The underwater adhesion of marine mussels relies on mussel foot proteins (mfps) rich in the catecholic amino acid 3, 4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (Dopa). As a side-chain, Dopa is capable of strong bidentate interactions with a variety of surfaces, including many minerals and metal oxides. Titanium is among the most widely used medical implant material and quickly forms a TiO2 passivation layer under physiological conditions. Understanding the binding mechanism of Dopa to TiO2 surfaces is therefore of considerable theoretical and practical interest. Using a surface forces apparatus, we explored the force-distance profiles and adhesion energies of mussel foot protein 3 (mfp-3) to TiO2 surfaces at three different pHs (pH3, 5.5 and 7.5). At pH3, mfp-3 showed the strongest adhesion force on TiO2, with an adhesion energy of ~ −7.0 mJ/m2. Increasing the pH gives rise to two opposing effects: (1) increased oxidation of Dopa, thus decreasing availability for the Dopa-mediated adhesion, and (2) increased bidentate Dopa-Ti coordination, leading to the further stabilization of the Dopa group and thus an increasing of adhesion force. Both effects were reflected in the resonance-enhanced Raman spectra obtained at the three deposition pHs. The two competing effects give rise to a higher adhesion force of mfp-3 on TiO2 surface at pH 7.5 than at pH 5.5. Our results suggest that Dopa-containing proteins and synthetic polymers have great potential as coating materials for medical implant materials, particularly if redox activity can be controlled.

Solos sao as principais fontes de mercurio (Hg) para o sistema fluvial amazonico, especialmente em areas alagaveis fluviais, principais sitios de metilacao desse metal. O objetivo deste trabalho foi investigar a influencia da Fm. Alter do Chao na dinâmica de Hg tot e a variacao e proporcao deste metal em microbacias, drenado por esta formacao geologica proxima a Santarem-PA. Os procedimentos metodologicos incluiram: aquisicao, processamento, analise de imagens de radar, imagens opticas e dados interferometricos SRTM para confeccao de mapas, georreferenciamento dos pontos de coleta e identificacao da area da pesquisa; classificacao, quantificacao de material em suspensao e sedimentos das areas identificadas na Fm. Alter do Chao para determinar o mercurio total encontrado nas amostras e nivel de contaminacao por Hg tot na foz do rio Tapajos

The aim of this review was to provide an overview of researchinto the relationship between empathy and bullying. Thereforethe review indicated a number of researches that show differenteffects of empathy on bullying, regarding the type of bullying,roles in bullying behavior, as well as gender. From a review ofresearch it may be concluded that empathy significantly contributesto a reduction in various forms of violence. Most researchindicates the importance of the affective component of empathycompared to the cognitive component. The results of researchinto the relationship of empathy and its role in bullying behaviorwere less consistent. For this reason, the review highlightedmethodological difficulties in the study of bullying and empathy.  Conclusion  – In conclusion it could be said that most studiesshow a negative correlation between empathy and various typesof violence. Furthermore, it is evident that different componentsof empathy have differing degrees of influence in direct and indirectforms of violent behavior.

Objective – To examine the relationship between bullying and difficulties in psychological adjustment among elementary school students due to their role in bullying behavior, arousal leveland strategies of coping with bullying behavior. Methods – The study was conducted on a convenience sample of 478 primary school children (232 girls and 246 boys), 11 to 15 years of age. A School Relationship Questionnaire (SRQ) was used to assess direct, verbal and relational forms of bullying. To determine the coping strategies we used the Self – Report Coping Measure(SRCM). The arousal level was assessed by The Arousal Predisposition Scale (APS), while Youth Self-Report (YSR) was used for assessing current psychological adjustment. Results – The present study identified 29% of children involved in bullying; 14% of children were categorized as victims, 7% as bullies and 8% as bully/victims. There was statistically significant combined effect of the role of victims and bully/victims, levels of arousaland coping strategies with bullying (internalizing, externalizing, and distancing) on difficulties in psychological adjustment. Conclusion – Based on the results of this study, we can conclude that bullying as psychosocial stress is an important risk factor for psychological problems in childhood. At the same time, coping strategies are important determinants of successful adaptation.

Background: Prevention of diseases in gynecology can be improved by better understanding of health promotion and management of diseases. Management is “the art of performing jobs by or with other people” Mary Parker Follet. Methods: A descriptive analysis was performed on scientific studies in several published articles in medical journals and books. Results: There are five primary functions of management as: Anticipate and plan, organize, command, coordinate and control. If we introduce the following definition in the sense of medical science and apply it to the medical practice that would mean way of recognizing, managing and resolving issues of diagnosis and therapy of diseases (in this case gynecology diseases) according to certain guidelines and treatment algorithms. Treatment of family doctors is an important aspect in the quality-of-life of women and their reproductive health as well as a significant issue in public, environmental and social problems. Conclusions: It is very important to deal with it on the primary care level and in addition to promote the primary and secondary prevention of diseases, which is sometimes more important than the curative procedures. The primary prevention involves regular gynecological examinations and screening. The doctors have also a duty to educate women about the risk factors for malignant diseases, as well as proposing some of the qualitative preventive measures.

New organic superbases have been designed using the concept of multiple intramolecular hydrogen bonds. Substituents capable of forming strong intramolecular H-bonds were selected on the basis of the energy of stabilization that occurs upon the formation of a complex between N,N',N"-trimethylguanidine and small model molecules. The proton affinities and the corresponding pK(a) values in acetonitrile of the new superbases are examined by Density Functional Theory (DFT). It is shown that N,N',N"-substitution of guanidine with appropriate substituents results in new organic superbases with gas phase proton affinities between 286 and 293 kcal mol(-1), thus being 15 to 20 kcal mol(-1) more basic than parental superbase N,N',N"-tris[(3-dimethylamino)propyl]-guanidine (tris-DMPG), whereas estimated pK(a) values in acetonitrile range between 29.5 and 33.2.

Allergy to dog (Canis familiaris) is a worldwide common cause of asthma and allergic rhinitis. However, dander extract in routine diagnostics is not an optimal predictor of IgE‐mediated dog allergy. Our objective was to evaluate saliva as an allergen source for improved diagnostics of allergy to dog.

We investigate the global dynamics of several anticompetitive systems of rational difference equations which are special cases of general linear fractional system of the forms ., where all parameters and the initial conditions are arbitrary nonnegative numbers, such that both denominators are positive. We find the basins of attraction of all attractors of these systems.