Editorial of Special Issue: The Toxicity of Nanomaterials and Legacy Contaminants: Risks to the Environment and Human Health

n/aAna Teresa Reis is thankful for the financial support of FCT and FEDER-Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional through the COMPETE 2020-POCI, in the framework of the project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-029651, and individual FCT Grant SFRH/BPD/122112/2016. Sonia Fraga acknowledges the funding from the Operational Program for Competitiveness and Internationalization (POCI) through the European Regional Development Funds (FEDER/FNR) and from the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) (grant refs. POCI-01-0145-FEDER-031162 and DL-57/INSA-06/2018). The authors also thank FCT/MCTES for the financial support to EPIUnit (UIDB/04750/2020) and ITR (LA/P/0064/2020)

Bone mechanical stimulation with piezoelectric materials

This chapter summarized explores in vivo use of a piezoelectric polymer for bone mechanical stimulatio

Development of sex differences in listening

Various research with adults has shown that males are rated as more intelligent, more interesting, and more highly respected than females by both men and women. There is also evidence to indicate a developmental trend to these evaluations. In the present study it was hypothesized that younger boys and girls (age 5) would attain more information from a female model than from a male model, while older boys and girls (age 11) would attain more information from a male model. Mixed results were expected for 8 year olds such that boys would learn more from a male model and girls would learn more from n female model. Seventy-two children, 12 males and 12 females from grades K, 3, and 6, were shown a video-taped talk on puppet-making by either a male or female speaker, followed by a probed recall. Results indicate a developmental trend, but not as predicted. Sixth graders recalled more than Kindergarten subjects, while rating speaker effectiveness significantly lower than third grade and kindergarten subjects. Sixth graders also rated their interest in the topic after the presentation significantly lower than kindergarten subjects after hearing the female speaker. There were more differences in interest level after hearing the male speaker. Third grade males rated the information content lower than both kindergarten males and third grade females

Piezoelectric actuators for bone mechanical stimulation: exploring the concept.

Arthroplasty is liable to cause intense changes on strain levels and distribution in the boné surrounding the implant, namely stress shielding. Several solutions have been proposed for this, namely design variations and development of controlled-stiffness implants. A new approach to this problem, with potential application to other orthopaedic problems and other medical fields, would be the development of smart implants integrating systems for bone mechanical stimulation. Ideally, the implant should presente sensing capability and the ability to maintain physiological levels of strain at the implant interface. Piezoelectric materials’ huge potential as a mean to produce direct mechanical stimulation lies on the possibility of producing stimuli at a high range of frequencies and in multiple combinations. The present in vitro and preliminary in vivo studies were a first step towards the validation of the concept

Perceptions Of Juvenile Offenders Who Were Maltreated As Children

Research shows that when a study has participants act as mock jurors and experimentally manipulates child abuse, participants tend to recommend more lenient sentences for offenders with a history of abuse. Majority of the current research uses serious criminal offenses, such as murder, and many do not look into the influence of race, sex, and type of abuse. This study examined people’s perceptions of juvenile offenders who were maltreated as children by manipulating type of crime, type of abuse, the race of offender, and the sex of offender to see if these variables would influence the punitiveness of sentencing, and perceptions of the offender’s intent, responsibility, and blameworthiness. We recruited 209 Appalachian State University students and 430 participants from Amazon’s MTurk tool to read a short case vignette online and answer questions about it. We found that offenders who were abused were sentenced slightly harsher than those who were not abused and offenders who committed assault were sentenced harsher than offenders who committed breaking and entering. In the student sample, participants sentenced White offenders harsher than Black offenders, but the other sample found no difference. Lastly, in both samples the sex of the offender did not influence sentencing severity

Evaluation of nitrogen fertilizer and inoculation with diazotrophic bacteria on the biochemical behavior of the maize cultivar nitroflint

The evaluation of nitrogen fertilizer and inoculation with diazotrophic bacteria on the genetic and biochemical behavior of the maize (Zea mays L.) cultivar Nitroflint were performed in two experiments, one in the field and the other in greenhouse. The experimental set up consisted of a randomized blocks design with three replications and two evaluation factors, inoculation (or not) with diazotrophic bacteria and nitrogen fertilizer levels (100 kg/ha of N and 10 kg/ha of N). In the field experiment the following parameters were measured: grain production, total plant nitrogen (above ground), grain nitrogen and activities of the enzymes nitrate reductase and glutamine synthetase. In the second experiment (greenhouse), fresh weight of the plant, glutamine synthetase (transferase and synthetase) and nitrate reductase activities were determined for both leaf and root tissue. A bacterial count was made in three media, denominated LGI (semi-selective for Azospirillum amazonense), JNFb (Herbaspirillum spp.) and NFb (Azospirillum spp.) for the shoot and the root. Results of the field experiment showed an effect of N fertilizer on total N and grain production. The second experiment (greenhouse) showed an effect of N fertilizer on all parameters measured and inoculation was effective on glutamine synthetase activity of the root by transferase reaction. A correlation was obtained between root glutamine synthetase activity and bacterial growth in LGI.33696197

Dapagliflozin Impact on the Exercise Capacity of Non-Diabetic Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction Patients

Background: Dapagliflozin has been shown to reduce morbidity and mortality in Heart Failure with reduced Ejection Fraction (HFrEF), but its impact on exercise capacity of non-diabetic HF outpatients is unknown. Methods: Adult non-diabetic HF patients with a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) <50% were randomized 1:1 to receive dapagliflozin 10 mg or to continue with HF medication. Patients underwent an initial evaluation which was repeated after 6 months. The variation of several clinical parameters was compared, with the primary endpoint being the 6 month peak oxygen uptake (pVO2) variation. Results: A total of 40 patients were included (mean age 61 ± 13 years, 82.5% male, mean LVEF 34 ± 5%), half being randomized to dapagliflozin, with no significant baseline differences between groups. The reported drug compliance was 100%, with no major safety events. No statistically significant difference in HF events was found (p = 0.609). There was a 24% reduction in the number of patients in New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III in the treatment group as opposed to a 15.8% increase in the control group (p = 0.004). Patients under dapagliflozin had a greater improvement in pVO2 (3.1 vs. 0.1 mL/kg/min, p = 0.030) and a greater reduction in NT-proBNP levels (-217.6 vs. 650.3 pg/mL, p = 0.007). Conclusion: Dapagliflozin was associated with a significant improvement in cardiopulmonary fitness at 6 months follow-up in non-diabetic HFrEF patients.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

O Valor Prognóstico do Ponto Ótimo Cardiorrespiratório após Prova de Esforço Cardiorrespiratória Submáxima na Insuficiência Cardíaca

Introduction: Peak oxygen consumption (pVO2) is a key parameter for assessing the prognosis of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). However, it is less reliable when the cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) is not maximal. Objective: To compare the prognostic power of various exercise parameters in submaximal CPET. Methods: Adult patients with HFrEF undergoing CPET in a tertiary center were prospectively assessed. Submaximal CPET was defined as a respiratory exchange ratio ≤1.10. Patients were followed for one year for the primary endpoint of cardiac death and urgent heart transplantation (HT). Various CPET parameters were analyzed as potential predictors of the combined endpoint and their prognostic power (area under the curve [AUC]) was compared using the Hanley-McNeil test. Results: CPET was performed in 442 HFrEF patients (mean age 56±12 years, 80% male), of whom 290 (66%) had a submaximal CPET. Seventeen patients (6%) reached the primary endpoint. The cardiorespiratory optimal point (COP) had the highest AUC value (0.989, p<0.001), and significantly higher prognostic power than other tested parameters, with pVO2 presenting an AUC of 0.753 (p=0.001). COP ≥36 had significantly lower survival free of HT during follow-up (p<0.001) and presented a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 89% for the primary endpoint. Conclusion: COP had the highest prognostic power of all parameters analyzed in a submaximal CPET. This parameter can help stratify HFrEF patients who are physiologically unable to reach a maximal level of exercise.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Pulmonary Metastasis in a Cardiac Angiosarcoma. Case Report and Discussion

Apresenta-se um caso clínico referente a doente de 35 anos, do sexo masculino sem antecedentes pessoais relevantes, admitido no serviço de urgência por quadro de toracalgia e tosse produtiva com alterações electrocardiográficas sugestivas de pericardite. Inicialmente admitido pelo Serviço de Cardiologia, com melhoria do quadro clínico após terapêutica anti- -inflamatória; contudo, no internamento houve como intercorrência pneumonia de provável etiologia bacteriana, complicada por derrame pleural. Após a alta,foi referenciado à consulta de pneumologia, onde se manteve o estudo etiológico do derrame persistente, tendo vindo a complicar-se o seu quadro com alterações das cavidades cardíacas e múltiplos nódulos pulmonares, sugestivos de endocardite subaguda com embolização séptica pulmonar. Internado no serviço de Pneumologia e submetido a videotoracoscopia, foi-lhe diagnosticado angiossarcoma cardíaco com metastização pulmonar. Assistiu-se a uma rápida evolução do quadro clínico, quase fulminante, com falência cardíaca e óbito do doente sem ter iniciado radioterapia ou quimioterapia adjuvante