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A considerable amount of research has focused on monitoring structural damage using Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) technologies, which has had recent advances. However, it is important to note the challenges and unresolved problems that disqualify currently developed monitoring systems. One of the frontline SHM technologies, the Electromechanical Impedance (EMI) technique, has shown its potential to overcome remaining problems and challenges. Unfortunately, the recently developed neural network algorithms have not shown significant improvements in the accuracy of rate and the required processing time. In order to fill this gap in advanced neural networks used with EMI techniques, this paper proposes an enhanced and reliable strategy for improving the structural damage detection via: (1) Savitzky–Golay (SG) filter, using both first and second derivatives; (2) Probabilistic Neural Network (PNN); and, (3) Simplified Fuzzy ARTMAP Network (SFAN). Those three methods were employed to analyze the EMI data experimentally obtained from an aluminum plate containing three attached PZT (Lead Zirconate Titanate) patches. In this present study, the damage scenarios were simulated by attaching a small metallic nut at three different positions in the aluminum plate. We found that the proposed method achieves a hit rate of more than 83%, which is significantly higher than current state-of-the-art approaches. Furthermore, this approach results in an improvement of 93% when considering the best case scenario.

To determine whether teleophthalmology can help physicians in assessing and managing eye conditions and to ascertain which clinical conditions can be addressed by teleophthalmology in primary care setting. We evaluated the resolution capacity of TeleOftalmo, strategy implemented in the public health system of southern Brazil. Resolution capacity was defined as the ability to fully address patients' eye complaints in primary care with remote assistance from ophthalmologists. Data from tele-eye reports were collected over 14 months. Resolution capacity was compared across different age groups and different ocular conditions. Overall, 8,142 patients had a tele-eye report issued in the study period. Resolution capacity was achieved in 5,748 (70.6%) patients. When stratified into age groups, the lowest capacity was 43.1% among subjects aged ≥65 years, while the highest was 89.7% among subjects aged 13-17 years (p<0.001). Refractive error (70.3%) and presbyopia (56.3%) were the most prevalent conditions followed by cataract (12.4%) and suspected glaucoma (7.6%). Resolution capacity was higher in cases of refractive error, presbyopia, spasm of accommodation and lid disorders than in patients diagnosed with other condition (p<0.001). With telemedicine support, primary care physicians solved over two-thirds of patients' eye or vision complaints. Refractive errors had high case resolution rates, thus having a great impact on reducing the number of referrals to specialty care. Teleophthalmology adoption in primary-care settings as part of the workup of patients with eye or vision complaints promotes a more effective use of specialty centers and will hopefully reduce waiting times for specialty referral.

This cross-sectional study aims to describe doubts regarding the diagnosis and treatment of syphilis in pregnancy among primary care professionals in a telehealth service. All teleconsultations (TCs) offered through TelessaúdeRS-UFRGS to primary health care (PHC) services in the state of Rio Grande do Sul between 2018 and 2021 involving syphilis in pregnancy were included. A total of 356 (TCs) were analyzed. The main doubts about syphilis during pregnancy raised by primary care professionals were related to the need for retreatment (35%), diagnostic definition (23%) and initial treatment (16%). In addition, 95% of TCs were suitable for diagnosing and treating syphilis based on the 2020 Brazilian Ministry of Health guideline. This study suggests that TCs can identify failures in the diagnosis and treatment of public health problems and support decision making in PHC involving syphilis in pregnancy.

This study aimed to ascertain utility and vision-related quality of life in patients awaiting access to specialist eye care. A secondary aim was to evaluate the association of utility indices with demographic profile and waiting time. Consecutive patients that had been waiting for ophthalmology care answered the 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI VFQ-25). The questionnaire was administered when patients arrived at the clinics for their first visit. We derived a utility index (VFQ-UI) from the patients' responses, then calculated the correlation between this index and waiting time and compared utility across demographic subgroups stratified by age, sex, and care setting. 536 individuals participated in the study (mean age 52.9±16.6 years; 370 women, 69% women). The median utility index was 0.85 (interquartile range [IQR] 0.70-0.92; minimum 0.40, maximum 0.97). The mean VFQ-25 score was 70.88±14.59. Utility correlated weakly and nonsignificantly with waiting time (-0.05, P = 0.24). It did not vary across age groups (P = 0.85) or care settings (P = 0.77). Utility was significantly lower for women (0.84, IQR 0.70-0.92) than men (0.87, IQR 0.73-0.93, P = 0.03), but the magnitude of this difference was small (Cohen's d = 0.13). Patients awaiting access to ophthalmology care had a utility index of 0.85 on a scale of 0 to 1. This measurement was not previously reported in the literature. Utility measures can provide insight into patients' perspectives and support economic health analyses and inform health policies.

Since late 2014, the Mexican Caribbean coast has periodically received massive, atypical influxes of pelagic Sargassum spp. (sargasso). Negative impacts associated with these influxes include mortality of nearshore benthic flora and fauna, beach erosion, pollution, decreasing tourism and high management costs. To understand the dynamics of the sargasso influx, we used Landsat 8 imagery (from 2016 to mid-2020) to record the coverage of sargasso in the sea off the Mexican Caribbean coastline, with a maximum reported in September 2018. Satellite image analysis also showed local differences in the quantity of beached sargasso along the coastline. Over the years, good practice for collection on the beach and for off-shore collection of sargasso have been established through trial and error, and the Mexican Government and hotel industry have spent millions of dollars on removal and off-shore detention of sargasso. Notwithstanding, sargasso also has various properties that could be harnessed in local industries. The stimulation of local industrial growth would offer alternatives to the dependence on tourism, as a circular economy, based on sargasso, is developed.

ABSTRACT Objectives: to achieve the degree of saturation in study that applied the grounded theory. Methods: qualitative research, carried out in four Family Health Units, between June 2018 and May 2019. The data from the interviews with 30 health professionals and non-participant observation were coded in the stages: open, axial and integration. Results: the degree of saturation was achieved by two conceptual models - theoretical saturation and inductive thematic. Theoretical saturation was considered: the development of conceptual codes and observation, in the collection and analysis of data, when they generated new categories/subcategories or only indicated increasing instances. For thematic inductive saturation, the use of new codes based on each interview stood out. Final Considerations: the visual layout for the number of codes, the theoretical scope of the concepts and the delimitation of the sample groups guided the identification of the degree of saturation for the development of the conceptual body that supported the substantive theory. RESUMEN Objetivos: alcanzar grado de saturación en estudio que aplicó la teoría fundamentada. Métodos: investigación cualitativa, realizada en cuatro Unidades Salud de la Familia, entre junio de 2018 y mayo de 2019. Datos de entrevistas con 30 profesionales de salud y observación no participante fueron codificados en las etapas: abierta, axial e integración. Resultados: grado de saturación fue alcanzado por dos modelos conceptuales - saturación teórica y temática inductiva. Fueron considerados para la saturación teórica: el desarrollo de códigos conceptuales y observación, en la recolecta y análisis de los datos, cuando generaban nuevas categorías/subcategorías o apenas indicaban instancias crecientes. Para la saturación temática inductiva, destacó la utilización de nuevos códigos basados en cada entrevista. Consideraciones Finales: la esquematización visual para la cantidad de códigos, inclusión teórica de los conceptos y delimitación de los grupos muestrales orientó la identificación del grado de saturación al desarrollo del cuerpo conceptual que sustentó la teoría sustantiva. RESUMO Objetivos: alcançar o grau de saturação em estudo que aplicou a teoria fundamentada. Métodos: pesquisa qualitativa, realizada em quatro Unidades Saúde da Família, entre junho de 2018 e maio de 2019. Os dados das entrevistas com 30 profissionais de saúde e observação não participante foram codificados nas etapas: aberta, axial e integração. Resultados: o grau de saturação foi alcançado por dois modelos conceituais - saturação teórica e temática indutiva. Foram considerados para a saturação teórica: o desenvolvimento dos códigos conceituais e a observação, na coleta e análise dos dados, quando geravam novas categorias/subcategorias ou apenas indicavam instâncias crescentes. Para a saturação temática indutiva, destacou-se a utilização de novos códigos baseados em cada entrevista. Considerações Finais: a esquematização visual para a quantidade de códigos, abrangência teórica dos conceitos e delimitação dos grupos amostrais orientou a identificação do grau de saturação para o desenvolvimento do corpo conceitual que sustentou a teoria substantiva.

Carbon nanomaterials are robust and possess fascinating properties useful for separation technology applications, but their scalability and high salt rejection when in a strong cross flow for long periods of time remain challenging. Here, we present a graphene-based membrane that is prepared using a simple and environmentally friendly method by spray coating an aqueous dispersion of graphene oxide/few-layered graphene/deoxycholate. The membranes were robust enough to withstand strong cross-flow shear for a prolonged period (120 h) while maintaining NaCl rejection near 85% and 96% for an anionic dye. Experimental results and molecular dynamic simulations revealed that the presence of deoxycholate enhances NaCl rejection in these graphene-based membranes. In addition, these novel hybrid-layered membranes exhibit better chlorine resistance than pure graphene oxide membranes. The desalination performance and aggressive shear and chlorine resistance of these scalable graphene-based membranes are promising for use in practical water separation applications. Scalable graphene-based membranes reject more than 80% NaCl under aggressive shear for more than 20 h and exhibit chlorine resistance.

Recently, cobaltites derived from the Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework 67 (ZIF-67) have stood out as promising electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). However, it is still necessary to understand the experimental parameters in the synthesis of these materials and their impacts on electrocatalysis. Thus, this work reports the influence of the solvent on the impregnation of nickel ions into ZIF-67 for the obtention of nickel cobaltites and its impact on the electrocatalytic behavior. The impregnation process was conducted in methanol or ethanol and investigated via infrared spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermogravimetry, to understand the different mechanisms of interaction between nickel ions and ZIF- 67. Electrocatalysts were obtained after calcination of the precursors at 350 °C in air. Both solvents lead to the formation of nanocomposites. However, the experiments in methanol resulted in the formation of the nanocomposite NiCo2O4/C, while the use of ethanol led to an additional crystalline phase of nickel oxide (NiCo2O4/NiO/C). Measured overpotentials in the alkaline medium were 333 and 341 mV (in KOH 1 M, at j = 10 mA cm−2), respectively, for NiCo2O4/NiO/C and NiCo2O4/C. The material’s high electrocatalytic performance is related to the high concentration of electroactive sites like Ni3+ and Co3+ ions and the presence of oxygen vacancies. Higher catalytic performance for the NiCo2O4/C nanocomposite was observed at high current densities, related to the low electrode resistance.

Wave-induced inundation in coastal zones is a serious problem for residents. Accurate prediction of wave run-up height is a complex phenomenon in coastal engineering. In this study, several machine learning (ML) models are developed to simulate wave run-up height. The developed methods are based on optimization techniques employing the group method of data handling (GMDH). The invasive weed optimization (IWO), firefly algorithm (FA), teaching–learning-based optimization (TLBO), harmony search (HS), and differential evolution (DE) meta-heuristic optimization algorithms are embedded with the GMDH to yield better feasible optimization. Preliminary results indicate that the developed ML models are robust tools for modeling the wave run-up height. All ML models’ accuracies are higher than empirical relations. The obtained results show that employing heuristic methods enhances the accuracy of the standard GMDH model. As such, the FA, IWO, DE, TLBO, and HS improve the RMSE criterion of the standard GMDH by the rate of 47.5%, 44.7%, 24.1%, 41.1%, and 34.3%, respectively. The GMDH-FA and GMDH-IWO are recommended for applications in coastal engineering.