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Foams composed of cassava starch, peanut skin, and glycerol were developed by thermal expansion process. A constrained mixture design was applied to evaluate the effect of components on flexural mechanical properties and water absorption capacity (WAC). The interaction between cassava starch and peanut skin exhibited a significant antagonistic effect in WAC. Effects of the concentration of cassava starch, glycerol and the interactions between cassava starch–glycerol and peanut skin–glycerol were significant to mechanical properties. Desirability function was applied to optimize the formulation in order to obtain less hydrophilic, more flexible and more resistant foams. Optimized formulation consisted of 23.71% (w/w) peanut skin and 12.68% (w/w) glycerol, based on solids content (cassava starch + peanut skin). Optimized foam showed experimental values similar to those predicted, validating the fitted models for defined constraints. This foam showed an important improvement in hydrophilicity indicated by a decrease in WAC, compared to cassava starch-based foams without peanut skin.

The effects of preexercise photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) to enhance performance, accelerate recovery, and attenuate exercise-induced oxidative stress were still not fully investigated, especially in high-level athletes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of PBMT (using infrared low-level laser therapy) applied before a progressive running test on functional aspects, muscle damage, and inflammatory and oxidative stress markers in high-level soccer players. A randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial was performed. Twenty-two high-level male soccer players from the same team were recruited and treated with active PBMT and placebo. The order of interventions was randomized. Immediately after the application of active PBMT or placebo, the volunteers performed a standardized high-intensity progressive running test (ergospirometry test) until exhaustion. We analyzed rates of oxygen uptake (VO2 max), time until exhaustion, and aerobic and anaerobic threshold during the intense progressive running test. Creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities, levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1-β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), levels of thiobarbituric acid (TBARS) and carbonylated proteins, and catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities were measured before and five minutes after the end of the test. PBMT increased the VO2 max (both relative and absolute values—p<0.0467 and p<0.0013, respectively), time until exhaustion (p<0.0043), time (p<0.0007) and volume (p<0.0355) in which anaerobic threshold happened, and volume in which aerobic threshold happened (p<0.0068). Moreover, PBMT decreased CK (p<0.0001) and LDH (p<0.0001) activities. Regarding the cytokines, PBMT decreased only IL-6 (p<0.0001). Finally, PBMT decreased TBARS (p<0.0001) and carbonylated protein levels (p<0.01) and increased SOD (p<0.0001)and CAT (p<0.0001) activities. The findings of this study demonstrate that preexercise PBMT acts on different functional aspects and biochemical markers. Moreover, preexercise PBMT seems to play an important antioxidant effect, decreasing exercise-induced oxidative stress and consequently enhancing athletic performance and improving postexercise recovery. This trial is registered with Clinicaltrials.gov NCT03803956.

Skeletal muscle fatigue and exercise performance are novel areas of research and clinical application in the photobiomodulation field, and positive outcomes have been reported in several studies; however, the optimal measures have not been fully established.Context:  To assess the acute effect of photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) combining superpulsed lasers (low-level laser therapy) and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) on muscle performance during a progressive cardiopulmonary treadmill exercise test.Objective:  Crossover study.Design:  Laboratory.Setting:  Twenty untrained male volunteers (age = 26.0 ± 6.0 years, height = 175.0 ± 10.0 cm, mass = 74.8 ± 10.9 kg).Patients or Other Participants:  Participants received PBMT with either combined superpulsed lasers and LED (active PBMT) or placebo at session 1 and the other treatment at session 2. All participants completed a cardiopulmonary test on a treadmill after each treatment. For active PBMT, we performed the irradiation at 17 sites on each lower limb (9 on the quadriceps, 6 on the hamstrings, and 2 on the gastrocnemius muscles), using a cluster with 12 diodes (four 905-nm superpulsed laser diodes with an average power of 0.3125 mW, peak power of 12.5 W for each diode, and frequency of 250 Hz; four 875-nm infrared LED diodes with an average power of 17.5 mW; and four 640-nm red LED diodes with an average power of 15 mW) and delivering a dose of 30 J per site.Intervention(s):  Distance covered, time until exhaustion, pulmonary ventilation, and dyspnea score.Main Outcome Measure(s):  The distance covered (1.96 ± 0.30 versus 1.84 ± 0.40 km, t19 = 2.119, P < .001) and time until exhaustion on the cardiopulmonary test (780.2 ± 91.0 versus 742.1 ± 94.0 seconds, t19 = 3.028, P < .001) was greater after active PBMT than after placebo. Pulmonary ventilation was greater (76.4 ± 21.9 versus 74.3 ± 19.8 L/min, t19 = 0.180, P = .004) and the score for dyspnea was lower (3.0 [interquartile range = 0.5–9.0] versus 4.0 [0.0–9.0], U = 184.000, P < .001) after active PBMT than after placebo.Results:  The combination of lasers and LEDs increased the time, distance, and pulmonary ventilation and decreased the score of dyspnea during a cardiopulmonary test.Conclusions:

The present study aims to verify the information processing in athletes through electroencephalography, analyze cortical areas responsible for cognitive functions related to attentional processing of visual stimuli, and investigate motor activity's influence on cognitive aspects. Additionally, we aimed to analyze the acute effect of physical exercise after the high-intensity anaerobic effort, evaluating how a short-duration Wingate test influences cortical activity and attentional processing immediately following exertion. The sample consisted of 29 subjects, divided into an experimental group (n = 13 modern pentathlon athletes) and a control group (n = 16 non-athletes). We collected the electrocortical activity before and after the Wingate Anaerobic Test. During the electrophysiological measures, the volunteers performed a saccadic eye movement paradigm. They also performed cognitive tasks, resting heart rate, and anthropometric measurements. A mixed ANOVA was applied to analyze the statistical differences between groups (athletes and control) and moments (before and after exercise) for F3, F4, P3, and P4 electrodes during rest one and task (pre-stimulus GO). There was an interaction for the group vs. moment factors in F3 [F = 17,129; p = 0,000; η² = 0.512], F4 [F = 22,774; p = 0,000; η² = 0.510], P3 [F = 11,429; p = 0,001; η² = 0.405], and P4 electrodes [F = 18,651; p = 0,000; η² = 0.379]. We found the main effect for group factors in the frontal and parietal electrodes of the right hemisphere (F4 and P4) and a main effect of the moment factor on the frontal (F3 and F4) and parietal (P3 and P4) electrodes. There was an interaction between the group vs. moment factors for the reaction time. The groups were different in Peak Power (Watts/kg), Average Power (Watts/kg), Fatigue Index (%), and Maximum Power (ms). We identified chronic effects of exercise training on the cortical activity of modern pentathlon athletes, read-through differences in absolute alpha power, and acute effects of a high-intensity exercise session for athletes and non-athletes for electrocortical and behavioral responses.

The efficient conversion of light energy into chemical energy is key for sustainable human development. Several photocatalytic systems based on photovoltaic electrolysis have been used to produce hydrogen via water reduction. However, in such devices, light harvesting and proton reduction are carried separately, showing quantum efficiency of about 10–12%. Here, we report a nano-hybrid photocatalytic assembly that enables concomitant reductive hydrogen production and pollutant oxidation with solar-to-fuel efficiencies up to 20%. The modular architecture of this plasmonic material allows the fine-tuning of its photocatalytic properties by simple manipulation of a reduced number of basic components.

Cryotherapy for post-exercise recovery remains widely used despite the lack of quality evidence. Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) studies (with both low-level laser therapy and light-emitting diode therapy) have demonstrated positive scientific evidence to suggest its use. The study aims to evaluate PBMT and cryotherapy as a single or combined treatment on skeletal muscle recovery after eccentric contractions of knee extensors. Fifty healthy male volunteers were recruited and randomized into five groups (PBMT, cryotherapy, cryotherapy + PBMT, PMBT + cryotherapy, or placebo) for a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial that evaluated exercise performance (maximum voluntary contraction (MVC)), delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), and muscle damage (creatine kinase (CK)). Assessments were performed at baseline; immediately after; and at 1, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h. Comparator treatments was performed 3 min after exercise and repeated at 24, 48, and 72 h. PBMT was applied employing a cordless, portable GameDay ™ device (combination of 905 nm super-pulsed laser and 875- and 640-nm light-emitting diodes (LEDs); manufactured by Multi Radiance Medical ™ , Solon - OH, USA), and cryotherapy by flexible rubber ice packs. PBMT alone was optimal for post-exercise recovery with improved MVC, decreased DOMS, and CK activity ( p  < 0.05) from 24 to 96 h compared to placebo, cryotherapy, and cryotherapy + PBMT. In the PBMT + cryotherapy group, the effect of PBMT was decreased ( p  > 0.05) but demonstrated significant improvement in MVC, decreased DOMS, and CK activity ( p  < 0.05). Cryotherapy as single treatment and cryotherapy + PBMT were similar to placebo ( p  > 0.05). We conclude that PBMT used as single treatment is the best modality for enhancement of post-exercise restitution, leading to complete recovery to baseline levels from 24 h after high-intensity eccentric contractions.

ABSTRACT Objectives: to analyze the prevalence of symptoms and their relationship with the quality of life of cancer patients. Methods: this is a cross-sectional study with 107 patients evaluated using a sociodemographic instrument, the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) and the quality of life scale (EORTC-QLQ-C30). Pearson’s correlation test was used to evaluate the relationship between symptoms and quality of life. Results: prevalence of female patients (56.1%), 55 years as the mean age and 10 years of schooling. Fatigue (76.6%), insomnia (47.7%), pain (42.1%), loss of appetite (37.4%), anxiety (31.8%) and depression (21.5%) were identified. Anxiety and depression symptoms presented a negative correlation with quality of life and positive correlation with physical symptoms. Conclusions: fatigue, insomnia, pain and loss of appetite were the most common and most intense symptoms. Anxiety and depression symptoms presented a negative correlation with quality of life and positive correlation with physical symptoms. RESUMO Objetivos: analisar a prevalência de sintomas e sua relação com a qualidade de vida de pacientes com câncer. Métodos: estudo transversal com amostra de 107 pacientes avaliados por meio de formulário sociodemográfico, escala hospitalar de ansiedade e depressão (HADS) e escala de qualidade de vida (EORTC-QLQ-C30). O teste de correlação de Pearson foi utilizado para avaliar a relação entre sintomas e a qualidade de vida. Resultados: predomínio de pacientes do sexo feminino (56,1%), idade média de 55 anos e escolaridade de 10 anos. Verificou-se fadiga (76,6%), insônia (47,7%), dor (42,1%), perda de apetite (37,4%), ansiedade (31,8%) e depressão (21,5%). Os sintomas de ansiedade e depressão apresentaram correlação negativa com qualidade de vida e correlação positiva com sintomas físicos. Conclusões: fadiga, insônia, dor e perda de apetite foram os sintomas mais frequentes e mais intensos. Sintomas de ansiedade e depressão mostraram correlação negativa com qualidade de vida e positiva com sintomas físicos. RESUMEN Objetivos: evaluar la prevalencia de síntomas y su relación con la calidad de vida de los pacientes con cáncer. Métodos: estudio transversal con una muestra de 107 pacientes que fueron evaluados por medio de formulario sociodemográfico, de la Escala hospitalaria de ansiedad y depresión (HADS) y de la Escala de calidad de vida (EORTC-QLQ-C30). Se hizo la prueba de correlación de Pearson para evaluar la relación entre los síntomas y la calidad de vida. Resultados: hubo un predominio de pacientes del sexo femenino (56,1%), un promedio de edad de 55 años y un nivel de escolaridad de 10 años. Se observaron los siguientes elementos: fatiga (76,6%), insomnio (47,7%), dolor (42,1%), pérdida de apetito (37,4%), ansiedad (31,8%) y depresión (21,5%). Los síntomas ansiedad y depresión presentaron una correlación negativa con la calidad de vida y una correlación positiva con los síntomas físicos. Conclusiones: la fatiga, el insomnio, el dolor y la pérdida de apetito fueron los síntomas más frecuentes e intensos. Los síntomas ansiedad y depresión se correlacionaron negativamente con la calidad de vida y positivamente con los síntomas físicos.

IntroductionPhotobiomodulation therapy (PBMT), particularly when combined with a static magnetic field (PBMT-sMF), is a promising non-pharmacological approach for managing musculoskeletal disorders. However, high-quality evidence for its efficacy in lateral epicondylitis remains limited.ObjectivesThe study aims to investigate the effectiveness of PBMT-sMF vs placebo in reducing pain, improving function and modulating inflammatory markers in individuals with lateral epicondylitis.DesignMulticentre, randomised, triple-blinded, placebo-controlled trial.SettingThree outpatient physiotherapy clinics in Brazil.Participants50 adults (18–50 years) with unilateral lateral epicondylitis and baseline pain ≥50 on the visual analogue scale (VAS).InterventionsParticipants received either active PBMT-sMF (n=25) or placebo (n=25), 2 times per week for 3 weeks. PBMT-sMF involved multi-wavelength irradiation at 4 epicondyle sites (60 s; 27.1 J/site). The placebo group underwent the same procedure without active irradiation.Primary and secondary outcome measuresThe primary outcome was degree of pain rating (VAS). Secondary outcomes included forearm disability (Patient-Rated Tennis Elbow Evaluation, PRTEE), grip strength, serum tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels and treatment satisfaction. Assessments were conducted at baseline, post-treatment (3 weeks) and at 4-week follow-up.ResultsPBMT-sMF yielded a higher responder rate (defined as the proportion of participants achieving at least a 30% reduction in pain intensity relative to baseline) than placebo (72% vs 40%, p=0.045), with a clinically and statistically significant between-group difference. Compared with placebo, the PBMT-sMF group showed significantly greater reductions in pain intensity both at the end of treatment (51.4±19.8 vs 36.9±22.6; p=0.0223) and at follow-up (37.4±24.1 vs 20.3±21.2; p=0.0049). TNF-α levels also decreased significantly in the PBMT-sMF group compared with placebo at both time points (p<0.0001 and p=0.0019, respectively). No significant between-group differences were observed for PRTEE scores, grip strength or treatment satisfaction. No major adverse events were reported.ConclusionsPBMT-sMF significantly reduced pain intensity and TNF-α levels, suggesting an anti-inflammatory mechanism. Although functional outcomes were not improved, PBMT-sMF may be a valuable short-term, non-invasive option for lateral epicondylitis pain management.Trial registration numberNCT04829734 on ClinicalTrials.gov

Aging is a complex process that involves changes at both molecular and morphological levels. However, our understanding of how aging affects brain anatomy and function is still poor. In addition, numerous biomarkers and imaging markers, usually associated with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), have been clinically used to study cognitive decline. However, the path of cognitive decline from healthy aging to a mild cognitive impairment (MCI) stage has been studied only marginally. This review presents aspects of cognitive decline assessment based on the imaging differences between individuals cognitively unimpaired and in the decline spectrum. Furthermore, we discuss the relationship between imaging markers and the change in their patterns with aging by using neuropsychological tests. Our goal is to delineate how aging has been studied by using medical imaging tools and further explore the aging brain and cognitive decline. We find no consensus among the biomarkers to assess the cognitive decline and its relationship with the cognitive decline trajectory. Brain glucose hypometabolism was found to be directly related to aging and indirectly to cognitive decline. We still need to understand how to quantify an expected hypometabolism during cognitive decline during aging. The Aβ burden should be longitudinally studied to achieve a better consensus on its association with changes in the brain and cognition decline with aging. There exists a lack of standardization of imaging markers that highlight the need for their further improvement. In conclusion, we argue that there is a lot to investigate and understand cognitive decline better and seek a window for a suitable and effective treatment strategy.

The ergogenic effects of photobiomodulation therapy combined with a static magnetic field (PBMT-sMF) on exercises with characteristics similar to those of CrossFit® are unknown. This study was aimed at investigating the effects of PBMT-sMF applied at different times on recovery and physical performance in CrossFit® athletes by analyzing functional aspects, muscle damage, inflammatory processes, and oxidative stress. This was a prospectively registered, triple-blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover trial. CrossFit® athletes were recruited and assigned to receive one of the four possible interventions. Each intervention included protocols before and after the exercise (referred to as the workout of the day (WOD)). The four possibilities of intervention were as follows: placebo before and after WOD (placebo), PBMT-sMF before and placebo after WOD (PBMT-sMF before), placebo before and PBMT-sMF after WOD (PBMT-sMF after), and PBMT-sMF before and after WOD (PBMT-sMF before and after). The order of possibilities for the interventions was randomized. The primary outcome was the functional test performance. The secondary outcomes were the subjective perception of exertion, muscle damage, inflammation, and oxidative stress. The outcomes were measured before the WOD; immediately after the intervention; and 1, 24, and 48 hours after the WOD. Statistical analysis was performed using repeated measures ANOVA followed by the Bonferroni post hoc test to examine the differences between the interventions at each time point. Twelve participants were randomized and analyzed for each sequence. PBMT-sMF enhanced the performance on functional tests (calculated as a percentage of change) when applied before or after WOD in the assessment performed immediately post-WOD and at 24 and 48 hours later (p<0.05) compared to placebo and PBMT-sMF before and after WOD. In terms of the secondary outcomes, PBMT-sMF applied before or after WOD significantly decreased the creatine kinase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase activities and interleukin-6, thiobarbituric acid, and carbonylated protein levels (all p<0.05) compared to the other possibilities of intervention. In addition, PBMT-sMF applied before and after WOD decreased creatine kinase activity at 24 hours and IL-6 levels at 24 and 48 hours compared to placebo (p<0.05). None of the participants reported any adverse events. PBMT-sMF enhanced the performance of functional tests, decreased the levels of biochemical markers of muscle damage and inflammation, decreased oxidative stress, and increased antioxidant activity in CrossFit® athletes when applied before or after WOD.