cometadata/datacite-titles-descriptions-related-identifiers huggingface dataset:
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.14287360
title: Venom peptides in association with standard drugs: a novel strategy for combating antibiotic resistance - an overview

description: Abstract Development of antibiotic resistance that leads to resurgence of bacterial infections poses a threat to disease-free existence for humankind and is a challenge for the welfare of the society at large. Despite research efforts directed towards treatment of pathogens, antibiotics within new improved classes have not emerged for years, a fact largely attributable to the pharmacological necessities compelling drug development. Recent reversion to the use of natural products alone or in combination with standard drugs has opened up new vistas for alternative therapeutics. The success of this strategy is evident in the sudden interest in plant extracts as additives/synergists for treatment of maladies caused by drug-resistant bacterial strains. Animal venoms have long fascinated scientists as sources of pharmacologically active components that can be exploited for the treatment of specific ailments and should be promoted further to clinical trials. In the present review, we outline the scope and possible methods for the applications of animal venoms in combination with commercial antibiotics to offer a better treatment approach against antibiotic-resistant infections.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.14287357
title: Chronic venous ulcers: a review on treatment with fibrin sealant and prognostic advances using proteomic strategies

description: Abstract Venous ulcers are the main causes of chronic lower-limb ulcers. The healing difficulties encourage the research and development of new products in order to achieve better therapeutic results. Fibrin sealant is one of these alternatives. Besides being a validated scaffold and drug delivery system, it possesses excellent healing properties. This review covered the last 25 years of the literature and showed that the fibrin sealant is used in various clinical situations to promote the healing of different types of ulcers, especially chronic ones. These are mostly venous in origin and usually does not respond to conventional treatment. Commercially, only the homologous fibrin sealants obtained from human blood are available, which are highly efficient but very expensive. The heterologous fibrin sealant is a non-commercial experimental low-cost product and easily produced due to the abundance of raw material. The phase I/II clinical trial is already completed and showed that the product is safe and promisingly efficacious for the treatment of chronic venous ulcers. In addition, clinical proteomic strategies to assess disease prognosis have been increasingly used. By analyzing liquid samples from the wounds through proteomic strategies, it is possible to predict before treatment which ulcers will evolve favorably and which ones will be difficult to heal. This prognosis is only possible by evaluating the expression of isolated proteins in exudates and analysis using label-free strategies for shotgun. Multicentric clinical trials will be required to evaluate the efficacy of fibrin sealant to treat chronic ulcers, as well as to validate the proteomic strategies to assess prognosis.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.14287354
title: Zika virus serological diagnosis: commercial tests and monoclonal antibodies as tools

description: Abstract Zika virus (ZIKV), an emerging arthropod-borne virus (arbovirus) of the Flaviviridae family, is a current issue worldwide, particularly because of the congenital and neurological syndromes associated with infection by this virus. As the initial clinical symptoms of all diseases caused by this group are very similar, clinical diagnosis is difficult. Furthermore, laboratory diagnostic efforts have failed to identify specific and accurate tests for each virus of the Flaviviridae family due to the cross-reactivity of these viruses in serum samples. This situation has resulted in underreporting of the diseases caused by flaviviruses. However, many companies developed commercial diagnostic tests after the recent ZIKV outbreak. Moreover, health regulatory agencies have approved different commercial tests to extend the monitoring of ZIKV infections. Considering that a specific and sensitive diagnostic method for estimating risk and evaluating ZIKV propagation is still needed, this review aims to provide an update of the main commercially approved serological diagnostics test by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Brazilian National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA). Additionally, we present the technologies used for monoclonal antibody production as a tool for the development of diagnostic tests and applications of these antibodies in detecting ZIKV infections worldwide.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.14287352
title: Antiproliferative activity of marine stingray Dasyatis sephenvenom on human cervical carcinoma cell line

description: Abstract Background Venoms comprise mixtures of numerous bioactive compounds that have a wide range of pharmacologic actions. Toxins from venomous animals have attracted the attention of researchers because of their affinity for primary sites responsible for lethality and their efficacy at extremely low concentrations. The venoms of marine stingrays have not been extensively studied and limited data is available on them. The present study aims to evaluate the antiproliferative and biochemical properties of the venom obtained from a species of marine stingray (Dasyatis sephen) on human cervical cancer cell line HeLa. Methods The antiproliferative effect of D. sephen venom was determined by MTT assay, and the oxidative stress was determined by lipid peroxidation method along with assessment of changes in the enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant status. We observed intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels by DCFH-DA method, mitochondrial membrane potential alterations by rhodamine 123 staining and apoptotic morphological changes by acridine orange/ethidium bromide dual staining method. Results D. sephen venom enhances lipid peroxidative markers such as thiobarbituric acid reactive substance, conjugated diene, and lipid hydroperoxide in HeLa cell lines. Stingray venom enhances the ROS levels, which is evidenced by the increased 2–7-diacetyl dichlorofluorescein fluorescence. Further, D. sephen venom treatment altered the mitochondrial membrane potential in HeLa cells. Additionally, we observed increased apoptotic morphological changes in D. sephen venom-treated groups. Conclusions Dasyatis sephen venom exhibits potent antiproliferative effect on HeLa cell line and upon further purification it could be a promising antiproliferative agent.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.14287349
title: Performance-based design method for energy efficient buildings

description: Abstract Progress in digital technology over the past decades has enabled the emergence of new methods and techniques for design development with an emphasis on energy efficiency. The aim of this paper was to propose a performative design method for office buildings associating parametric modelling, optimisation-based simulation, evaluation and classification of energy performance. In order to do that, the Rhinoceros/Grashopper, Opossum and Honeybee softwares were used, respectively. The digital design models by Oxman (2006) were used as reference to structure experiments from case studies of office buildings located in Vitória, ES, Brazil. The parameters of the INMETRO standard for Energy Efficiency Class for Commercial, Service and Public Buildings (INI-C) guided the evaluations. The methodresulted in a 31% improvement in the total consumption of primary energy and a 54% reduction in the demand for refrigeration in buildings. The estimate of the influencedemonstrated significant impacts from the alteration of the type of glass, percentage of façade opening and the configuration of shaders. The studyshowedthat,despite the particularities, there is potential for applying the method in the initial stages of design development.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.14287346
title: Computational modelling of an earth-air heat exchanger (EAHE) adapted to the weather conditions of Belém, Brazil

description: Abstract The world’s demand for energy is constantly increasing,while, at the same time, the reserves of fossil fuels are decreasing and will not be enough to satisfy the global energy demand in the future. In addition, conventional heating and cooling systems consume most of the energy demand and considerably increase costs. Earth-airheat exchangers (EAHE) are a sustainable option that consumes less energy and has the potential to improve thermal conditions in buildings. Despite it being a simple and old technology, research into this type of technology is verylimited in Brazil. There is a lack of studies in the northern region of this country, particularly in the city of Belém do Pará. Hence, the goal of this researchstudy was to develop a three-dimensional numerical model of EAHE using ANSYS Fluent to evaluate the influence of operational and constructive parameters such as air flow velocity, length and diameter of the duct on the thermal performance of this system adapted to climatic conditions and soil characteristics of this city. The results obtainedlead to the conclusionthat this system can reduce the air temperature at the duct outlet up to 5.91 °C.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.14287345
title: Numerical evaluation of the thermal performance of different configurations of soil-air heat exchangers

description: Abstract The use of soil as an energy source is aimed at reducingenergy consumption in buildings resulting from the use of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment. Due to its high thermal capacity, soil acts as a thermal reservoir, heating or cooling the air inside buildings, depending on the localclimate conditions. In thisstudy, the finite volume method was used to analyse the thermal performance of this type of earth-airheat exchanger (EAHE). Initially, the effects of soil thermal properties, air velocity, and duct diameter on the thermal performance of the EAHE were investigated under steadystate, as it is a limit condition. In addition, two configurations for the duct distribution in the soil (two and four steps) were analysed. The resultsshowed that the best performance for the EAHE was obtained using saturated soil and operating with an air velocity of 2.5 m/s in a duct with a 0.10 m diameter, and that a 0.5 m distance between the duct’s center lines was the most appropriate. In addition, simulations were performed intransient state, applyingclimate conditions through sinusoidal functions.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.14287342
title: Evaluation of the types of base in the adhesion of gypsum plasters coating

description: Abstract The use of gypsum plaster paste as an internal wall covering is one of the most commonly used techniques in Brazil, usually made in small thicknesses by manual application or by mechanical projection. This study evaluates, experimentally, the adhesion strength of coatings made with gypsum plaster paste, considering different substrates and application heights. Four types of blocks (ceramic and concrete blocks, sealing and structural blocks), two types of slice cuttings (superficial and even substrate) and three application heights (up to 0.6 m, between 0.6 m and 1.2 m, and above 1.2 m)wereused. The results indicated a strong influence of the base and depth of cut on the adhesion, but no influence of the application height on adherence was identified, due to the natural process of the application of the gypsum plaster coating.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.14287340
title: Evaluation of the flammability and natural aging of green polymer composites and vermiculite clay for potential use as building material

description: Abstract Green polyethylene and vermiculite clay composites were developed through the fusion intercalation technique with the aim of investigating their potential use as a building material. The composites were processed in a single screw extruder and molded in a hydraulic thermopress. For the purpose of this study, flame propagation resistance and the natural aging effects of green polyethylene and its composites were analyzed. The samples were exposed to the abiotic degradation test for 90 days with the aim of assessing the effects of climate conditions on the material’s morphology and mechanical properties. The flammability test demonstrated the catalytic effect of the clay, since for all composites evaluated, the flame propagation resistance was inferior to that of the pure green polymer. The effects of natural aging on the morphology of the materials were characterized by the transition of the polymeric matrix from a ductile aspect to a more fragile appearance and the emergence of voids and internal fractures Hence, the mechanical performance of the systems was directly affected, as a result of several types of abiotic degradation suffered by the samples.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.14287336
title: Neuro-fuzzy model for energy prediction of different concrete dosages in buildings

description: Abstract Anincreasingprocess of urbanisation anda growing urban population heighten the need to understand the energy costsof the production of building materials. One of the most importanttoolsapplied to monitor the use of non-renewableenergyresources in the production of conventionalconcretes is energy input, intowhichfurther research is needed. In this study, an ANFIS (adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system) hybrid model was developed to predict energy input in order to evaluate the energy demand required for each component of the production of conventional concrete (cement, water, fine aggregate and coarse aggregate) using 101 experimental dosages, 101 validation dosages and energy coefficients available in literature. The resultsshowedthatan adequate dosage can generate energy cost savingsof 24.77% in the production of concrete, while still maintaining the mechanical characteristics of compressive strength for conventional constructions.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.14287331
title: Estimation of development of electricity end-use by the residential sector in Brazil by geographic region

description: Abstract The study estimates the structure of end-use electricity consumption by residential sector in the years 2005 and 2019, segregated by eachBrazilian geographic region. The method used data from the survey of Household Appliances and Consumption Habits from the years2004-2006 and 2018-2019 and applied statistical techniques. The results showedregional singularities in thedevelopment of the consumption structure. The maindevelopments in the estimated structure between the years 2005 and 2019 wereanincrease in the end-use consumption in the Environmental Comfort Appliances category, and the continued high participation of the consumption of theFood Conservation category. There was a decrease in the share of WaterHeating category end-use consumption in all regions, except in the South. The studyalsoshowed a predominance of end-use consumption ofappliances in the Environmental Comfort, Heating Water and Food Conservation categories, ranging from 82% to 91% according to the different regions. The findings indicate high potential for implementing energy efficiency measures, however, it must be stressed that regional consumption patterns must be considered in order to achieve effective results.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.14287328
title: The quality of leisure spaces in contemporary urbanisation: the case of the suburs of Campinas, Brazil

description: Abstract The fast and unequal process of urbanisation in Brazil in the past fifty years has posed challenges to the implementation and management of leisure areas in low-income suburbs of cities. This paper aims to analyse and discuss how the public open spaces predicted in urban development projects in suburbanareas of the municipality of Campinas, in the state of São Paulo, were treated by the municipality between 1970 and 2010. In the case of spaces converted into leisure areas, the study sought to verify whethercertain attributes referenced in the literature were considered, analysing two territorial sections from two contrasting regions in terms of the socioeconomic configuration of their populations for subsequent comparison between them. The outcomes show that most of those public open spaces had not had any public interventions to transform them into leisure spaces. Moreover, there was a difference between the two regions in terms of the treatment given to the areas that received interventions. While in the northeastern region, predominantly occupied by a high-income population, the public leisure areas present less social accessibility and better landscape quality, while in the southeast, which is predominantly occupied by a low-income population, the leisure areas are more accessible and more cohesive, but are more ill-equipped and present lower landscaping quality.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.14287327
title: Self-levelling gypsum paste for use as a subfloor layer

description: Abstract The subfloor is a layer of the floor system designed to smooth, leveland absorb deformations. Conventionally, subfloorsare made of a low-productivity dry cement-based mortar. The use of a self-levelling gypsum-based material allows faster curing, lower cost, and smoothness of the surface, as well asa lower thickness. This researchstudy aimed to develop self-levelling gypsum pastes (GSL), with only beta gypsum as a binder, as well as to evaluate the influence of the superplasticizer additive based on polycarboxylate (PCE). A dosage study was carried out on pastes containing a water-to-gypsum ratio of 0.35; 0.40; 0.45; 0.475; 0.50, and 0.55 along with the superplasticizer additive content adjusted for self-levelling spreading. The pastes were characterized in the fresh state as to the setting times, spreading and heat of hydration time. In the hardened state for resistance to compression, traction in flexion, surface hardness and SEM. GSL pastes were obtained with a water-to-plaster ratio of 0.45 and 0.475, containing 3.5 and 2.0% PCE, respectively. The PCE increased the setting times, modified the crystalline structure of the hemihydrate, and reduced the interlocking of the crystals with the consequent decrease in the mechanical properties.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.14287324
title: Resilience in social housing developments through post-occupancy evaluation and co-production

description: Abstract The poor initial resilience of the ground-breaking Brazilian urban social housing programme ‘Minha Casa, Minha Vida’(MCMV) affects millions of people, who have tried to adapt their homes, survived the unexpected and have to reinvent themselves constantly. This study delimits the elements that compose the concept of resilience, namely: the impacts, vulnerabilities and adaptive capacities that characterize the resilience of the built environment in the case study selected. To achieve these aims, advanced Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE) and Co-production techniques have been applied in the case study of a typical Brazilian MCMV development in Uberlandia (Brazil). The results highlighted factors going beyond the typical vulnerabilities already seen in most of these developments. They pointed out the adaptive recovery capacities as key factors for resilience. This case study provides the means to investigate resilience and its variables in depth within the specific context of MCMV’s social housing, subsidising designers and public policies makers in the elaboration of more resilient projects for these social housing communities.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.14287319
title: Analysis of a standardized parameter for the design of wooden structures considering structural reliability

description: Abstract Reliability is related to the degree of reliability of a system, which must be established in the design, which should predict and specify itsoperating conditions. Annex E of standard NBR 7190:1997 for wooden structure projects presents results from a wide sampling of different dicotyledonous and coniferous species, with great variation in the number of specimens, fixing a coefficient of variation (CV) for normal and shear strength equal to 18% and 28%, respectively. This study evaluated, by using a probabilistic approach, the frequency distribution of samples of compressive strength parallel to the grain presented in the standard, seeking to specify the reliability index established. The results indicate that the data proposed may not be normally distributed, leading to distortions in the obtention of the characteristic strength. The adoption of a single coefficient of variation for the coniferous and dicotyledonous species is not ratified in the analysis of the data and, when considering the homogenisation of classes, different coefficients of variation are also generated. Regarding the proposed revision of NBR 7190, it is concluded that the inclusion of one more resistance class (D50) improves the distribution of the samples, however, the suppression of Annex E hinders the categorisation of classes by species.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.14287316
title: Evaluating park usage through public health protocols: a comparative study

description: Abstract Many studies have been highlighting theimportant role of public spaces in supporting a healthier life. The aim of this research was to verify the existence of an association between the spatial configuration of parks located in different socioeconomic areas and physical activity. The methodological strategy used was a comparative case study in two urban parks in the city of Londrina, Paraná, Brazil. Two protocols were adopted, SOPARC (System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities) and PARA (Physical Activity Resource Assessment), to collect data from users, activities, intensity of physical activity and the parks’ characteristics. The results indicate there is an association between facilities such as open-air gyms, hiking trails, sports fields, picnic areas and bleachersand the practice of moderate/vigorous physical activity. The analysis showed qualitative differences in terms of insertion, access, immediate surroundings and the parks’ different conditions. The results contribute to the establishment ofspatial guidelines in park designs, as well as topromote an interdisciplinary debate on the use of protocols validated and applied in the Health field.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.14287315
title: Experimental appraisal for characterizing laboratorial and field performance parameters of pervious concrete pavement

description: Abstract Loratorial tests with pervious concrete comprised porosity and hydraulic conductivity as well as mechanical parameters as compressive, indirect tensile and bending strengths besides assessing its static and dynamic elasticity moduli. Later, a pervious sidewalk area of 1.0 x 8.65 square meters was built in order to determine the variation of the infiltration rate along time; over such experimental sidewalk, impact deflection tests performed allowed to assess back calculated moduli of the pervious concrete layer, resulting 33% to 13% lower than conventional concretes. A mechanistic analysis allowed to estimate the required thickness of concrete for heavy- and light-traffic areas. Tests disclosed no significant difference among the different concrete mixes, with 25% porosity and 0,1 cm/s permeability. Initial sidewalk infiltration rate of 0.5 cm/s dropped 50% four months after construction. It was verified that pervious concrete thicknesses for trucks and buses use are far higher than conventional concrete pavements.