Si-atoms substitutions effects on the electronic and optical properties of coronene and ovalene

We report a computational comparative study of the ground and excited states properties of graphene nanoribbons, analyzing the case of coronene (C24H12) and ovalene (C32H14) and their silicon-atoms substituted counterparts with single, double and triple atomic insertions. We used density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT to quantify the effects on the electronic and optical properties as a result of the chemical modifications. In particular, we compared ground-state total energies, electron affinities, ionization energies, fundamental gaps and optical absorption spectra, between the original systems and each substituted one. For both the molecules, we observed a general reduction of the fundamental gap after chemical modification. Concerning the optical properties, therefore, we observed a redshift of the optical onset in all the cases; in particular, we have found that, in one ovalene and coronene trimer-substituted configuration, the absorption edge takes place in the IR

Deliveries by caesarean sections on request of women: legal-medical evidence

Introduction: In Italy the use of caesarean delivery has a rising trend moving away from European standards appeared on Euro-Peristat on maternal and child health, presenting the highest percentage of use of this procedure with significant regional differences. This study have analyzed the most recent data of a Sicilian reality about normal delivery and caesarean sections carried out in a hospital situated in Messina (Italy). Materials and methods: A total number of 1,573 medical records from 1st January 2011 to 31st December 2013 were analyzed and data gathered were statistically examined to describe general and specific parameters of the sample making use of Epi Info 7.1.4 software (CDC Atlanta – USA). Chi-square test was used to show any statistic differences among studied population. Results: Overall data showed that were carried out 38.27% of spontaneous deliveries, 7.06% of induced labor, and 54.67% of caesarean deliveries. There were no significant statistical differences between recourse to caesarean section and vaginal delivery in relation to nationality, age, level of education and/or work. The enrolled group, based on the parameters examined, was divided into appropriate caesarean section, in 79.49% of cases, inappropriate in 7.20% (mother’s request) and unjustified in 13.31% (with no indication, incomplete medical record). An examination of the anesthetic medical records showed that the caesarean section was considered to be urgent in 31.74% of the cases; however in 17.92% of these cases there is no information in the medical records justifying the use of emergency procedures. Conclusion: The reported data from the study that we conducted, lead to medical-legal and juridical considerations, especially as regards the use of caesarean delivery on the woman request. The complexity of the phenomenon requires the development of a variety of intervention strategies, not only for issues related to the reduction of health care costs, but also with regard to the clinical risk management and medical legal aspects related to the several profiles of professional responsibility

Structural changes in intestinal enteroendocrine cells after ileal interposition in normal rats

INTRODUCTION: No therapeutic approach has significantly impacted the progression of diabetes. As early improvement of glicaemic control is observed after bariatric surgeries, there is currently a search for surgical procedures that can promote euglycemia also in non-obese patients. Glicaemic control can be achieved by increasing the blood concentration of GLP-1, a hormone produced by L cells that are more densely concentrated in the terminal ileum. The interposition of ileal segment to a more anterior region (proximal jejunum) can promote a greater stimulation of the L cells by poorly digested food, increasing the production of GLP-1 and reflecting on glicaemic control.
AIMS: To investigate long-term histological modifications of intestinal mucosa of rats submitted to interposition of ileum segment to a proximal region (jejunum).
METHODS: Forty 8-week old male Wistar-EPM1 rats (Rattus norvegicus albinus) were randomly distributed into 3 groups: the Interposition Group (IG) was subjected to ileal interposition, the Sham Group (SG) was subjected to sham operations, and the Control Group (CG) was not subjected to surgery. All animals were followed until the 60th postoperative day (8 postoperative week) when they were euthanized. Segments of jejunum and ileum from all groups were collected and analyzed by optical microscopy and immunohistochemistry.
RESULTS: No structural nor histological changes in intestinal L cells in the interposed intestinal segment and other intestinal segments were noted after ileal interposition surgery. 
CONCLUSION: As L cells endocrine characteristics were likely maintained, the use of metabolic surgical techniques for the treatment of metabolic diseases, especially diabetes, seems to be justified

Trimethyl chitosan hydrogel nanoparticles for progesterone delivery in neurodegenerative disorders

Progesterone is a sex hormone which shows neuroprotective effects in different neurodegenerative disorders, including Parkinson’s disease, stroke, and Alzheimer’s disease. However, the pharmacokinetic limitations associated with the peripheral administration of this molecule highlight the need for more efficient delivery approaches to increase brain progesterone levels. Since the nose-to-brain administration of mucoadhesive hydrogel nanoparticles is a non-invasive and convenient strategy for the delivery of therapeutics to the central nervous system, in this work, progesterone-loaded hydrogel nanoparticle formulations have been prepared, characterized, and tested in vivo. Nanoparticles, loaded with different progesterone concentrations, have been obtained by polyelectrolyte complex formation between trimethyl chitosan and sodium alginate, followed by ionotropic gelation with sodium tripolyphosphate as a cross-linking agent. All formulations showed a mean diameter ranging from 200 nm to 236 nm, a polydispersity index smaller than 0.23, and a high progesterone encapsulation efficiency (83–95%). The zeta potential values were all positive and greater than 28 mV, thus ensuring nanoparticles stability against aggregation phenomena as well as interaction with negative sialic residues of the nasal mucosa. Finally, in vivo studies on Sprague–Dawley male rats demonstrated a 5-fold increase in brain progesterone concentrations compared to basal progesterone level after 30 min of hydrogel nanoparticle inhalation

Organic consequences of ileal transposition in rats with diet-induced obesity

INTRODUCTION: The clinical management of metabolic syndrome - especially diabetes mellitus type 2 - is notoriously complex due to the progressive nature of this disease. At present, there is a need for a surgical procedure that is effective for the treatment of diabetes mellitus type 2, even in non-obese individuals. The isolated ileal transposition theory could lead to an effective alternative therapy. This intervention has not yet been performed in humans, and there are no reports of its use in an experimental model of diet-induced metabolic syndrome.
 OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study is to evaluate the physiological effects of ileal transposition in rats with diet-induced metabolic syndrome. The effects of this procedure on glucose and lipid metabolism will be assessed. 
METHODS: Forty 12-week-old male rats (albino Rattus norvegicus, Wistar, 2BAW, heterogeneous) will be divided into four groups of 10 animals each: the ileal transposition group (TG) comprising animals on a hypercaloric-hyperlipidic diet; the sham group (SG) containing animals that receive the same diet and undergo the sham surgery; control group 1 (CG1), which will receive a hypercaloric-hyperlipidic diet and will not undergo surgery; and control group 2 (CG2), which will consume standard feed and will not undergo surgery. The surgeries will be performed in 20-week-old animals. Blood samples for laboratory testing will be collected from 12-week-old animals on the day of surgery and after eight postoperative weeks, following determination of the weights of the animals and the administration of anesthesia. The levels of serum glucose, insulin, triglycerides, total cholesterol and fractions, glucagon-like peptide-1, C-peptide and glycated hemoglobin will be assessed in all of the animals. The insulin tolerance test will be performed using PRISMA software, and insulin resistance will be calculated by the HOMA-IR indirect test. On specific days, two 20-week-old rats will be separated and randomly distributed in TG and SG. These animals will be followed until the eighth postoperative week. Subsequently, they will be euthanized, and the retroperitoneal and periepididymal fat deposits will be collected and weighed using a precision scale. In addition, the pancreas, liver and intestinal segments will be sent for pathological and immunohistochemical studies.
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Isolated ileal interposition in enteroendocrine L cells differentiation

INTRODUCTION: 
Due to the progressive nature of type 2 diabetes, its complexity and drug treatment perpetuity, there is currently a search for surgical procedures that can promote euglycemia also in non-obese patients. Diabetic patients glycemic control can be achieved by increasing the blood concentration of GLP-1, a hormone produced by L cells that are more densely concentrated in the terminal ileum. Early and extended improvement of diabetes in patients submitted to bariatric surgeries awakened the necessity of investigating the isolated ileal interposition as a surgical alternative for the treatment of diabetes. The interposition of this ileal segment to a more anterior region (proximal jejunum) can promote a greater stimulation of the L cells by poorly digested food, increasing the production of GLP-1 and reflecting on glycemic control. However, in order to consolidate the ileal interposition as a surgical treatment of diabetes it is necessary that the interposed ileum keep the same differentiation rate into L cells for a long period to justify the intervention.

AIMS: 
To investigate the isolated ileal interposition influence on the differentiation of intestinal precursor cells into enteroendocrine L cells over time.

METHODS: 
Twelve 12-week-old male Wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus albinus) of the WAB strain (heterogeneous) will be used. All animals will receive a high-calorie, high-fat diet for 16 weeks or more until they develop glucose dysmetabolism confirmed by glycemic test. They will be divided into two groups of 10 animals each: the isolated ileal interposition group (GI) and the control group (GC), comprising animals that will not be submitted to any surgical intervention. Blood samples will be collected under anesthesia at the weeks 12, 26, 36 and 44 for the determination of serum levels of glucose, insulin, GLP-1, glucagon, C-peptide and glycosilated hemoglobin. The insulin tolerance test will be performed and insulin resistance will be calculated. For the comparative analysis of the ileal precursor cells differentiation into enteroendocrine cells among the two groups, the following intestinal fragments will be collected after euthanasia: interposed ileum and remaining ileum from GI, jejunum and ileum from GC. These fragments will be analyzed by imunofluorescence and also by Real Time PCR using PCR Arrays for target genes including the main ones related to stem cell, stem cell signaling, diabetes, Wnt and Notch signaling pathways and other genes and pathways involved in the differentiation of intestinal precursor cells into enteroendocrine cells, especially GLP-1-producing L cells that play important role in euglycemia

Measuring Adherence to Inhaled Control Medication in Patients with Asthma: Comparison Among an Asthma App, Patient Self‐Report and Physician Assessment

Background: Previous studies have demonstrated the feasibility of using an asthma app to support medication management and adherence but failed to compare with other measures currently used in clinical practice. However, in a clinical setting, any additional adherence measurement must be evaluated in the context of both the patient and physician perspectives so that it can also help improve the process of shared decision making. Thus, we aimed to compare different measures of adherence to asthma control inhalers in clinical practice, namely through an app, patient self-report and physician assessment. Methods: This study is a secondary analysis of three prospective multicentre observational studies with patients (≥13 years old) with persistent asthma recruited from 61 primary and secondary care centres in Portugal. Patients were invited to use the InspirerMundi app and register their inhaled medication. Adherence was measured by the app as the number of doses taken divided by the number of doses scheduled each day and two time points were considered for analysis: 1-week and 1-month. At baseline, patients and physicians independently assessed adherence to asthma control inhalers during the previous week using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS 0-100). Results: A total of 193 patients (72% female; median [P25-P75] age 28 [19-41] years old) were included in the analysis. Adherence measured by the app was lower (1 week: 31 [0-71]%; 1 month: 18 [0-48]%) than patient self-report (80 [60-95]) and physician assessment (82 [51-94]) (p 0.05). There was a moderate correlation between patient self-report and physician assessment (ρ = 0.596, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Adherence measured by the app was lower than that reported by the patient or the physician. This was expected as objective measurements are commonly lower than subjective evaluations, which tend to overestimate adherence. Nevertheless, the low adherence measured by the app may also be influenced by the use of the app itself and this needs to be considered in future studies.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Criminalidade organizada nas prisões e os ataques do PCC

The advent of organized crime in Brazilian prisons, especially in the state of São Paulo, constitutes the object of this article. The waves of attack unleashed by the Capital's First Command (PCC - Primeiro Comando da Capital), in May 2006, which resulted in countless deaths, brought cities to a halt, and cornered authorities in charge preventing them from applying law and order are the starting as well as reference points taken. The advent of organized criminality is analyzed under the light of determined axes: the international scenario and the Brazilian context, the historical antecedents, the taking root of crime in society and the role of penitentiary public policies.A emergência da criminalidade organizada nas prisões brasileiras, em especial no Estado de São Paulo, constitui objeto deste artigo. Tomam-se como ponto de partida e referência para análise as ondas de ataques desencadeadas pelo Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), de maio a agosto de 2006, que resultaram em inúmeros mortos, paralisaram cidades e acuaram as autoridades encarregadas de aplicar lei e ordem. A emergência da criminalidade organizada é analisada sob eixos determinados: cenário internacional e contexto brasileiro, antecedentes históricos, enraizamento do crime na sociedade e papel das políticas públicas penitenciárias

Ice core chemistry database: an Antarctic compilation of sodium and sulfate records spanning the past 2000 years

Changes in sea ice conditions and atmospheric circulation over the Southern Ocean play an important role in modulating Antarctic climate. However, observations of both sea ice and wind conditions are limited in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean, both temporally and spatially, prior to the satellite era (1970 onwards). Ice core chemistry data can be used to reconstruct changes over annual, decadal, and millennial timescales. To facilitate sea ice and wind reconstructions, the CLIVASH2k (CLimate Variability in Antarctica and the Southern Hemisphere over the past 2000 years) working group has compiled a database of two species, sodium [Na+] and sulfate [SO2− 4 ], commonly measured ionic species. The database (https://doi.org/10.5285/9E0ED16E-F2AB4372-8DF3-FDE7E388C9A7; Thomas et al., 2022) comprises records from 105 Antarctic ice cores, containing records with a maximum age duration of 2000 years. An initial filter has been applied, based on evaluation against sea ice concentration, geopotential height (500 hPa), and surface wind fields to identify sites suitable for reconstructing past sea ice conditions, wind strength, or atmospheric circulation