Polymer single screw extruder optimization using tchebycheff scalarization method and simulated annealing algorithm

The single screw extrusion optimal design involves the optimization of six criteria that can be efficiently handled by a weighted Tchebycheff scalarization method. The performance of the method has been analyzed for three different methods to generate weight vectors. The experimental results show that the tested strategies provide similar and reasonable solutions and supply a valuable procedure to identify good trade-offs between conflicting objectives.European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 734205- H2020-MSCA-RISE-2017. The work has also been supported by FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia within the R&D Units Project Scope: UIDB/00319/2020, UIDB/00013/2020 and UIDP/00013/2020 of CMAT-U

Single screw extrusion optimization using the tchebycheff scalarization method

The optimal design of a single screw extrusion (SSE) is a very difficult task since it deals with several conflicting performance indices. Past research to find the optimal SSE design has been successfully conducted by optimization procedures, in particular by multi-objective optimization. Problems with two or more objectives have been addressed by multi-objective evolutionary algorithms that search for the whole set of promising solutions in a single run. Our approach has been guided by the bi-objective optimization problems, using a methodology based on the weighted Tchebycheff scalarization function. The numerical results show that the proposed methodology is able to produce satisfactory results with physical meaning.This work has been supported by FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia within the R&D Units Project Scope: UIDB/00319/2020, UIDB/05256/2020 and UIDP/05256/2020, UIDB/00013/2020 and UIDP/00013/2020 of CMAT-UM, and the European project MSCA-RISE-2015, NEWEX, Reference 734205

Severity of Ascites Is Associated with Increased Mortality in Patients with Cirrhosis Secondary to Biliary Atresia

Very few prior studies have investigated the presence of ascites as a prognostic factor in children with cirrhosis. To the best of our knowledge, there are no prior studies evaluating the relationship between severity of ascites and patient survival in children with biliary atresia and cirrhosis.Clinically detectable ascites is associated with decreased 1-year survival of children with biliary atresia. These patients should be treated with caution and prioritized for liver transplantation.Background Very few prior studies have investigated the presence of ascites as a prognostic factor in children with cirrhosis. To the best of our knowledge, there are no prior studies evaluating the relationship between severity of ascites and patient survival in children with biliary atresia and cirrhosis. Aims To evaluate the association between severity of ascites and survival of children with cirrhosis and biliary atresia. Methods All children with cirrhosis secondary to biliary atresia evaluated at our institution from 2000 to 2014 were included in this study. Patients were classified into four groups: NA = no ascites; A1 = grade 1 ascites; A2 = grade 2 ascites; and A3 = grade 3 ascites. The primary endpoint of the study was mortality within the first year after patient inclusion. Ninetyday mortality was also evaluated. Prognostic factors related to both endpoints also were studied. [...]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Prevalence of constipation in Down syndrome and association with behavioral problems

Objetivo: Investigar hábitos intestinais de crianças, jovens e adultos com Síndrome de Down (SD) para identificação da prevalência de constipação intestinal e analisar possíveis relações entre constipação e problemas de comportamento. Métodos: Estudo descritivo, exploratório e comparativo. Participaram 130 pessoas com diagnóstico médico de SD, idades entre sete meses e 50 anos, sem cardiopatias não corrigidas ou doenças intestinais. A avaliação foi realizada com um questionário sobre hábitos intestinais, criado a partir dos Critérios de Roma IV e das recomendações fornecidas pela Organização Mundial de Gastroenterologia e outras Associações Médicas Norte-americanas e Europeias, Escala de Bristol e Questionário de Capacidades e Dificuldades (SDQ). Resultados: Verificou-se 43 participantes constipados (33,1%). A prevalência por faixa etária foi 47% (0-35 meses), 40% (3-5 anos), 22% (6-11 anos), 28% (12-19 anos) e 17% (> 20 anos), sem diferenças em função do sexo. Os participantes constipados obtiveram escores mais elevados para Hiperatividade, bem como maior frequência de escores desviantes para Problemas de Conduta e Problemas Totais. Conclusões: A constipação intestinal dentre as pessoas com SD apresentou maior prevalência nos participantes mais novos. A maior presença de problemas de comportamento dentre os constipados sugere que o funcionamento intestinal está relacionado com as dificuldades comportamentais.Objective: To investigate intestinal habits of children, adolescents and adults with Down Syndrome (DS) in order to identify the prevalence of intestinal constipation and to analyze possible relationships between constipation and behavior problems. Methods: Descriptive, exploratory and comparative study. Participated 130 people with medical diagnosis of DS, aged between seven months to fifty years old, without uncorrected heart diseases or diagnosed intestinal diseases. The assessment was conducted using a questionnaire on intestinal habits, based on the Rome IV criteria and on the recommendations provided by the World Gastroenterology Organization, and other North American and European Associations; Bristol Scale and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Results: 43 constipated participants (33.1%). The prevalence rate by age group was 47% (0-35 months), 40% (3-5 years), 22% (6-11 years), 28% (12-19 years) e 17% (> 20 years), without any sex difference. Constipated participants obtained significantly higher scores on the SDQ Hyperactivity scale, as well as more deviant scores on the Conduct Problems and Total Problems scales. Conclusions: Constipation among people with DS was more prevalent in younger participants. The greater presence of behavior problems among constipated individuals suggests that intestinal functioning is related to behavioral difficulties

Conservation of wild mushrooms through electron beam irradiation

The high perishability is a characteristic of the mushrooms consumed in fresh. Therefore, it is mandatory the application of effective conservation technologies to preserve and protect their chemical composition and nutritional value. Drying processes are widely used, but do not avoid the development of bacteria and fungi which have the ability to survive for long periods of time in dry foods, causing the loss of some nutrients and leading to food browning and oxidation of lipids and vitamins [1]. Irradiation appears as an alternative to food preservation assuring and maintaining its quality [2]. In this work, the effects of electron beam irradiation and storage time on nutritional and chemical parameters of wild samples of Macrolepiota procera (Scop.) Singer, previously submitted to a drying process (oven at 30 ºC), were assessed. The wild mushroom samples were collected in Trás-os-Montes; electron beam irradiation (doses 0.5, 1 and 6 kGy) was carried out in the INCT- Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology in Warsaw, Poland and the analyses were performed over the storage period (0, 6 and 12 months). The results were compared with a control (non-irradiated samples). The nutritional value was determined according to the official procedures of food analysis, while the profiles of fatty acids, tocopherols, mono and oligosaccharides were obtained by chromatographic techniques [1]. The irradiation showed a better capacity to maintain the nutritional and chemical profile, in comparison with the storage time. Effectively, the storage time had a significant effect in all parameters, but fatty acids undergone significant changes both with irradiation doses and storage time. Electron beam irradiation can be considered a suitable technique for conservation of mushrooms for long periods of time, attenuating the changes caused by the drying treatment.The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) and FEDER under Programme PT2020 for financial support to CIMO (UID/AGR/00690/2013), A. Fernandes (SFRH/BPD/114753/2016) and J.C.M. Barreira contract.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Hepatitis C in Brazil: lessons learned with boceprevir and telaprevir

In 2012, the first-generation protease inhibitors telaprevir (TVR) and boceprevir (BOC) were introduced in the Brazilian health system for treatment of chronic hepatitis C, after their approval by the National Committee for Health Technology Incorporation (CONITEC). However, these medicines were discontinued in 2015. The short period of use in therapy and their high cost require a discussion about the consequences for patients and for the health system of the early incorporation of new therapies. The article presents a qualitative analysis of the incorporation process of both medications in Brazil and the results of a multicenter study that included patients treated with BOC or TVR between January 2011 and December 2015 in five Brazilian cities. The study included 855 patients (BOC: n=247) and (TVR: n=608). The document analysis showed that CONITEC’s decision to incorporate BOC and TVR was based on results of phase III clinical trials that compared sustained virologic response (SVR) rates of patients treated with BOC and TVR with rates of those that received placebo. However, these studies included a low percentage of cirrhotic patients. The SVR rates observed in this multicenter study were worse than clinical trials pointed out (BOC: 45.6%; TVR: 51.8%), but similar to those achieved with previously adopted therapies. The discontinuation rate due to adverse events was (BOC: 15.4%; TVR: 12.7%). Based on these unsatisfactory results, the study brings a discussion that goes beyond the therapy outcomes, exploring the incorporation of these high-cost medicines and the related decision-making process, contributing to future decisions in medicine policies and in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C

Levantamentos rápidos como ferramenta-chave para o inventário da fauna de morcegos do Brasil: novos registros na restinga costeira

The restingas present a considerable variation in the floristic structure and composition along their latitudinal and morphoclimatic gradients. This variation may have a direct influence on the set of conditions and resources available for their biological communities, including mammals. The present study is the first to assess the bat fauna of a coastal restinga habitat in northeastern Brazil. The study site was the RPPN Caju in the municipality of Itaporanga D’Ajuda, Sergipe. We collected data on 10 consecutive days in 2014, using mist nets set at ground level, sampling a different point on each day. We captured 191 bats (16 species, 14 genera and 5 families), including the first records of Saccopteryx leptura, Molossops temminckii and Eptesicus brasiliensis for the coastal restinga. The latter two species were recorded for Sergipe for the first time. The recorded species richness is one of the highest yet recorded for Brazilian restinga. We increased the number of records of bat species in the Brazilian restinga from 38 to 41, and the number of species known to occur in Sergipe from 48 to 50. We recommend the “wandering” placement of mist nets as an effective strategy for the rapid assessment of bat communities.Keywords: Chiroptera, Eptesicus brasiliensis, Molossops temminckii, Saccopteryx leptura, Sergipe.As restingas apresentam considerável variação na composição e estrutura florística ao longo do seu gradiente latitudinal e morfoclimático. Essa variação pode ter influência direta no conjunto de condições e recursos disponíveis para suas comunidades biológicas, incluindo os mamíferos. O presente estudo é o primeiro a avaliar a quiropterofauna da restinga do nordeste brasileiro. O local de estudo foi a RPPN Caju, no município de Itaporanga D’Ajuda, Sergipe. Foram realizados 10 dias consecutivos de amostragem, em 2014, usando redes de neblina no nível do solo. Em cada dia, foram amostrados pontos diferentes. Foram capturados 191 morcegos (16 espécies, 14 gêneros e 5 famílias), com destaque para os primeiros registros de Saccopteryx leptura, Molossops temminckii e Eptesicus brasiliensis para a restinga. As duas últimas espécies são registradas pela primeira vez para Sergipe. A riqueza registrada na RPPN representa uma das mais altas registradas na literatura para a restinga. Ampliamos o número de registros de espécies de morcegos para a restinga de 38 para 41, e o número de espécies conhecidas para Sergipe de 48 para 50. Recomenda-se a instalação errante de redes de neblina para avaliações rápidas das comunidades de morcegos.Palavras-chave: Chiroptera, Eptesicus brasiliensis, Molossops temminckii, Saccopteryx leptura, Sergipe

Convalescent plasma for COVID-19 in hospitalised patients : an open-label, randomised clinical trial

Background: The effects of convalescent plasma (CP) therapy in hospitalised patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remain uncertain. This study investigates the effect of CP on clinical improvement in these patients. Methods: This is an investigator-initiated, randomised, parallel arm, open-label, superiority clinical trial. Patients were randomly (1:1) assigned to two infusions of CP plus standard of care (SOC) or SOC alone. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients with clinical improvement 28 days after enrolment. Results: A total of 160 (80 in each arm) patients (66.3% critically ill, 33.7% severely ill) completed the trial. The median (interquartile range (IQR)) age was 60.5 (48–68) years; 58.1% were male and the median (IQR) time from symptom onset to randomisation was 10 (8–12) days. Neutralising antibody titres >1:80 were present in 133 (83.1%) patients at baseline. The proportion of patients with clinical improvement on day 28 was 61.3% in the CP+SOC group and 65.0% in the SOC group (difference −3.7%, 95% CI −18.8–11.3%). The results were similar in the severe and critically ill subgroups. There was no significant difference between CP+SOC and SOC groups in pre-specified secondary outcomes, including 28-day mortality, days alive and free of respiratory support and duration of invasive ventilatory support. Inflammatory and other laboratory marker values on days 3, 7 and 14 were similar between groups. Conclusions: CP+SOC did not result in a higher proportion of clinical improvement on day 28 in hospitalised patients with COVID-19 compared to SOC alone

The Eighth Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey: First Data from SDSS-III

The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) started a new phase in August 2008, with new instrumentation and new surveys focused on Galactic structure and chemical evolution, measurements of the baryon oscillation feature in the clustering of galaxies and the quasar Ly alpha forest, and a radial velocity search for planets around ~8000 stars. This paper describes the first data release of SDSS-III (and the eighth counting from the beginning of the SDSS). The release includes five-band imaging of roughly 5200 deg^2 in the Southern Galactic Cap, bringing the total footprint of the SDSS imaging to 14,555 deg^2, or over a third of the Celestial Sphere. All the imaging data have been reprocessed with an improved sky-subtraction algorithm and a final, self-consistent photometric recalibration and flat-field determination. This release also includes all data from the second phase of the Sloan Extension for Galactic Understanding and Evolution (SEGUE-2), consisting of spectroscopy of approximately 118,000 stars at both high and low Galactic latitudes. All the more than half a million stellar spectra obtained with the SDSS spectrograph have been reprocessed through an improved stellar parameters pipeline, which has better determination of metallicity for high metallicity stars.Comment: Astrophysical Journal Supplements, in press (minor updates from submitted version