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Background Traditional continuous diode laser transscleral cyclophotocoagulation (TCW-TSCPC) has been used for decades to reduce intraocular pressure (IOP) by decreasing aqueous humor (AH) production in patients with glaucoma. Micropulse cyclophotocoagulation (MP-TSCPC) and slow coagulation (SC-TSCPC) are the newest transscleral cyclophotocoagulation (TSCPC) techniques that result in lower inflammation and complication rates compared to the traditional technique. Most publications on TSCPC are case series with a retrospective design with different treatment protocols. The objective of this manuscript is to describe the protocol of a randomized clinical trial (RCT) designed to compare the efficacy and safety of MP-TSCPC and SC-TSCPC in patients with refractory glaucoma followed for 12 months. Methods This is a parallel, double-arm single-center, double-masked, RCT that will include eyes with refractory glaucoma. Patients with corrected visual acuity (BCVA) ≤ 20/60, IOP > 21 mmHg, and age ≥ 18 years will be randomized to cyclophotocoagulation using the SC-TSCPC or MP-TSCPC techniques. Follow-up visits will be 1 day, 7 days, 30 days, 3, 6, and 12 months after the procedure. Complete success will be defined as an IOP between 6 and 20 mmHg and a minimum of 30% IOP reduction from baseline, without hypotensive medications. Qualified success will be defined by the same parameters but allowing the use of medication. All follow-up examinations will include determination of BCVA, IOP measurement, slit lamp biomicroscopy, fundoscopy, and macular optical coherence tomography (OCT). The number of hypotensive medications and the occurrence of complications will also be documented. Discussion Our study was designed to compare the efficacy and safety of the two most used TSCPC techniques. Most published studies are retrospective and compare the two new techniques only with the traditional technique. This is, to our knowledge, the first RCT comparing MP-TSCPC and SC-TSCPC techniques. Trial registration Retrospectively registered at the Registro Brasileiro de Ensaios Clínicos (ReBEC) platform RBR-5pckbhj on December 15, 2023. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the University of Campinas, Brazil.

The methanol crossover effect severely reduces the efficiency of direct methanol fuel cells once it affects the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) that occurs in the cathode. Hence, methanol dilution has to be carried out to overcome this drawback. However, when methanol is employed as the fuel, its concentration is highly important to improve the performance of these electrochemical devices. Thus, although still very challenging, the rational design of efficient electrocatalysts for such systems via an ORR mechanism is vital. To this end, we reported the synthesis of AgPt nanotubes (1.0 wt% Pt) by a galvanic replacement approach using Ag nanowires as sacrificial templates, which were successfully immobilized on commercial silica. We demonstrated that such hollow AgPt-based material could be employed as a highly selective electrocatalyst, which promoted the system's targeting for the ORR reaction, an essential pathway for renewable energy issues built on fuel cells. Our results were achieved in highly concentrated methanol solutions (up to 7.5 M), which was impossible with the commercial 20 wt% Pt on Vulcan XC-72R (E-TEK). Using theoretical calculations, we showed that Ag atoms were essential to avoid the poisoning as the reactions were less favorable to occur on its surface; then, the random configuration of AgPt nanotubes was crucial for the remarkable selectivity of the system, explaining the high performance of the electrocatalyst due to the synergistic effects between Ag and Pt in the AgPt/SiO2 electrocatalyst.

This study evaluated the effects of different stocking densities (high density–HD: 14 fish/tank; low density–LD: 7 fish/tank) on productive performance, lipidomic profile, and fatty acid composition in GIFT tilapia juveniles. Zootechnical parameters were analyzed, including relative growth, weight gain, feed conversion ratio, and fillet yield, along with lipidomic markers and fatty acids. Results showed that high density promoted better apparent feed conversion ( p  < 0.0001). However, low density led to higher apparent feed intake ( p  < 0.0001) and greater fillet yield ( p  = 0.0009), suggesting these fish utilized ingested nutrients to maximize fillet production. Lipidomic analysis revealed higher phospholipid turnover in low density (LD), with increased lysophosphatidylcholines (LPC) and lysophosphatidylethanolamines (LPE), while high density (HD) showed phosphatidylcholine (PC) accumulation, indicating less efficient lipid metabolism under stress. Additionally, LD had higher concentrations of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) ( p  < 0.05), highlighting density’s influence on nutritional quality. We conclude that low stocking density suggests an improvement in productive performance and fish quality, whereas high density induces metabolic responses indicative of chronic stress related to lipid metabolism.

Every year more than 150,000 tons of resin used in a myriad of industrial applications are produced by Brazilian plantations of Pinus elliottii Engelm. (slash pine), which are also used for timber. A pine tree can be tapped for resin over a period of several years. Resin is a complex mixture of terpenes, which are carbon-rich molecules, presumably influencing pine plantation carbon budgets. A total of 270 trees (overall mean DBH of 22.93 ± 0.11 cm) of 14-, 24-, and 26-year-old stands had their C content measured. Three different treatments (intact, wounded panels, and wounded + chemically stimulated panels, 30 trees each) were applied per site. Above- and belowground biomass, as well as resin yield, were quantified for two consecutive years. Data were statistically evaluated using normality distribution tests, analyses of variance, and mean comparison tests (p ≤ 0.05). The highest resin production per tree was recorded in the chemically stimulated 14-year-old stand. Tree dry wood biomass, a major stock of carbon retained in cell wall polysaccharides, ranged from 245.69 ± 11.73 to 349.99 ± 16.73 kg among the plantations. Variations in carbon concentration ranged from 43% to 50% with the lowest percentages in underground biomass. There was no significant difference in lignin concentrations. Soils were acidic (pH 4.3 ± 0.10–5.83 ± 0.06) with low C (from 0.05% to 1.4%). Significantly higher C stock values were recorded in pine biomass compared to those reported for temperate zones. Resin-tapping biomass yielded considerable annual increments in C stocks and should be included as a relevant component in C sequestration assessments of planted pine forests.

Hancornia speciosa Gomes is a tree native to Brazil and has therapeutic potential for several diseases. Ethnopharmacological surveys have reported that the plant is used as a hypoglycemic agent and to lose weight. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the aqueous extract from H. speciosa latex (LxHs) in a zebrafish model of diabetes. The extract was evaluated through high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HTPLC), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). We then tested treatments with LxHs (500, 1000, and 1500 mg/kg) by assessing blood glucose levels in alloxan-induced diabetic animals, and metformin was used as a control. The toxicity was evaluated through histopathology of the pancreas and biochemical assessment of serum levels of AST, ALT, creatinine, and urea. The extract was also assessed for acute toxicity through several parameters in embryos and adult animals. Finally, we performed in silico analysis through the SEA server and docking using the software GOLD. The phytochemical study showed the compounds cornoside, dihydrocornoide, and 1-O-methyl-myoinositol (bornesitol). The treatment with all doses of LxHs significantly decreased alloxan-induced hyperglycemia without any significant histological or biochemical abnormalities. No significant frequency of teratogenesis was observed in the embryos exposed to the extract, and no significant behavioral changes or deaths were observed in adult animals. In silico, the results showed a potential interaction between inositol and enzymes involved in carbohydrates’ metabolism. Overall, the results show a hypoglycemic activity of the extract in vivo, with no apparent toxicity. The computational studies suggest this could be at least partially due to the presence of bornesitol, since inositols can interact with carbohydrates’ enzymes.

Purpose Bariatric endoscopy is a less invasive approach for obesity management, with better efficacy than pharmacological treatment and low morbidity. Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) is the remodeling of the stomach using a suturing device showing technical feasibility, safety, and sustained weight loss. With growing numbers of procedures worldwide, there is a need to standardize the procedure. Materials and Methods A consensus meeting was held in São Caetano do Sul-SP, Brazil, in June 2019, bringing together 47 Brazilian endoscopists with experience in ESG from all regions of the country. Topics on indications and contraindications of the procedure, pre-procedure evaluation and multidisciplinary follow-up, technique and post-procedure follow-up, and training requirements were discussed. An electronic voting was carried, and a consensus was defined as ≥ 70% agreement. Results The panel’s experience consisted of 1828 procedures, with a mean percentage total body weight loss (TBWL) of 18.2% in 1 year. Adverse events happened in 0.8% of the cases, the most common being hematemesis. The selected experts discussed and reached a consensus on several questions concerning patient selection, contraindications for the procedure, technical details such as patient preparation, procedure technique, and patient follow-up. Conclusions This consensus establishes practical guidelines for performance of ESG. The experience of 1828 procedures shows the expertise of the selected specialists participating in this consensus statement. The group’s experience has a satisfactory weight loss with low adverse events rate. The main points discussed in this paper may serve as a guide for endoscopists performing ESG. Practical recommendations and technique standardization are described.

Brazil, which is hyperendemic for dengue virus (DENV), has had recent Zika (ZIKV) and (CHIKV) Chikungunya virus outbreaks. Since March 2016, CHIKV is the arbovirus infection most frequently diagnosed in Rio de Janeiro. In the analysis of 1835 syndromic patients, screened by real time RT-PCR, 56.4% of the cases were attributed to CHIKV, 29.6% to ZIKV, and 14.1% to DENV-4. Sequence analyses of CHIKV from sixteen samples revealed that the East-Central-South-African ( ECSA) genotype of CHIKV has been circulating in Brazil since 2013 [95% bayesian credible interval (BCI): 03/2012-10/2013], almost a year before it was detected by arbovirus surveillance program. Brazilian cases are related to Central African Republic sequences from 1980’s. To the best of our knowledge, given the available sequence published here and elsewhere, the ECSA genotype was likely introduced to Rio de Janeiro early on 2014 (02/2014; BCI: 07/2013-08/2014) through a single event, after primary circulation in the Bahia state at the Northestern Brazil in the previous year. The observation that the ECSA genotype of CHIKV was circulating undetected underscores the need for improvements in molecular methods for viral surveillance.

Plants of the genus Pinus are able to grow in a wide range of environments, many of which are quite harsh and extreme. High benefit–cost ratio of pine plantations resides on the relatively low demand for management investments and high economic and environmental services returns. Pine forests work as sinks of atmospheric carbon, contributing to greenhouse effect mitigation. They are important sources of numerous useful products, including not only wood and cellulose but also nonwood products used by the chemical, food, and pharmaceutical industries, as well as for biorefineries. This review examines biological and economic aspects of pine trees concerning the chemical industry, especially the contributions of this natural source for replacing petroleum‐derived chemicals and fuels, improving food safety, and increasing carbon storage. Future goals for this forestry sector, such as the establishment of super‐resinous forests, are also discussed. Plants of the genus Pinus are able to grow in a wide range of environments, many of which quite harsh and extreme. Pine forests work as sinks of atmospheric carbon, contributing to greenhouse effect mitigation. They are important sources of numerous useful products, including not only wood and cellulose, but also non‐wood products used by the chemical, food, biofuel, and pharmaceutical industries, as well as for biorefineries.

Benzoic acid (BA) and essential oils (EOs) (thymol, 2-methoxyphenol, eugenol, piperine, and curcumin) are being studied to minimize the impairment of gastrointestinal functions in weanling piglets. This study evaluates the effects of combining BA and EO on the performance and intestinal health of piglets challenged with E. coli F4 (1 mL, 106 CFU/mL). In total, 270 weaned piglets were used in a randomized block design with six treatments: positive control, with 40 mg/kg colistin (PC); negative control, without the growth promoter (NC); negative control +5 g/kg benzoic acid (BA); negative control +2 g/kg combination of BA+EO (BA+EO2); negative control +3 g/kg combination of BA+EO (BA+EO3); negative control +4 g/kg combination of BA+EO (BA+EO4). BA+EO3 presented a greater average daily gain (ADG) (p = 0.0013) and better feed-to-gain ratio (p = 0.0138), compared to NC, from 21 to 35 days age. For the total period, BA, BA+EO3, and BA+EO4 were similar to PC and superior to NC for ADG (p = 0.0002) and final body weight (BW) (p = 0.0002). No difference (p > 0.05) was verified for diarrhea, microbial population, production of volatile fatty acids, pH, weight of organs, cellular proliferation, and cholecystokinin count. NC and BA+EO4 resulted in a higher villus height in the jejunum (p = 0.0120) compared to BA+EO3. The use of BA or the combination of BA and EO at 3 g/kg provides improved performance, aside from being an economically viable alternative to replace colistin.

Headache is the most common neurological symptom in COVID-19, reported in 6.5 to 34% of patients. Few studies have analyzed its characteristics, and some of them included cases without laboratory confirmation or reported only critical patients. We aimed to analyze the clinical characteristics of COVID-19 associated headache in laboratory-confirmed cases. We conducted a retrospective evaluation of patients with COVID-19 and neurological symptoms. Patients who reported headache answered an interview about its clinical characteristics. Twenty-four patients with COVID-19 associated headache completed the interview. Mean age of patients was 53.8 (standard deviation—17.44), and 14 out of 24 (58.3%) were male. The majority (75%) had no previous history of headache. Fever was documented in 19 out of the 24 patients (79.1%). Headache was predominantly bifrontal or holocranial, in pressure, during hours, worsening with cough or physical activity. COVID-19 headache tends to appear in the first days of symptoms, be either frontal or holocranial and last for days. The quality of pain in pressure and the worsening with cough or physical activity were reported in most cases. We have not found any characteristic that could differentiate COVID-19 associated headache from other causes of headache, possibly because of its multifactorial mechanism.