. We performed a cohort of biannual community-based prospective serosurveys in a slum community in Salvador, Brazil. We recruited women participating in our cohort, with a documented pregnancy from January 2015 to December 2016 and children born to those mothers. Children were classified as ZIKV exposed in utero (born from women with ZIKV seroconversion during pregnancy) or unexposed (born from women without ZIKV seroconversion or that seroconverted before/after pregnancy) by using an IgG monoclonal antibody blockade-of-binding (BoB). We interviewed mothers and performed anthropometric, audiometric, ophthalmological, neurologic, and neurodevelopmental evaluations of their children at 11 to 32 months of age. Among the 655 women participating in the cohort, 66 (10%) were pregnant during the study period. 46 (70%) of them completed follow-up, of whom ZIKV seroconversion occurred before, during, and after pregnancy in 25 (54%), 13 (28%), and 1 (2%), respectively. The rest of women, 7 (21.2%), did not present ZIKV seroconversion. At 11 to 32 months of life, the 13 ZIKV-exposed children had increased risk of mild cognitive delay (RR 5.1; 95%CI 1.1-24.4) compared with the 33 children unexposed, with a PAF of 53.5%. Exposed children also had increased risk of altered auditory behavior (RR 6.0; 95%CI 1.3-26.9), with a PAF of 59.5%. A significant proportion of children exposed in utero to ZIKV developed mild cognitive delay and auditory behavioral abnormalities even in the absence of gross birth defects such as microcephaly and other neurodevelopmental domains. Furthermore, our findings suggest that over half of these abnormalities could be attributed to intrauterine ZIKV exposure.

To describe the neurological and neurodevelopmental outcomes of children with Congenital Zika Syndrome (CZS) associated microcephaly beyond 2 years of age. We followed children with CZS-associated microcephaly in an outpatient clinic in Salvador, Brazil. Neurological and neurodevelopmental assessments were performed using the Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination (HINE) and Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Neurodevelopment (Bayley-III) respectively. Of the 42 children included, 19 were male (45.2%); median (interquartile range) age at neurological evaluation was 28 (25-32) months, and 36 (85.7%) had severe microcephaly. HINE and Bayley-III results were completed for 35/42 (83.3%) and 33/42 (78.5%) children respectively. Bayley-III identified a severe developmental delay in 32/33 (97.0%) children while 1/33 (3.0%) had only a mild delay. In the multivariable analysis, we found that Bayley-III and HINE scores were correlated. Better HINE scores were associated with higher Bayley-III cognitive raw scores (β = 0.29; CI 95% = 0.02-0.57) and motor raw scores (β = 0.43; CI 95% = 0.04-0.82) after adjusting for head circumference, prematurity, and age at neurodevelopmental evaluation. Furthermore, we found that greater head circumference at follow up was associated with higher cognitive (β = 1.27; CI 95% = 0.01-2.53) and motor raw scores (β = 2.03; CI 95% = 0.25-3.81). Children with CZS-associated microcephaly demonstrate severe neurodevelopmental delays and slower growth rates than their peers over time. Still, they have remarkably heterogeneous neurodevelopmental profiles according to neurological exam scores which correlate with their long-term outcomes. We found that HINE scores effectively captured the heterogeneity of neurological capabilities among these children and could be predictive of cognitive and motor development progress.