Development of a low-cost insulin infusion pump software simulator: a case study with a Brazilian company.

The purpose of this paper is to describe the development of a low-cost insulin infusion pump software simulator. The simulator was built using Java programming language and replicates the interface and functions of a real low-cost insulin infusion pump currently under development. Potential users participated in a remote session, and assessment was conducted using a standard usability scale (SUS).

Mangiferin and norathyriol acting on Alzheimer's disease biomarkers: acetylcholinesterase, β-secretase (BACE-1), and amyloid β-peptide.

Objectives: Mangiferin, a chemical constituent of Mangifera indica, has been the subject of extensive investigation due to its diverse biological activities, as detailed in numerous scientific studies. Its aglycone, norathyriol, has similarly garnered attention from researchers. In furtherance of our ongoing research goals, this article presents an evaluation of these compounds in relation to biomarkers associated with Alzheimer's disease.

Integrated real-time imaging of executioner caspase dynamics, apoptosis-induced proliferation, and immunogenic cell death using a stable fluorescent reporter platform.

Regulated cell death plays a central role in tissue homeostasis, disease progression, and therapeutic responses. However, tools to study these processes with high spatiotemporal resolution in physiologically relevant systems remain limited. Here, we present a fluorescent reporter cell system that enables real-time visualization of caspase-3/-7 activity via a DEVD-based biosensor, alongside a constitutive fluorescent marker for assessing successful transduction and cell presence.

Tire road wear particles, microplastics and metals in sediment of stormwater detention basins: co-occurrence and ecological risk assessment.

Tire road wear particles (TRWP) and microplastics (MP) are increasingly present in the environment due to anthropogenic sources like industrial activities and road traffic. Their load is high in urban sediments and more specifically in stormwater management infrastructure such as detention basins. Eleven detention basins featured by contrasting land uses (industrial, urban, agricultural, and heterogeneous) were sampled in a French metropolitan city to examine how land use influences the presence of TRWP, MP, and metals in these basins.

New Insights into the Interaction of Sugarcane Cystatin (CaneCPI-5) with the Surface of Hydroxyapatite through Molecular Dynamics Simulations.

Introduction: This study conducted a molecular dynamics simulation to elucidate the interactions in silico between a sugarcane cystatin (CaneCPI-5) and hydroxyapatite, aiming to deepen the understanding of its potential role in modulating the dental enamel demineralization process.

Methods: The CaneCPI-5 protein structure was modeled using homology with SWISS-MODEL, based on the multicystatin template PDB-ID 4LZI. Molecular dynamics simulations were conducted with the protein positioned randomly in a box containing a hydroxyapatite surface (001 face).

Acute Effects of Four Major Trace Amines on Zebrafish Behavioral, Neurochemical, and Neuroendocrine Responses.

Trace amines are biologically active compounds endogenously synthesized in the brain in small amounts and structurally resembling biogenic amines. Acting via specific trace amine-associated receptors (TAARs), they induce robust behavioral and physiological effects in humans and animals. However, although TAAR ligands have recently been suggested as novel putative anxiolytics, their central effects and evolutionary conservation of activity remain poorly understood.

Determination of drugs of abuse in oral fluid using dried oral fluid spot assisted by 24-well plate and LC-MS/MS.

Background: Oral fluid has proven to be an excellent matrix for drug testing. Several analytical techniques are available, including the use of dried spots, which have gained increasing recognition in recent years. In this study, a new method was developed and validated using dried oral fluid spot (DOFS) assisted by a 24-well plate for the simultaneous determination of thirteen drugs of abuse and metabolites in oral fluid by LC - MS/MS.

A novel method for the determination of synthetic cathinones and related substances in postmortem blood samples using cork-based dispersive solid-phase microextraction prior to LC-MS/MS analysis.

The detection of new psychoactive substances in postmortem blood is of primary importance for the investigation of related deaths. A method using cork as a biosorbent in a solid-phase microextraction with LC-MS/MS analysis was developed and validated for the determination of synthetic cathinones and related substances in blood. The sample preparation method employed 200 µL of sample and 30 mg of cork powder, and the complete procedure was optimized using multivariate strategies.

A simple method for the determination of stimulant substances in postmortem blood: development, validation, and application in nearly 1000 forensic cases.

Purpose: Toxicological analyses of postmortem blood samples are essential to elucidate forensic cases involving toxic agents, such as illicit drugs. A simple method for determining stimulant substances in postmortem blood samples through protein precipitation and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was developed and applied in nearly 1000 samples from Brazilian forensic cases.

Methods: For sample preparation, 100 µL of postmortem blood was precipitated using acetonitrile.

Combining Environmental Variables and Machine Learning Methods to Determine the Most Significant Factors Influencing Honey Production.

Bees are crucial for food production and biodiversity. However, extreme weather variation and harsh winters are the leading causes of colony losses and low honey yields. This study aimed to identify the most important features and predict Total Honey Harvest (THH) by combining machine learning (ML) methods with climatic conditions and environmental factors recorded from the winter before and during the harvest season.

Gut Microbiota Metabolite TMAO and Adolescent Cardiometabolic Health: A Cross-sectional Analysis.

Background: Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) is a metabolite derived from gut microbiota that has been associated with cardiovascular and metabolic disease risk in adults. However, its role in assessing cardiometabolic risk in adolescents is unclear.

Objective: This study investigates the association between serum TMAO levels and cardiometabolic health indicators in Brazilian adolescents.

Stability of the antibiotic ceftaroline fosamil with focus on degradation products and decomposition pathways - Integrative analysis by LC-DAD, ESI-QTOF and in silico prediction.

Stability studies are important tools for pharmacovigilance, enabling the investigation of new compounds made available to the population under different hospital conditions. Indicated for the treatment of complicated skin and soft tissue infections and community-acquired pneumonia, ceftaroline fosamil is a fifth-generation cephalosporin marketed as Zinforo®, a novel antibiotic given the long development time, in the form of powder for infusion. Due to the presence of a phosphate group, ceftaroline fosamil is a prodrug that is converted by hepatic enzymes to active form ceftaroline.

High-Load Core@Shell Nanocarriers with Irinotecan and 5-Fluorouracil for Combination Chemotherapy in Colorectal Cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer type and second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, requiring novel drug-delivery concepts. ITC@ZrO(TocP)/ZrO(FdUMP) core@shell nanocarriers (designated ITC-FdUMP-NC) with the clinically relevant chemotherapeutics irinotecan (ITC) and fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine-5'-phosphate (FdUMP) (active derivative of 5'-fluorouracil/5-FU) are a new type of nanocarrier with high drug payload (22 wt% of lipophilic ITC: particle core; 10 wt% of hydrophilic FdUMP: particle shell). The nanocarriers are tested in different CRC cell lines, a normal cell line, and rectal cancer patient-derived organoids (PDOs).

Enhancement of colorectal cancer therapy through interruption of the HSF1-HSP90 axis by p53 activation or cell cycle inhibition.

The stress-associated chaperone system is an actionable target in cancer therapies. It is ubiquitously upregulated in cancer tissues and enables tumorigenicity by stabilizing oncoproteins. Most inhibitors target the key component, heat-shock protein 90 (HSP90).

Prediction of Hypertension in the Pediatric Population Using Machine Learning and Transfer Learning: A Multicentric Analysis of the SAYCARE Study.

Objective: To develop a machine learning (ML) model utilizing transfer learning (TL) techniques to predict hypertension in children and adolescents across South America.

Methods: Data from two cohorts (children and adolescents) in seven South American cities were analyzed. A TL strategy was implemented by transferring knowledge from a CatBoost model trained on the children's sample and adapting it to the adolescent sample.

Stock and vertical distribution of microplastics and tire and road wear particles into the soils of a high-traffic roadside biofiltration swale.

Urban highways are a central infrastructure in megacities and represent diverse sources of microplastic pollution. Understanding the relative contribution of these microplastic sources, including the abrasion of macrolitter and the generation of tire and road wear particles (TRWP) is necessary to better assess the sources and fate of microplastics in terrestrial environments. This study focuses on microplastic (MP) and TRWP infiltration in the soil of a biofiltration swale alongside a high-traffic highway in the north of Paris, France.

Model systems to study tumor-microbiome interactions in early-onset colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major health problem, with an alarming increase of early-onset CRC (EO-CRC) cases among individuals under 50 years of age. This trend shows the urgent need for understanding the underlying mechanisms leading to EO-CRC development and progression. There is significant evidence that the gut microbiome acts as a key player in CRC by triggering molecular changes in the colon epithelium, leading to tumorigenesis.

Effects of tropical fruit blends on fermentative and pigmentation aspects of probiotic native cultured goat milk.

Background: Fruits are sources of bioactive compounds such as phenolics that bring health benefits to consumers. The addition of fruit products and microorganisms with probiotic potential in fermented goat milk can facilitate the acquisition of these benefits through diet. In this sense, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of incorporating a mixture of ingredients from jaboticaba (), jambolana (), and mandacaru () fruits on fermentation parameters (pH, titratable acidity, viability of the native culture CNPC003 and the starter culture), associated with pigmentation (phenolic compound content and color) through experimental mixture design.

Bovine bone-based activated carbon composite containing nanomagnetite as a catalyst for photo-Fenton reactions.

Magnetic composites (MC) prepared from magnetite nanoparticles (MNP) and activated carbon from bovine bone (AC) in different proportions (75/25, 50/50, and 25/75) were used as catalysts in the photo-Fenton process to degrade methylene blue (MB) in aqueous solution. The materials were prepared by the citrate-nitrate sol-gel synthesis method and used as catalysts in the photo-Fenton process. The photocatalytic tests were performed in a cylindrical reactor with a 4.

Gut microbiota and gut-derived metabolites are altered and associated with dietary intake in women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

Background: Disturbances in the gut microbiota may act as mechanisms influencing the interplay between dietary factors and metabolic disorders. Studies have demonstrated that these alterations are associated with the diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Within this context, we aimed to investigate associations between gut microbiota, gut-derived metabolites (short-chain fatty acids [SCFAs] and indole-3-propionic acid [IPA]), and dietary intake in women with PCOS.

Brewer's spent grain as a potential sorbent for toxicology methods: Application to antidepressant analysis in urine.

The use of antidepressants is well-documented for several health conditions. The determination of these drugs in biological fluids is often important in intoxication cases. However, appropriate sample preparation needs to be employed, such as dispersive liquid phase microextraction (DSPME).

Evaluation of the applicability of urine lateral flow immunochromatography tests for the detection of cocaine in plasma samples.

Introduction: Qualitative analysis of cocaine in urine is a common practice in emergency settings. However, positive results from urine screening tests do not necessarily indicate recent exposure. In this context, plasma is considered a more appropriate option due to its shorter detection window and better correlation with symptomatology.

Tire and road wear particles in infiltration pond sediments: Occurrence, spatial distribution, size fractionation and correlation with metals.

Stormwater systems, such as infiltration ponds or basins, play a critical role in managing runoff water and reducing particulate pollution loads in downstream environments through decantation. Road runoff carries several pollutants, including trace metals and tire and road wear particles (TRWP). To improve our understanding of infiltration ponds as regards TRWP and their capacity to reduce TRWP loads, we have studied the occurrence, spatial distribution and size distribution of TRWP, as well as their relationship with metals, in considering the input of metals as tire additives, in the sediments of an infiltration pond located along the Nantes urban ring road (Western France), which happens to be a high-traffic roadway site.