Federal University of São Carlos

About: Federal University of São Carlos is a education organization based out in São Carlos, Brazil. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Microstructure. The organization has 16471 authors who have published 34057 publications receiving 456654 citations. The organization is also known as: UFSCar & Federal University of São Carlos.

g-C3N4/Nb2O5 heterostructures tailored by sonochemical synthesis: Enhanced photocatalytic performance in oxidation of emerging pollutants driven by visible radiation

Abstract: In this study, g-C 3 N 4 /Nb 2 O 5 heterostructures were successfully prepared by a sonochemical method based on surface charge-induced heteroaggregation. Under visible irradiation, the heterostructured g-C 3 N 4 /Nb 2 O 5 samples exhibited higher activity in the photooxidation of the drug amiloride (AML) and rhodamine B dye (RhB), compared to the pure g-C 3 N 4 and Nb 2 O 5 phases. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of the heterostructures could be attributed to the effective formation of heterojunctions between the g-C 3 N 4 and Nb 2 O 5 semiconductors, causing the migration of photogenerated electrons and holes, hence increasing their lifetimes. Formation of the type-II heterostructure was confirmed by time-resolved photoluminescence, in which the 3CN:1Nb heterostructure showed the longest electron/hole pair lifetime. The 3CN:1Nb and 1CN:3Nb heterostructures exhibited high stability even after four cycles of reuse in RhB dye and drug AML oxidation, respectively. In summary, the combination of g-C 3 N 4 with Nb 2 O 5 to produce a type-II heterostructure is a good strategy to overcome important challenges in photocatalysis.

EEG-based person identification through Binary Flower Pollination Algorithm

Abstract: A binary-constrained version of the Flower Pollination Algorithm has been proposed.Sensor selection in EEG signals by means of optimization techniques.To evaluate the proposed approach in the context of biometrics. Electroencephalogram (EEG) signal presents a great potential for highly secure biometric systems due to its characteristics of universality, uniqueness, and natural robustness to spoofing attacks. EEG signals are measured by sensors placed in various positions of a person's head (channels). In this work, we address the problem of reducing the number of required sensors while maintaining a comparable performance. We evaluated a binary version of the Flower Pollination Algorithm under different transfer functions to select the best subset of channels that maximizes the accuracy, which is measured by means of the Optimum-Path Forest classifier. The experimental results show the proposed approach can make use of less than a half of the number of sensors while maintaining recognition rates up to 87%, which is crucial towards the effective use of EEG in biometric applications.

Tetrabenzoporphyrins: synthetic developments and applications

Abstract: Tetrabenzoporphyrins have attracted considerable worldwide attention over the last few decades. Since the discovery of these pigments, chemists, biologists, medical professionals and material scientists have devoted pronounced efforts in order to develop synthetic methods and discover useful applications for these compounds. Nowadays, tetrabenzoporphyrins occupy a prominent position in porphyrin chemistry, and this review is intended to cover the main synthetic methods and applications of these compounds.

COVID-19 and obesity in childhood and adolescence: a clinical review.

Abstract: Objective To identify factors that contribute to the increased susceptibility and severity of COVID-19 in obese children and adolescents, and its health consequences. Sources Studies published between 2000 and 2020 in the PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus, SciELO, and Cochrane databases. Summary of findings Obesity is a highly prevalent comorbidity in severe cases of COVID-19 in children and adolescents; social isolation may lead to increase fat accumulation. Excessive adipose tissue, deficit in lean mass, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, hypertension, high levels of proinflammatory cytokines, and low intake of essential nutrients are factors that compromise the functioning of organs and systems in obese individuals. These factors are associated with damage to immune, cardiovascular, respiratory, and urinary systems, along with modification of the intestinal microbiota (dysbiosis). In severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, these organic changes from obesity may increase the need for ventilatory assistance, risk of thromboembolism, reduced glomerular filtration rate, changes in the innate and adaptive immune response, and perpetuation of the chronic inflammatory response. Conclusions The need for social isolation can have the effect of causing or worsening obesity and its comorbidities, and pediatricians need to be aware of this issue. Facing children with suspected or confirmed COVID-19, health professionals should 1) diagnose excess weight; 2) advise on health care in times of isolation; 3) screen for comorbidities, ensuring that treatment is not interrupted; 4) measure levels of immunonutrients; 5) guide the family in understanding the specifics of the situation; and 6) refer to units qualified to care for obese children and adolescents when necessary.