Selective Synthesis of α-, β-, and γ-Ag2WO4 Polymorphs: Promising Platforms for Photocatalytic and Antibacterial Materials

Silver tungstate (Ag2WO4) shows structural polymorphism with different crystalline phases, namely, orthorhombic, hexagonal, and cubic structures that are commonly known as α, β, and γ, respectively. In this work, these Ag2WO4 polymorphs were selectively and successfully synthesized through a simple precipitation route at ambient temperature. The polymorph-controlled synthesis was conducted by means of the volumetric ratios of the silver nitrate/tungstate sodium dehydrate precursors in solution. The structural and electronic properties of the as-synthesized Ag2WO4 polymorphs were investigated by using a combination of X-ray diffraction and Rietveld refinements, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy images, and photoluminescence. To complement and rationalize the experimental results, first-principles calculations, at the density functional theory level, were carried out, leading to an unprecedented glimpse into the atomic-level properties of the morphology and the exposed surfaces of Ag2WO4 polymorphs. Following the analysis of the local coordination of Ag and W cations (clusters) at each exposed surface of the three polymorphs, the structure–property relationship between the morphology and the photocatalytic and antibacterial activities against amiloride degradation under ultraviolet light irradiation and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, respectively, was investigated. A possible mechanism of the photocatalytic and antibacterial activity as well the formation process and growth of the polymorphs is also explored and proposed

A systematic review of progranulin concentrations in biofluids in over 7,000 people—assessing the pathogenicity of GRN mutations and other influencing factors

Background: Pathogenic heterozygous mutations in the progranulin gene (GRN) are a key cause of frontotemporal dementia (FTD), leading to significantly reduced biofluid concentrations of the progranulin protein (PGRN). This has led to a number of ongoing therapeutic trials aiming to treat this form of FTD by increasing PGRN levels in mutation carriers. However, we currently lack a complete understanding of factors that affect PGRN levels and potential variation in measurement methods. Here, we aimed to address this gap in knowledge by systematically reviewing published literature on biofluid PGRN concentrations. Methods: Published data including biofluid PGRN concentration, age, sex, diagnosis and GRN mutation were collected for 7071 individuals from 75 publications. The majority of analyses (72%) had focused on plasma PGRN concentrations, with many of these (56%) measured with a single assay type (Adipogen) and so the influence of mutation type, age at onset, sex, and diagnosis were investigated in this subset of the data. Results: We established a plasma PGRN concentration cut-off between pathogenic mutation carriers and non-carriers of 74.8 ng/mL using the Adipogen assay based on 3301 individuals, with a CSF concentration cut-off of 3.43 ng/mL. Plasma PGRN concentration varied by GRN mutation type as well as by clinical diagnosis in those without a GRN mutation. Plasma PGRN concentration was significantly higher in women than men in GRN mutation carriers (p = 0.007) with a trend in non-carriers (p = 0.062), and there was a significant but weak positive correlation with age in both GRN mutation carriers and non-carriers. No significant association was seen with weight or with TMEM106B rs1990622 genotype. However, higher plasma PGRN levels were seen in those with the GRN rs5848 CC genotype in both GRN mutation carriers and non-carriers. Conclusions: These results further support the usefulness of PGRN concentration for the identification of the large majority of pathogenic mutations in the GRN gene. Furthermore, these results highlight the importance of considering additional factors, such as mutation type, sex and age when interpreting PGRN concentrations. This will be particularly important as we enter the era of trials for progranulin-associated FTD.</p

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear un derstanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5–7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8–11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world’s most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepre sented in biodiversity databases.13–15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may elim inate pieces of the Amazon’s biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological com munities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple or ganism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region’s vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most ne glected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lostinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Minimal information for studies of extracellular vesicles 2018 (MISEV2018):a position statement of the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles and update of the MISEV2014 guidelines

The last decade has seen a sharp increase in the number of scientific publications describing physiological and pathological functions of extracellular vesicles (EVs), a collective term covering various subtypes of cell-released, membranous structures, called exosomes, microvesicles, microparticles, ectosomes, oncosomes, apoptotic bodies, and many other names. However, specific issues arise when working with these entities, whose size and amount often make them difficult to obtain as relatively pure preparations, and to characterize properly. The International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV) proposed Minimal Information for Studies of Extracellular Vesicles (“MISEV”) guidelines for the field in 2014. We now update these “MISEV2014” guidelines based on evolution of the collective knowledge in the last four years. An important point to consider is that ascribing a specific function to EVs in general, or to subtypes of EVs, requires reporting of specific information beyond mere description of function in a crude, potentially contaminated, and heterogeneous preparation. For example, claims that exosomes are endowed with exquisite and specific activities remain difficult to support experimentally, given our still limited knowledge of their specific molecular machineries of biogenesis and release, as compared with other biophysically similar EVs. The MISEV2018 guidelines include tables and outlines of suggested protocols and steps to follow to document specific EV-associated functional activities. Finally, a checklist is provided with summaries of key points

Minimal information for studies of extracellular vesicles 2018 (MISEV2018): a position statement of the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles and update of the MISEV2014 guidelines

The last decade has seen a sharp increase in the number of scientific publications describing physiological and pathological functions of extracellular vesicles (EVs), a collective term covering various subtypes of cell-released, membranous structures, called exosomes, microvesicles, microparticles, ectosomes, oncosomes, apoptotic bodies, and many other names. However, specific issues arise when working with these entities, whose size and amount often make them difficult to obtain as relatively pure preparations, and to characterize properly. The International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV) proposed Minimal Information for Studies of Extracellular Vesicles (“MISEV”) guidelines for the field in 2014. We now update these “MISEV2014” guidelines based on evolution of the collective knowledge in the last four years. An important point to consider is that ascribing a specific function to EVs in general, or to subtypes of EVs, requires reporting of specific information beyond mere description of function in a crude, potentially contaminated, and heterogeneous preparation. For example, claims that exosomes are endowed with exquisite and specific activities remain difficult to support experimentally, given our still limited knowledge of their specific molecular machineries of biogenesis and release, as compared with other biophysically similar EVs. The MISEV2018 guidelines include tables and outlines of suggested protocols and steps to follow to document specific EV-associated functional activities. Finally, a checklist is provided with summaries of key points

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear understanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5,6,7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8,9,10,11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world's most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepresented in biodiversity databases.13,14,15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may eliminate pieces of the Amazon's biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological communities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple organism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region's vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most neglected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lost

A AVALIAÇÃO DA APRENDIZAGEM NA CONCEPÇÃO DE PROFESSORES DE QUÍMICA DO ENSINO MÉDIO

A avaliação da aprendizagem tem sido apontada como um tema pouco discutido em cursos de formação de professores, trazendo consequências para a sua efetividade no contexto da sala de aula. Assim, no presente trabalho buscamos investigar como a avaliação é entendida por professores de Química do Ensino Médio de escolas públicas da região sul da Bahia. Para a análise dos dados, recorremos a diversos estudos que discutem a prática da avaliação no âmbito escolar. De modo geral, os resultados apontam para a existência de concepções equivocadas acerca da ação avaliativa e para a necessidade de melhorias na formação dos professores atuantes no Ensino Médio

A AVALIAÇÃO DA APRENDIZAGEM NA CONCEPÇÃO DE PROFESSORES DE QUÍMICA DO ENSINO MÉDIO

A avaliação da aprendizagem tem sido apontada como um tema pouco discutido em cursos de formação de professores, trazendo consequências para a sua efetividade no contexto da sala de aula. Assim, no presente trabalho buscamos investigar como a avaliação é entendida por professores de Química do Ensino Médio de escolas públicas da região sul da Bahia. Para a análise dos dados, recorremos a diversos estudos que discutem a prática da avaliação no âmbito escolar. De modo geral, os resultados apontam para a existência de concepções equivocadas acerca da ação avaliativa e para a necessidade de melhorias na formação dos professores atuantes no Ensino Médio

Fibrose cística em adultos: aspectos clínicos e espirométricos

INTRODUÇÃO: A fibrose cística é diagnosticada usualmente na infância. No Brasil, poucos estudos abordam seu diagnóstico na idade adulta. OBJETIVO: Descrever as características demográficas, clínicas e os achados de espirometria dos pacientes com fibrose cística diagnosticados na idade adulta, na Bahia (Brasil). MÉTODO: Foram avaliados 28 pacientes com fibrose cística diagnosticada na idade adulta no Centro de Referência de Fibrose Cística do Estado da Bahia. As variáveis de interesse foram: idade, gênero, cor, índice de massa corpórea (IMC), cultivo do escarro, porcentagem do previsto da capacidade vital forçada (% CVF), porcentagem do previsto do volume expiratório forçado no primeiro segundo (% VEF1) e resposta ao broncodilatador. RESULTADOS: A média de idade dos pacientes foi de 31,1±12,4 anos. A proporção de negros e mulatos foi de 53,7%, e a média de IMC foi 18,7±3,0Kg/m2. Em doze pacientes (43%) foi confirmada P. aeruginosa no escarro. As médias ±DP dos percentuais do previsto da CVF e do VEF1 foram de 58,9±21,6% e 44,1±23% respectivamente. No grupo colonizado por P. aeruginosa as médias dos parâmetros espirométricos foram inferiores às do grupo não colonizado. Entretanto, somente em relação à CVF esta diferença alcançou significância estatística (p= 0,007). CONCLUSÃO: Concordante com a literatura, este estudo reforça que o diagnóstico de fibrose cística deve ser investigado em pacientes com infecções respiratórias de repetição, sinusite e bronquiectasias, mesmo na idade adulta. Os valores dos percentuais da CVF e VEF1 em relação ao previsto foram menores nos pacientes colonizados por P aeruginosa, evidenciando uma maior deterioração da função pulmonar