Toagosei (Japan)

Schistosomiasis caused by Schistosoma mansoni remains a significant public health issue in Brazil, particularly in areas with poor sanitation and frequent exposure to contaminated water bodies. In the municipality of Eunápolis, located in southern Bahia, historical records of the disease indicate the persistence of endemic transmission and underreporting in official health information systems. In this context, the present study aimed to carry out an integrated analysis of epidemiological, environmental, and malacological data to identify risk factors for the maintenance and possible reactivation of the schistosomiasis transmission cycle in the region. This is an observational, cross-sectional study with a quantitative-qualitative approach, conducted between 2023 and 2024. Secondary data were collected from SINAN, SIAB, and DATASUS, as well as primary data obtained through physicochemical and microbiological analyses of water samples and malacological surveys at 11 strategic points in the municipality. The results revealed the presence of fecal coliforms in water bodies used for bathing and recreation, along with the identification of Biomphalaria snails in areas of frequent human activity. The analyses highlight the coexistence of environmental and social factors that contribute to vulnerability to schistosomiasis, underscoring the need for intersectoral control actions, improved sanitation, and health education.

This experience report originates from a university extension project developed between August and December 2024, aimed at analyzing occupational stress and stressors experienced by healthcare professionals at the Dr. José Ramos Neto Basic Health Unit, in Eunápolis, Bahia, Brazil. The extension activity involved students and professors in the health field, integrating education, service, and community through investigative actions with a quantitative and qualitative approach. Data collection included the application of the Lipp Stress Symptom Inventory for Adults (ISSL), as well as a questionnaire on occupational stressors. Fourteen health professionals participated in the study, and the responses revealed that biological risk was the main stressor identified (34.6%), followed by the physical structure of the unit (23%). The data also indicated that 28.57% of the participants experienced some level of stress, with the resistance phase being the most prevalent. The extension experience provided a critical reflection on the mental health of professionals in Primary Health Care, highlighting the need for institutional interventions aimed at preventing occupational illness and reinforcing the role of extension activities in promoting social awareness, professional training, and humanized care.

LiZr 2 (PO 4 ) 3 has garnered widespread interest as a solid electrolyte for all-solid-state batteries. However, its Li ionic conductivity remains insufficient for practical use. Although attempts have been made to improve the Li ionic conductivity by doping with cations and controlling the synthesis conditions, the exploration space is vast, and optimisation remains challenging. In this study, the amount of dopants and heating conditions for Li 1+x+2y Ca y Zr 2-y Si x P 3-x O 12 co-doped with Ca 2+ and Si 4+ were optimised via experimental synthesis, evaluation, and Bayesian optimisation (BO) cycles. The BO technique suggests the next experimental samples in each cycle and reduces the number of experimental cycles by almost 80 % compared with an exhaustive search. In addition, the experimental results were subjected to machine-learning regression analysis to analyse the factors affecting the Li-ion conductivity.

The direct observation of reactive intermediates is an important issue for organic synthesis. However, intermediates with an extreme instability are hard to be monitored by common spectroscopic methods such as FTIR. We have developed synthetic method utilizing flow microreactors, which enables a generation and reactions of unstable intermediates. Herein we report that, based on our flowmicro techniques, we developed an in-line analysis method for reactive intermediates in increments of milliseconds. We demonstrated the direct observation of the living and dead species of the anionic polymerization of alkyl methacrylates. The direct information of the living species enabled the anionic polymerization and copolymerization of oligo(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylates, which is the important but difficult reaction in the conventional method.

The optimal sintering conditions for LiZr2(PO4)3, a NASICON-type solid electrolyte with high conductivity, were explored. It was also found that these optimum sintering conditions could be efficiently discovered by using Bayesian optimisation.

Polyalkoxysilsesquiazanes ([ROSi(NH)1.5]n, ROSZ, R = Et, nPr, iPr, nBu, sBu, nHex, sHex, cHex, decahydronaphthyl (DHNp)) were synthesized by ammonolysis at −78 °C of alkoxytrichlorosilane (ROSiCl3), which was isolated by distillation as a reaction product of SiCl4 and ROH. The simultaneous thermogravimetric and mass spectrometry analyses of the ROSZs under helium revealed a common decomposition reaction, the cleavage of the oxygen–carbon bond of the RO group to evolve alkene as a main gaseous species formed in-situ, leading to the formation of microporous amorphous Si–O–N at 550 °C to 800 °C. The microporosity in terms of the peak of the pore size distribution curve located within the micropore size range (<2 nm) and the total micropore volume, as well as the specific surface area (SSA) of the Si–O–N, increased consistently with the molecular size estimated for the alkene formed in-situ during the pyrolysis. The CO2 capture capacity at 0 °C of the Si–O–N material increased consistently with its SSA, and an excellent CO2 capture capacity of 3.9 mmol·g−1 at 0 °C and CO2 1 atm was achieved for the Si–O–N derived from DHNpOSZ having an SSA of 750 m2·g−1. The CO2 capture properties were further discussed based on their temperature dependency, and a surface functional group of the Si–O–N formed in-situ during the polymer/ceramics thermal conversion.

Since block copolymers self-assemble into various nanostructures and these are widely used in soft materials such as cosmetics and paints, these continue to be the subjects of fundamental studies that progress new technologies. ABA triblock copolymers self-organise into supramolecular networks in which crosslinked structures change upon heating and other external stimulation. Supramolecular networks that consist of ABA triblock copolymers have three components: bridges, loops and dangles. These supramolecular networks have structural regions (clusters) in which end blocks of polymer chains are aggregated and connected by the internal blocks of the polymer chains. Despite of the importance of relaxation behaviour during the measurement and control of polymer materials, the molecular-level behaviour of these systems has not been addressed. We observed pull-out phenomenon that the ends of these polymers detach from clusters, and estimated characteristic detachment times by counting the number of detachments and compared it with the time of longest relaxation in that system.

LIM Kinase 2 (LIMK2) is a LIM domain-containing protein kinase which regulates actin polymerization thorough phosphorylation of the actin depolymerizing factor cofilin. It is also known to function as a shuttle between the cytoplasm and nucleus in endothelial cells. A basic amino acid-rich motif in LIMK2 was previously identified to be responsible for this shuttling function, as a nucleolar localization signal (NoLS). Here it is shown that this nucleolar localization signal sequence also has the characteristic function of a cell-penetrating peptide (CPP). We synthesized LIMK2 NoLS-conjugated peptides and a protein and analyzed their cell-penetrating abilities in various types of cells. The BC-box motif of the Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) protein was used for the peptide. This motif previously has been reported to be involved in the neural differentiation of bone marrow stromal cells and skin-derived precursor cells. Green fluorescence protein (GFP) was used as a large biologically active biomolecule for the protein. The LIMK2 NoLS-conjugated peptides and protein translocated across the cell membranes of fibroblast cells, neural stem cells, and even iPS cells. These results suggest that LIMK2 NoLS acts as a cell-penetrating peptide and its cell-penetrating ability is not restricted by cell type. Moreover, from an in vivo assay using a mouse brain, it was confirmed that NoLS has potential for transporting biomolecules across the blood-brain barrier.