Capture and transformation of urban soundscape data for artistic creation

<p>URB is a research project designed to collect and store raw data from soundscapes analysis. This paper presents a survey about using URB based on the analysis of work developed by several artists, focusing on the description of their creative process and outcome. By comparing the processes and statements of each artists, the authors identified diverse systematic approaches to reinterpreting raw data provided by urban soundscapes, raising questions about the artistic outcomes vs original sound sources. Furthermore, some considerations are inferred about the artistic relevance of using this process in the creation process.</p

(1<i>H</i>‑Tetrazol-5-yl)-Allenes: Building Blocks for Tetrazolyl Heterocycles

(1<i>H</i>-Tetrazol-5-yl)-allenes have been prepared for the first time, and their reactivity toward aziridines explored. Reaction of a (1-benzyl-1<i>H-</i>tetrazol-5-yl)-phosphonium chloride and acyl chlorides in the presence of triethylamine afforded the target allenes via Wittig reaction of the <i>in situ</i> generated phosphorus ylide and ketenes. 1-(1-Benzyl-1<i>H</i>-tetrazol-5-yl)­propa-1,2-diene and 3-methyl-, 3-ethyl- and 3-benzyl derivatives undergo microwave-induced formal [3 + 2] cycloaddition with <i>cis</i>-<i>N</i>-benzyl-2-benzoyl-3-phenylaziridine, through C–N bond cleavage, to give selectively tetrasubstituted pyrroles. In contrast, with (1<i>H</i>-tetrazol-5-yl)-allenes bearing bulkier substituents at C-3, such as <i>i</i>-propyl or a <i>tert</i>-butyl, 4-methylenepyrrolidines were obtained exclusively via [3 + 2] cycloaddition of the <i>in situ</i> generated azomethine ylide. The latter allenes also gave 4-methylenepyrrolidines on reacting with <i>cis</i>-2-benzoyl-<i>N</i>-cyclohexyl-3-phenylaziridine, whereas with the other allenes, pyrroles were obtained as major products together with the formation of 4-methylenepyrrolidines. All the studied (1<i>H</i>-tetrazol-5-yl)-allenes reacted with <i>N</i>-benzyl-<i>cis</i>-3-phenylaziridine-2-carboxylate to give the corresponding 4-methylenepyrrolidines exclusively

Prevalence of orofacial alterations in sickle cell disease: a review of literature

Aim: To evaluate the manifestations of sickle cell disease on the orofacial complex through a review of current literature concerning prevalence of dental caries, periodontal disease, temporomandibular joint disorders and radiographic alterations of maxillofacial bones. Methods: Full-text papers retrieved from MEDLINE and LILACS electronic databases were critically reviewed. Results: Alterations of maxillofacial bones are well documented in the literature, but studies reporting caries, periodontal condition and temporomandibular joint alterations in are scarce and inconclusive. Conclusion: Further well-designed epidemiological studies are needed to indicate the real impact of this disease on the stomatognathic health, collaborating to improve public health policies

Salting-in with a Salting-out Agent: Explaining the Cation Specific Effects on the Aqueous Solubility of Amino Acids

Although the understanding of ion specific effects on the aqueous solubilities of biomolecules is crucial for the development of many areas of biochemistry and life sciences, a consensual and well-supported molecular picture of the phenomena has not yet been established. Mostly, the influence of cations and the nature of the molecular interactions responsible for the reversal of the Hofmeister trend in aqueous solutions of amino acids and proteins are still defectively understood. Aiming at contributing to the understanding of the molecular-level mechanisms governing the cation specific effects on the aqueous solubilities of biocompounds, experimental solubility measurements and classical molecular dynamics simulations were performed for aqueous solutions of three amino acids (alanine, valine, and isoleucine), in the presence of a series of inorganic salts. The evidence gathered suggests that the mechanism by which salting-in inducing cations operate in aqueous solutions of amino acids is different from that of anions, and allows for a novel and consistent molecular description of the effect of the cation on the solubility based on specific interactions of the cations with the negatively charged moieties of the biomolecules

Computational and Experimental Study of the Behavior of Cyano-Based Ionic Liquids in Aqueous Solution

The solvation of cyano- (CN-) based ionic liquids (ILs) and their capacity to establish hydrogen bonds (H-bonds) with water was studied by means of experimental and computational approaches. Experimentally, water activity data were measured for aqueous solutions of ILs based on 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium ([BMIM]⁺) cation combined with one of the following anions: thiocyanate ([SCN]⁻), dicyanamide ([DCA]⁻), or tricyanomethanide ([TCM]⁻), and of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetracyanoborate ([EMIM]­[TCB]). From the latter data, water activity coefficients were estimated showing that [BMIM]­[SCN] and [BMIM]­[DCA], unlike [BMIM]­[TCM] and [EMIM]­[TCB], are able to establish favorable interactions with water. Computationally, the conductor like screening model for real solvents (COSMO-RS) was used to estimate the water activity coefficients which compare well with the experimental ones. From the COSMO-RS results, it is suggested that the polarity of each ion composing the ILs has a strong effect on the solvation phenomena. Furthermore, classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed for obtaining an atomic level picture of the local molecular neighborhood of the different species. From the experimental and computational data it is showed that increasing the number of CN groups in the ILs’ anions does not enhance their ability to establish H-bonds with water but decreases their polarities, being [BMIM]­[DCA] and [BMIM]­[SCN] the ones presenting higher propensity to interact

Association of Mortality and Risk of Epilepsy With Type of Acute Symptomatic Seizure After Ischemic Stroke and an Updated Prognostic Model

Importance: Acute symptomatic seizures occurring within 7 days after ischemic stroke may be associated with an increased mortality and risk of epilepsy. It is unknown whether the type of acute symptomatic seizure influences this risk. Objective: To compare mortality and risk of epilepsy following different types of acute symptomatic seizures. Design, setting, and participants: This cohort study analyzed data acquired from 2002 to 2019 from 9 tertiary referral centers. The derivation cohort included adults from 7 cohorts and 2 case-control studies with neuroimaging-confirmed ischemic stroke and without a history of seizures. Replication in 3 separate cohorts included adults with acute symptomatic status epilepticus after neuroimaging-confirmed ischemic stroke. The final data analysis was performed in July 2022. Exposures: Type of acute symptomatic seizure. Main outcomes and measures: All-cause mortality and epilepsy (at least 1 unprovoked seizure presenting >7 days after stroke). Results: A total of 4552 adults were included in the derivation cohort (2547 male participants [56%]; 2005 female [44%]; median age, 73 years [IQR, 62-81]). Acute symptomatic seizures occurred in 226 individuals (5%), of whom 8 (0.2%) presented with status epilepticus. In patients with acute symptomatic status epilepticus, 10-year mortality was 79% compared with 30% in those with short acute symptomatic seizures and 11% in those without seizures. The 10-year risk of epilepsy in stroke survivors with acute symptomatic status epilepticus was 81%, compared with 40% in survivors with short acute symptomatic seizures and 13% in survivors without seizures. In a replication cohort of 39 individuals with acute symptomatic status epilepticus after ischemic stroke (24 female; median age, 78 years), the 10-year risk of mortality and epilepsy was 76% and 88%, respectively. We updated a previously described prognostic model (SeLECT 2.0) with the type of acute symptomatic seizures as a covariate. SeLECT 2.0 successfully captured cases at high risk of poststroke epilepsy. Conclusions and relevance: In this study, individuals with stroke and acute symptomatic seizures presenting as status epilepticus had a higher mortality and risk of epilepsy compared with those with short acute symptomatic seizures or no seizures. The SeLECT 2.0 prognostic model adequately reflected the risk of epilepsy in high-risk cases and may inform decisions on the continuation of antiseizure medication treatment and the methods and frequency of follow-up

Implementation of Recommendations on the Use of Corticosteroids in Severe COVID-19

Importance: Research diversity and representativeness are paramount in building trust, generating valid biomedical knowledge, and possibly in implementing clinical guidelines. Objectives: To compare variations over time and across World Health Organization (WHO) geographic regions of corticosteroid use for treatment of severe COVID-19; secondary objectives were to evaluate the association between the timing of publication of the RECOVERY (Randomised Evaluation of COVID-19 Therapy) trial (June 2020) and the WHO guidelines for corticosteroids (September 2020) and the temporal trends observed in corticosteroid use by region and to describe the geographic distribution of the recruitment in clinical trials that informed the WHO recommendation. Design, setting, and participants: This prospective cohort study of 434 851 patients was conducted between January 31, 2020, and September 2, 2022, in 63 countries worldwide. The data were collected under the auspices of the International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infections Consortium (ISARIC)-WHO Clinical Characterisation Protocol for Severe Emerging Infections. Analyses were restricted to patients hospitalized for severe COVID-19 (a subset of the ISARIC data set). Exposure: Corticosteroid use as reported to the ISARIC-WHO Clinical Characterisation Protocol for Severe Emerging Infections. Main outcomes and measures: Number and percentage of patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19 who received corticosteroids by time period and by WHO geographic region. Results: Among 434 851 patients with confirmed severe or critical COVID-19 for whom receipt of corticosteroids could be ascertained (median [IQR] age, 61.0 [48.0-74.0] years; 53.0% male), 174 307 (40.1%) received corticosteroids during the study period. Of the participants in clinical trials that informed the guideline, 91.6% were recruited from the United Kingdom. In all regions, corticosteroid use for severe COVID-19 increased, but this increase corresponded to the timing of the RECOVERY trial (time-interruption coefficient 1.0 [95% CI, 0.9-1.2]) and WHO guideline (time-interruption coefficient 1.9 [95% CI, 1.7-2.0]) publications only in Europe. At the end of the study period, corticosteroid use for treatment of severe COVID-19 was highest in the Americas (5421 of 6095 [88.9%]; 95% CI, 87.7-90.2) and lowest in Africa (31 588 of 185 191 [17.1%]; 95% CI, 16.8-17.3). Conclusions and relevance: The results of this cohort study showed that implementation of the guidelines for use of corticosteroids in the treatment of severe COVID-19 varied geographically. Uptake of corticosteroid treatment was lower in regions with limited clinical trial involvement. Improving research diversity and representativeness may facilitate timely knowledge uptake and guideline implementation