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This paper describes a data collection experiment focused on researching indoor positioning systems using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) devices. The study was conducted in a real-world scenario with 150 test points and collected signals from 11 mobile devices. The dataset contains RSSI values from the mobile devices in relation to 15 fixed anchor nodes in the experimentation scenario. The dataset includes data on device identification, labels and coordinates of test points, and the room where the data was collected. The data is organized as CSV files and offers valuable information for researchers developing and assessing location models. By sharing this dataset, we aim to support the creation of robust and precise indoor localization models.

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Water contamination represents a significant ecological impact with global consequences, contributing to water scarcity worldwide. The presence of several pollutants, including heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and pathogens, in water resources underscores a pressing global concern, prompting the European Union (EU) to establish a Water Watch List to monitor the level of these substances. Nowadays, the standard methods used to detect and quantify these contaminants are mainly liquid or gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (LC/GC-MS). While these methodologies offer precision and accuracy, they require expensive equipment and experienced technicians, and cannot be used on the field. In this context, chalcogenide quantum dots (QDs)-based sensors have emerged as promising, user-friendly, practical, and portable tools for environmental monitoring. QDs are semiconductor nanocrystals that possess excellent properties, and have demonstrated versatility across various sensor types, such as fluorescent, electrochemical, plasmonic, and colorimetric ones. This review summarizes recent advances (2019-2023) in the use of chalcogenide QDs for environmental sensing, highlighting the development of sensors capable of detect efficiently heavy metals, anions, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, endocrine disrupting compounds, organic dyes, toxic gases, nitroaromatics, and pathogens.

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Background: Photodynamic inactivation (PDI) is an attractive alternative to treat Candida albicans infections, especially considering the spread of resistant strains. The combination of the photophysical advantages of Zn(II) porphyrins (ZnPs) and the plasmonic effect of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) has the potential to further improve PDI. Here, we propose the novel association of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) coated AgNPs with the cationic ZnPs Zn(II) meso-tetrakis(N-ethylpyridinium-2-yl)porphyrin or Zn(II) meso-tetrakis(N-n-hexylpyridinium-2-yl)porphyrin to photoinactivate C. albicans. Methods: AgNPs stabilized with PVP were chosen to allow for (i) overlap between the NP extinction and absorption spectra of ZnPs and (ii) favor AgNPs-ZnPs interaction; prerequisites for exploring the plasmonic effect. Optical and zeta potential (ζ) characterizations were performed, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation was also evaluated. Yeasts were incubated with individual ZnPs or their respective AgNPs-ZnPs systems, at various ZnP concentrations and two proportions of AgNPs, then irradiated with a blue LED. Interactions between yeasts and the systems (ZnP alone or AgNPs-ZnPs) were evaluated by fluorescence microscopy. Results: Subtle spectroscopic changes were observed for ZnPs after association with AgNPs, and the ζ analyses confirmed AgNPs-ZnPs interaction. PDI using ZnP-hexyl (0.8 µM) and ZnP-ethyl (5.0 µM) promoted a 3 and 2 log10 reduction of yeasts, respectively. On the other hand, AgNPs-ZnP-hexyl (0.2 µM) and AgNPs-ZnP-ethyl (0.6 µM) systems led to complete fungal eradication under the same PDI parameters and lower porphyrin concentrations. Increased ROS levels and enhanced interaction of yeasts with AgNPs-ZnPs were observed, when compared with ZnPs alone. Conclusion: We applied a facile synthesis of AgNPs which boosted ZnP efficiency. We hypothesize that the plasmonic effect combined with the greater interaction between cells and AgNPs-ZnPs systems resulted in an efficient and improved fungal inactivation. This study provides insight into the application of AgNPs in PDI and helps diversify our antifungal arsenal, encouraging further developments toward inactivation of resistant Candida spp.

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Aim: To evaluate the influence of the parameters L* a* b* on the variation of the color of bovine tooth enamel submitted to artificial darkening, after simulated brushing, with whitening toothpastes containing blue covarine. Methods: To undertake this study in vitro, 60 specimens (SP) were divided into 6 groups (n=10): control group (CGwater) and 5 test groups (GT1-Colgate Total 12, GT2-Oral-B 3D White Perfection, GT3- Colgate Luminous Instant White, GT4-CloseUp White Diamond Attraction, GT5-Sorriso Xtreme White). The specimens were darkened with coffee and submitted to simulated brushing for 6, 12, and 24 months. The alteration in the color was evaluated using CIELAB parameters and the ΔL, Δa, Δb and ΔE were calculated. The data was analyzed through generalized linear models using the R program and considering a level of significance of 5%. Results: The parameters L*, a* and the ΔL, Δa obtained better results in the test group than in the control group. There were no statistical differences between CG and the test groups for the evaluation of the b* parameter. In the evaluation of the Δb, the GT3 differed statistically from the CG. In relation to the ΔE, all the group tests showed a variation in color statistically greater than that of the CG and the GT4 showed the greatest variation, not differing from the GT3 during the periods studied. Conclusion: The mechanical and optical whitening agents positively influenced the values L*a* and b*, as well as in its variations and in the ΔE. It is important to emphasize, however, that to analyze tooth whitening it is necessary to evaluate their parameters together

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Bacuri (Platonia insignis Mart) is a species from the Clusiaceae genus. Its fruit pulp is commonly used in South America in several food products, such as beverages, ice cream and candies. Only the pulp of the fruit is used, and the peels and seeds are considered waste from these industries. As a trioxygenated xanthone source, this species is of high interest for bioproduct development. This work evaluated the mesocarp and epicarp of bacuri fruits through different extraction methods and experimental conditions (pH, temperature and solvent) in order to determine the most effective method for converting this agro-industrial waste in a value-added bioproduct. Open-column procedures and HPLC and NMR experiments were performed to evaluate the chemical composition of the extracts, along with total phenols, total flavonoids and antioxidant activities (sequestration of the DPPH and ABTS radicals). A factorial design and response surface methodology were used. The best extraction conditions of substances with antioxidant properties were maceration at 50 °C with 100% ethanol as solvent for mesocarp extracts, and acidic sonication in 100% ethanol for epicarp extracts, with an excellent phenolic profile and antioxidant capacities. The main compounds isolated were the prenylated benzophenones garcinielliptone FC (epicarp) and 30-epi-cambogin (mesocarp). This is the first study analysing the performance of extraction methods within bacuri agro-industrial waste. Results demonstrated that shells and seeds of bacuri can be used as phenolic-rich bioproducts obtained by a simple extraction method, increasing the value chain of this fruit.

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The main goal of an Indoor Positioning System (IPS) is to estimate the position of mobile devices in indoor environments. For this purpose, the primary source of information is the signal strength of packets received by a set of routers. The fingerprint technique is one of the most used techniques for IPSs. By using supervised machine learning techniques, it trains a model with the received signal intensity information so it can be used to estimate the positions of the devices later in an online phase. Although the k-Nearest Neighbors (kNN) is one of the most widely used classification methods due to its accuracy, it has no scalability since a sample that needs to be classified must be compared to all other samples in the training database. In this work, we use a novel hierarchical navigable small world graph technique to build a search structure so the location of a sample can be efficiently found, allowing the IPSs to be used in large-scale scenarios or run on devices with limited resources. To carry out our performance evaluation, we proposed a synthetic IPS dataset generator as well as implemented a complete real-world, large-scale IPS testbed. We compared the performance of our graph-based solution with other known kNN variants, such as Kd-Tree and Ball-Tree. Our results clearly show the performance gains of the proposed solution at 98% when compared to the classic kNN and at least 80% when compared to tree-based approaches.

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Introduction Fluoride is considered a key element in the remineralization process of tooth enamel. Objective To evaluate the influence of a topical solution of sodium fluoride (NaF) on the shear bond strength of orthodontic brackets and white spot lesions formation. Material and method Sixty bovine teeth were divided into three groups (n=20). Group 1 (Control): shear bond strength; Group 2: shear bond strength after pH cycling; Group 3: shear bond strength after pH cycling and treatment with 0.04% NaF solution. Groups 2 and 3 underwent pH cycling with demineralizing (6hs) and remineralizing (17hs) solutions at pH of 4.3 and 7.0 respectively for 15 days. The specimens were submitted to the shear bond strength and the Adhesive Remnant Index was verified (ARI). The specimens of each group (n=3) were qualitatively analyzed by means of Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Kruskal-Wallis test assessed the shear bond strength and Fisher's exact test evaluated ARI, with significance level of 5%. Result There was no significant difference among the three groups in shear bond strength (p=0.2679). Significant difference was found in ARI (p=0.0199). The frequency of ARI 1 was 55% in group 1, 90% in group 2, and 80% in group 3. SEM showed difference between the enamel and bonding. Group 2 showed structural change of the enamel surface, adjacent to the bond area; and group 3 showed enamel with characteristics similar to those of group 1. Conclusion It was concluded that there was no NaF influence on the bracket shear bond strength and even in low concentrations it prevented the development of areas of demineralization of white spot lesions.

Introdução O flúor é considerado um elemento chave no processo de remineralização do esmalte dentário. Objetivo Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar a influência da solução tópica de fluoreto de sódio (NaF) na resistência ao cisalhamento da colagem de barquetes ortodônticos durante a formação de lesões de manchas brancas. Material e método Sessenta dentes bovinos foram divididos em três grupos (n=20). Grupo 1 (Controle) - Cisalhamento imediato; Grupo 2 - Cisalhamento após ciclagem de pH; Grupo 3 - Cisalhamento após ciclagem de pH e tratamento com solução de 0,4% de NaF (Ortho Gard, Colgate-Palmolive®). Os Grupos 2 e 3 sofreram ciclagem de pH com soluções de desmineralização e remineralização em pH de 4,3 e 7,0 respectivamente, com ciclos de desmineralização (6 horas) e remineralização (17 horas), durante 15 dias. Os corpos de prova foram submetidos ao teste de resistência de união ao cisalhamento e remanescente adesivo (IRA). Espécimes de cada grupo (n=3) foram analisados qualitativamente por microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV). O teste de Kruskal-Wallis foi utilizado para avaliar a resistência ao cisalhamento e o teste exato de Fisher para avaliação do IRA, adotando nível de significância de 5%. Resultado Os resultados não encontraram diferença significativa entre os três grupos quanto à força de cisalhamento (p=0,2679). Diferença significativa foi encontrada no IRA (p = 0,0199). A frequência de IRA 1 foi de 55% no grupo 1, 90% no grupo 2 e 80% no grupo 3. A análise em MEV mostrou diferença entre o esmalte e a área de colagem submetida ao cisalhamento. Grupo 2 apresentou alteração estrutural na superfície do esmalte adjacente à área de colagem, e o Grupo 3 apresentou esmalte com característica semelhante ao do Grupo 1 na área que foi submetida à ciclagem de pH e NaF. Conclusão Concluiu-se que não houve influência do flúor na resistência ao cisalhamento de braquetes. O uso de soluções fluoretadas, ainda que em baixa concentração, preveniu o aparecimento de áreas desmineralizadas e lesões de manchas brancas.

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Considering numerical simulations, this study shows that the so-called vertical social distancing health policy is ineffective to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. We present the SEIR-Net model, for a network of social group interactions, as a development of the classic mathematical model of SEIR epidemics (Susceptible-Exposed-Infected (symptomatic and asymptomatic)-Removed). In the SEIR-Net model, we can simulate social contacts between groups divided by age groups and analyze different strategies of social distancing. In the vertical distancing policy, only older people are distanced, whereas in the horizontal distancing policy all age groups adhere to social distancing. These two scenarios are compared to a control scenario in which no intervention is made to distance people. The vertical distancing scenario is almost as bad as the control, both in terms of people infected and in the acceleration of cases. On the other hand, horizontal distancing, if applied with the same intensity in all age groups, significantly reduces the total infected people "flattening the disease growth curve". Our analysis considers the city of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, but similar conclusions apply to other cities as well. Code implementation of the model in R-language is provided in the supplementary material.

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Objective: This study investigated the effect of endogenous erosion on the microhardness of dentine and a nanofilled composite resin. Procedures for preventing erosion were also studied. Materials and Methods: 90 bovine dentine specimens were divided into three groups in accordance with the method for preventing: negative control, topical application of fluoride and resin-modified glass ionomer varnish. 120 composite resin specimens were distributed into four groups, which also included a resin sealant, among the preventive procedures. Specimens were then randomly divided into three sub-groups according to the exposure to simulate gastric acid solution and subsequent remineralization: negative control, 9 and 18 cycles. Surface analysis was carried out by measuring the Knoop hardness. The data obtained were statistically analyzed using 2-way ANOVA and Tukey test. Result: The mean hardness of dentine and of the composite specimens resin exhibited lower hardness after 18 cycles. However, the resin-modified glass ionomer varnish resulted in greater values compared to the other preventive procedures. Conclusion: A resin-modified glass ionomer varnish seems to be a promising method for minimizing the damage caused by endogenous acid, but its protection can be reduced depending on the intensity of the erosive challenge.

Objetivo: Este estudio investigó el efecto de la erosión endógena sobre la microdureza de la dentina y una resina compuesta de nanorrelleno. También se estudiaron los procedimientos para prevenir la erosión. Materiales and Métodos:90 muestras de dentina bovina se dividieron en tres grupos de acuerdo con el método para prevenir: control negativo, aplicación tópica de fluoruro y barniz de ionómero de vidrio modificado con resina. Se distribuyeron 120 muestras de resina compuesta en cuatro grupos, que también incluían un sellador de resina, entre los procedimientos preventivos. Las muestras se dividieron al azar en tres subgrupos de acuerdo con la exposición para simular la solución de ácido gástrico y la remineralización posterior: control negativo, 9 y 18 ciclos. El análisis de la superficie se realizó midiendo la dureza Knoop. Los datos obtenidos se analizaron estadísticamente mediante ANOVA de 2 vías y prueba de Tukey. Resultados: La dureza media de la dentina y de la resina de muestras compuestas exhibió una dureza más baja después de 18 ciclos. Sin embargo, el barniz de ionómero de vidrio modificado con resina resultó en valores mayores en comparación con los otros procedimientos preventivos. Conclusión: Un barniz de ionómero de vidrio modificado con resina parece ser un método prometedor para minimizar el daño causado por el ácido endógeno, pero su protección puede reducirse dependiendo de la intensidad del desafío erosivo.

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OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate in vitro the effects of whitening dentifrices on enamel color, the shear bond strength of orthodontic brackets and adhesive remnant index (ARI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty bovine teeth with brackets were randomly divided into four groups (n = 20): control group (GC)-water, test group 1 (GT1)-Colgate Total 12, test group 2 (GT2)-Curaprox Black Is White, and group test 3 (GT3)-Luminous White. All groups were submitted to brushing, simulating 12 months. The specimens were exposed to spectrophotometer color evaluation and to a shear strength test in a universal test machine using a 300 kN load with a crosshead speed of 0.5 mm/min. The ARI was evaluated with a stereoscopic magnifying glass. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn's tests were used for the color analysis, and Friedman and Nemenyi tests were used to compare the times in the variable. To compare the shear force between the groups, the data were evaluated by one-way analysis of variance and Tukey's test, and ARI was analyzed using Fisher's exact test, always with a significance level of 5%. RESULTS: In the color analysis, GT3 presented the greatest progression in whitening effect. GT1 had greater shear strength than GT3 did (p ≤ 0.05). For ARI, the score 1 was predominant in the GC and GT1. The GT2 and GT3 groups had scores of 3. CONCLUSION: The whitening dentifrices promoted significant color change over the 12-month brushing time and may have interfered in the resistance to shear bond strength and ARI.