Acesso à informação e participação pública : planeamento de recursos hídricos e desenvolvimento sustentável nos Açores

O acesso à informação e participação pública são dois dos mais significativos desafios que o actual quadro de planeamento ambiental coloca a nível nacional. Nesse sentido, a presente comunicação foca-se nos trabalhos conducentes à elaboração do Plano Regional da Água e nos Estudos de Base do Plano Regional de Desenvolvimento Sustentável, ambos levados a efeito na Região Autónoma dos Açores. Concretizando-se objectivos operacionais e graus de envolvimento da comunidade diferenciados nestes dois projectos, apresentam-se as principais linhas de trabalho e discutem-se as diferentes metodologias em ambos adoptadas com vista a um exercício integrado de cidadania

Aortic valve endocarditis by a rare infectious agent in a patient with a rare congenital mitral valve abnormality

© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. For commercial re-use, please contact [email protected] description: A 66-year-old woman with a past medical history of high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes mellitus and no clinical evidence of immunocompromise, presented to the emergency room with fever and acute pulmonary oedema. The patient had presented low-grade fever and anorexia in the previous 3 weeks.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Magnetic nanoparticles covered by or entrapped in lipid bilayers: Advances towards dual cancer therapy

In this work, both aqueous magnetoliposomes (magnetic nanoparticles entrapped in liposomes) and solid magnetoliposomes (a cluster of particles covered by a lipid bilayer) have been developed, containing either nickel/silica core/shell nanoparticles, nickel ferrite or manganese ferrite nanoparticles, with diameters below 150 nm, suitable for biomedical applications. Moreover, both aqueous (AMLs) and solid (SMLs) magnetoliposomes show a superparamagnetic behavior, the SMLs exhibiting a high saturation magnetization.Financial support by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) in the framework of the Strategic Funding UID/FIS/04650/2013 and UID/QUI/00686/2016 is acknowledged. A.R.O Rodrigues thanks the FCT for SFRH/BD/90949/2012 PhD grant and funding to MAP-Fis Doctoral Program.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Short-Term Herbage Intake Rate in Temperate Pastures Grasses Grown in Pure or in Intercropping Stands

Oat and ryegrass pastures grown in intercropping systems are the most common forages used during the fall and winter in subtropical and in some temperate climate regions. Nevertheless, it must be taken into account that the way in which the different species of plants are presented to the animals may lead to consequences for the efficiency of the grazing process (Prache and Damasceno 2006). Moreover, in hetero-geneous environments, animals may reduce intake rate due to a partial preference for a specific species (Gonçalves et al. 2009). Regarding the pasture development stage, it is known that the decrease of the leaf/stem ratio causes the animal to reduce the instantaneous herbage intake rate due to the reduction of the bite depth because of the physical barrier imposed by the stem (Benvenutti et al. 2006; Drescher et al. 2006) and/or the search for a higher food quality, in this case, leaf lamina (Soder et al. 2009). However, the dynamics of changes in temperate sward structures grown in pure stands compared to inter-cropping systems and its consequence in heifers\u27 short-term herbage intake rate (STHIR) are scarce. The objective of this work was to assess the changes in the STHIR in pastures of oat, ryegrass and their intercrop during the growing season. The hypothesis tested was that cattle reduce the STHIR in intercropping pastures compared to pure stands, and as the grazing season progress

Perspectivas para a sustentabilidade: o caso dos Açores

O desenvolvimento sustentável assume a protecção e gestão optimizada dos recursos naturais,mas também implica, necessariamente, o desenvolvimento económico e social. O modelo de desenvolvimento a implementar deve permitir a formulação e aplicação de uma estratégia assente em pressupostos de sustentabilidade, assumidos numa perspectiva de participação e envolvimento de todas as partes interessadas. Neste contexto, a situação periférica da Região Autónoma dos Açores potencia fragilidades e acentua vulnerabilidades, mas as especificidades existentes também proporcionam possibilidades de diferenciação que podem (devem) concretizar oportunidades privilegiadas para a implementação de uma estratégia inovadora de desenvolvimento. É neste sentido que importa concretizar na Região Autónoma dos Açores osdesideratos da Estratégia Nacional para o Desenvolvimento Sustentável e acautelar a incorporação das especificidades regionais em futuras revisões da mesma permitindo, desta forma, a salvaguarda das particularidades ambientais, económicas e sociais dos Açores no contexto nacional e comunitário. A presente comunicação apresenta alguns contributos para este fim, desenvolvidos no âmbito dos Estudos de Base do Plano Regional de Desenvolvimento Sustentável da Região Autónoma dos AçoresDirecção Regional do Ambient

Tiller Size/Density Compensation in Temperate Climate Grasses Grown in Monoculture or Intercropping Systems under Rotational Grazing

From the standpoint of tiller population dynamics, it is well known that the size and numbers of tillers in forage grasses are inversely related, where a greater tiller population density (TPD) is associated with smaller tillers and vice versa (Sbrissia et al. 2003; Hernandez-Garay et al. 1999; Matthew et al. 1995). This relationship has traditionally been made with the self-thinning power law described by Yoda et al. (1963), which considers the leaf area index (LAI) of the pasture constant when the slope of the relationship between numbers and size of tillers, on a logarithmic scale, is approximately -3/2 (Matthew et al. 1995). Notably few studies have assessed this relationship in intercropping systems. Moreover, although studies that evaluated intercrops showed relationships that were nearly -3/2 for the individually analysed species (Yu et al. 2008; Nie et al. 1997;White and Harper 1970), Nie et al. (1997) suggested that all plants that occur in the grass field should be used to properly estimate self-thinning in mixed species pastures. Thus, the aim of the present study was to test the main hypothesis that the tiller size/density compensation mechanisms operate in the same way in mixed pastures of oat and Italian ryegrass under rotational grazing and that the plant communities adapt their population to maintain a relatively constant LAI

Perspectivas para a sustentabilidade : um desafio na Região Autónoma dos Açores

O desenvolvimento sustentável assume a protecção e gestão optimizada dos recursos naturais, mas também implica, necessariamente, o desenvolvimento económico e social. O modelo de desenvolvimento a implementar deve permitir a formulação e aplicação de uma estratégia assente em pressupostos de sustentabilidade, assumidos numa perspectiva de participação e envolvimento de todas as partes interessadas. Neste contexto, a situação periférica da Região Autónoma dos Açores potencia fragilidades e acentua vulnerabilidades, mas as especificidades existentes também proporcionam possibilidades de diferenciação que podem (devem) concretizar oportunidades privilegiadas para a implementação de uma estratégia inovadora de desenvolvimento. É neste sentido que importa concretizar na Região Autónoma dos Açores os desideratos da Estratégia Nacional para o Desenvolvimento Sustentável e acautelar a incorporação das especificidades regionais em futuras revisões da mesma, desiderato para o qual pretenderam contribuir os Estudos de Base do Plano Regional de Desenvolvimento Sustentável da Região Autónoma dos Açores (PReDSA) (http://sram.azores.gov.pt/predsa).Direcção Regional do Ambient

Magnetic liposomes based on nickel ferrite nanoparticles as nanocarriers for new potential antitumor compounds

Guided transport of biologically active molecules (most of them toxic and with systemic side effects) to target specific sites in human body has been a focus of research in therapeutics in the past years. Magnetoliposomes (liposomes entrapping magnetic nanoparticles) are of large importance, as they can overcome many pharmacokinetics problems and can be guided and localized to the therapeutic site of interest by external magnetic field gradients [1,2]. In this work, nickel ferrite nanoparticles (NPs) with size distribution of 11±5 nm were obtained. Synthesized NPs show superparamagnetic behaviour at room temperature (magnetic squareness of 7.2×10-5 and coercivity field of 12 Oe), being suitable for biological applications. These NPs were either entrapped in liposomes, originating aqueous magnetoliposomes (AMLs), or covered with a lipid bilayer, forming dry magnetoliposomes (DMLs), the last ones prepared by a new promising route. Recently, AMLs and DMLs containing nickel-based nanoparticles were successfully prepared and characterized [3]. A potential antitumor compound [4] was successfully incorporated into the lipid bilayer of magnetoliposomes. DMLs structure was evaluated by FRET (Förster Resonance Energy Transfer) measurements between the fluorescent-labeled lipids NBD-C12-HPC (donor) included in the second lipid layer and rhodamine B DOPE (acceptor) in the first lipid layer. A FRET efficiency of 23% was calculated, with a corresponding donor-acceptor distance (r) of 3.11 nm, confirming DMLs structure. Preliminary assays of the non-specific interactions of both types of magnetoliposomes with biological membranes (modeled by giant unilamellar vesicles, GUVs) were performed, keeping in mind future applications of drug delivery using this type of magnetic systems. Membrane fusion between magnetoliposomes and GUVs was confirmed by FRET.FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, PEst-C/FIS/UI0607/2013 (F-COMP-01-0124-FEDER-022711

Separation of albumin from bovine serum applying ionic-liquid-based aqueous biphasic systems

In this work, the extraction and separation of bovine serum albumin (BSA) from its original matrix, i.e., bovine serum, was performed using a novel ionic-liquid-based aqueous biphasic system (IL-based ABS). To this end, imidazolium-, phosphonium-, and ammonium-based ILs, combined with the anions’ acetate, arginate and derived from Good Buffers, were synthesized, characterized, and applied in the development of ABS with K2HPO4/KH2PO4 buffer aqueous solutions at pH 7. Initial studies with commercial BSA revealed a preferential migration of the protein to the IL-rich phase, with extraction efficiencies of 100% obtained in a single-step. BSA recovery yields ranging between 64.0% and 84.9% were achieved, with the system comprising the IL tetrabutylammonium acetate leading to the maximum recovery yield. With this IL, BSA was directly extracted and separated from bovine serum using the respective ABS. Different serum dilutions were further investigated to improve the separation performance. Under the best identified conditions, BSA can be extracted from bovine serum with a recovery yield of 85.6% and a purity of 61.2%. Moreover, it is shown that the BSA secondary structure is maintained in the extraction process, i.e., after being extracted to the IL-rich phase. Overall, the new ABS herein proposed may be used as an alternative platform for the purification of BSA from serum samples and can be applied to other added-value proteins.publishe

Oyster spat recruitment in Espírito Santo State, Brazil, using recycled materials

Este trabalho avaliou a eficiência de quatro tipos de coletores de sementes no recrutamento de ostras Crassostrea sp., em cinco pontos do estuário do Rio Benevente, município de Anchieta, e em duas ilhas no município de Piúma, estado do Espírito Santo. Foram utilizados quatro tipos de coletores: 1-conchas de ostras, 2- garrafas PET, 3-tiras de pneu e 4- telhas, todos suspensos por cordas e amarrados em rizóforos de Rhizophora mangle ou em "long-lines" de mexilhões. Bimensalmente, as sementes recrutadas foram contadas e medidas quanto à altura, determinando-se os parâmetros físico-químicos-tróficos da água: salinidade, temperatura, oxigênio dissolvido, matéria orgânica particulada e clorofila-a, que foram correlacionados com o número de sementes nos coletores (através de correlações de Spearman). O recrutamento de sementes foi significativamente maior nos coletores de conchas de ostras, telhas e pneus, principalmente nos pontos de salinidade mais alta (Praia do Coqueiro em Anchieta e Ilhas do Meio e do Cabrito em Piúma) (Kruskal-Wallis: H= 10,01; 3 g.l.; P ;0,05). O número de sementes de ostras foi positivamente correlacionado com a salinidade (&#961;s= 0,331; P ; 0.05). The number of oyster spat was positively correlated with the salinity (&#961;s= 0.331; p < 0.05) and water temperature (&#961;s= 0.48; p < 0.05), revealing that areas with higher salinities and summer months were better for spat collection