Aspergilosis pulmonar crónica y el efecto de los corticosteroide

Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) is a rare disease, fre quently affecting patients with current or prior lung disease, leading to the development of air cavities in the middle of lung parenchyma. Chronic cavitary pulmonary aspergillosis (CCPA) is the most common form of CPA, presenting as a single or as mul tiple pulmonary cavities with thickened walls, with or without an aspergilloma inside. etc...info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Proteina a-sinucleina como alvo terapeutico no tratamento da doença de Parkinson

A doença de Parkinson (DP) apresenta uma elevada prevalência entre as doenças neurodegenerativas, acarretando um impacto clínico muito significativo nos pacientes, familiares e cuidadores, especialmente através dos seus efeitos degenerativos progressivos na mobilidade do doente. As evidências científicas apontam para a centralidade da alfa sinucleína, uma proteína intrinsecamente desordenada no citosol que é tida como fundamental no desenvolvimento da doença. A etiologia da DP é variada e, consoante o fator desencadeante da patologia, podem ocorrer várias alterações nas vias fisiológicas e na alfa-sinucleína monomérica. Alterações na proteína podem levar a danos nas vias celulares, bem como danos nestas vias podem provocar alterações na proteína. Em última instância ocorre morte neuronal, e em neurónios resilientes são encontrados corpos de Lewy compostos maioritariamente por alfa-sinucleína. Estes corpos são formados porque numa fase inicial ocorrem alterações na homeostase celular que induzem perturbações nos equilíbrios entre as diferentes formas de alfa sinucleína, originando a formação de oligómeros e fibrilas tóxicas. Além dos danos que causam sobre as vias celulares, estas espécies têm a capacidade de se disseminarem de forma semelhante a um prião, interferindo com a homeostase de células vizinhas. As terapias atualmente utilizadas em quadros clínicos de DP apenas controlam sintomas e não inibem a progressão da doença, pelo que o estudo de novas estratégias e fármacos que impeçam essa progressão são de extrema relevância. A presente dissertação centra-se na análise das formas tóxicas da alfa-sinucleína e dos seus mecanismos de toxicidade, abordando estudos conducentes a novas estratégias que atuem sobre esta proteína. De entre as estratégias descritas na literatura, as mais promissoras envolvem a diminuição da produção da alfa-sinucleína, a inibição da sua agregação, a potenciação da autofagia, a redução de formas extracelulares tóxicas bem como inibição da captação das mesmas por células vizinhas.Parkinson’s disease (PD) presents a high prevalence among the neurodegenerative diseases, resulting on a significant clinical impact on patients, their family and care takers, especially through its progressive degenerative effects on patient’s mobility. Scientific evidence points to the centrality of alpha-synuclein, an intrinsically disordered protein in the cytosol known to be crucial for the development of the disease. The etiology of the PD varies, largely depending on the triggering factor of the pathology. Several changes to the physiological pathways and in the monomeric alpha-synuclein may occur. Changes to the protein can lead to damage on the cellular pathways as well as damages in the physiological pathways may alter the protein. At last, neuronal death occurs and Lewy bodies composed mainly of alpha-synuclein are found in resilient neurons. These bodies are formed because in an initial phase changes in cell homeostasis occur, causing disturbances in the balance between the different forms of alpha synuclein which lead to formation of toxic oligomers and fibrils. Aside from the damages caused on cellular pathways, these species have de capacity to spread like a prion, interfering with the homeostasis of neighboring cells. The therapies currently available for PD only control symptoms, not slowing the progression of the disease. The study of new strategies that prevent this progression are thus extremely important. This dissertation focuses on the analysis of toxic forms of alpha-synuclein and their mechanisms of toxicity, together with recent studies described in the literature aiming at the development of new strategies targeting this protein. The most promising approaches are related to reducing alpha-synuclein production, inhibiting its aggregation, potentiating autophagy, reducing toxic extracellular forms as well as inhibiting their uptake by neighboring cells

"Em Junho": Projecto sobre a Construção de uma Temporalidade no Cinema

O presente texto constitui a memória do projecto prático desenvolvido ao longo do Mestrado em Ciências da Comunicação – especialização em Cinema e Televisão. Procurei aliar a concepção de uma curta-metragem com cerca de dezasseis minutos, escrita, realizada e montada por mim, com a formulação de um problema de relevância teórica no âmbito da prática cinematográfica e das Ciências da Comunicação. Em concreto, e tendo como ponto de partida o filme realizado, procuro abordar e desenvolver o complexo tópico do tempo e da temporalidade no cinema, identificando as suas múltiplas dimensões, intuitivamente distinguíveis. Desta forma, procurarei acima de tudo, constatar como é que esta questão é tratada na teoria do cinema, com foco na contemporaneidade. A ideia de “construção de uma temporalidade” remete para a vertente mais prática do projecto e sugere a criação de uma dimensão do tempo, específica do cinema e através do dispositivo cinematográfico. O conceito de tempo é intrincado e problemático. A dificuldade em trabalhá-lo surge da multiplicidade de abordagens existentes, principalmente da física e da filosofia, que se estendem por centenas de anos. De modo a cingir o texto aos seus propósitos fundamentais, reduzindo o risco de dispersão, escolhi destacar as ideias de Henri Bergson, cujo conceito de duração tem sido empregue repetidamente na teoria do cinema, directamente ou por via da filosofia do cinema de Gilles Deleuze. Assim, é possível simplificar duas concepções de “tempo”, uma relativa à utilização prática e quotidiana da palavra, um tempo cronológico, mensurável, representado numericamente e numa lógica de sucessão permanente, e outra, próxima da “temporalidade” que o cinema tem a capacidade de transmitir. Esta última está ligada à ideia da percepção, da subjectividade e da sobreposição e interpenetração de instantes, noções bergsonianas, uma ideia frequentemente validada e veiculada pelo cinema, e argumentada ao nível das teorias

Carbonation potential of recycled aggregates from construction and demolition waste

One of the biggest challenges currently faced by Society is climate change, leading to the need of mitigation of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, among other consequences. The construction sector is responsible for a large part of these emissions. In addition, this sector is also responsible for a significant part of all waste globally produced, about one third in the European Union. The use of construction and demolition wastes (CDW) as aggregates in mortars and concrete has been the objective of several studies. This incorporation reduces the volume of natural aggregates used in these construction products, decreasing the depletion of natural resources, while increasing the life cycle of the incorporated by-products. It thus contributes to the reduction of the environmental impacts of the construction sector. Nevertheless, recycled aggregates are not often incorporated in mortars and concrete due to their higher porosity and lower strength compared to natural aggregates. Jointly with the Portuguese cement industry, this research intends to produce more sustainable mortars and concrete by using CDW aggregates as a carbon capture and storage source. This not only reduces the global greenhouse emissions of concrete but also potentially improves the CDW aggregates’ properties. To this extent, different types of CDW aggregates will be subjected to forced and accelerated sequestration of CO2, contributing to the capture of part of the CO2 emissions of the Portuguese cement industry, providing it with more sustainable processes. As a result, this study intends to contribute to the reduction of non-renewable natural resources, in the form of natural aggregates, while reusing CDW and capturing part of the CO2 released by the production of cement. This article presents the characterization of three CDW from different origin and treatments, regarding the analysis of their carbonation potential.publishersversionpublishe

Mortars with cdw recycled aggregates submitted to high levels of co2

Funding Information: Funding: This research was funded within the research project WP10B by c5Lab (CoLab 4/2018-CemLab).Construction and demolition wastes (CDW) are generated at a large scale and have a diversified potential in the construction sector. The replacement of natural aggregates (NA) with CDW recycled aggregates (RA) in construction materials, such as mortars, has several environmental benefits, such as the reduction in the natural resources used in these products and simultaneous prevention of waste landfill. Complementarily, CDW have the potential to capture CO2 since some of their components may carbonate, which also contributes to a decrease in global warming potential. The main objective of this research is to evaluate the influence of the exposure of CDW RA to CO2 produced in cement factories and its effect on mortars. Several mortars were developed with a volumetric ratio of 1:4 (cement: aggregate), with NA (reference mortar), CDW RA and CDW RA exposed to high levels of CO2 (CRA). The two types of waste aggregate were incorporated, replacing NA at 50% and 100% (in volume). The mortars with NA and non-carbonated RA and CRA from CDW were analysed, accounting for their performance in the fresh and hardened states in terms of workability, mechanical behaviour and water absorption by capillarity. It was concluded that mortars with CDW (both CRA and non-carbonated RA) generally present a good performance for non-structural purposes, although they suffer a moderate decrease in mechanical performance when NA is replaced with RA. Additionally, small improvements were found in the performance of the aggregates and mortars with CRA subjected to a CO2 curing for a short period (5 h), while a long carbonation period (5 d) led to a decrease in performance, contrary to the results obtained in the literature that indicate a significant increase in such characteristics. This difference could be because the literature focused on made-in-laboratory CDW aggregates, while, in this research, the wastes came from real demolition activities, and were thus older and more heterogeneous.publishersversionpublishe

Protocolos em Medicina Interna - Serviço de Medicina lnterna do Hospital Central do Funchal

N/

Viral genetic clustering and transmission dynamics of the 2022 mpox outbreak in Portugal

Pathogen genome sequencing during epidemics enhances our ability to identify and understand suspected clusters and investigate their relationships. Here, we combine genomic and epidemiological data of the 2022 mpox outbreak to better understand early viral spread, diversification and transmission dynamics. By sequencing 52% of the confirmed cases in Portugal, we identified the mpox virus sublineages with the highest impact on case numbers and fitted them into a global context, finding evidence that several international sublineages probably emerged or spread early in Portugal. We estimated a 62% infection reporting rate and that 1.3% of the population of men who have sex with men in Portugal were infected. We infer the critical role played by sexual networks and superspreader gatherings, such as sauna attendance, in the dissemination of mpox virus. Overall, our findings highlight genomic epidemiology as a tool for the real-time monitoring and control of mpox epidemics, and can guide future vaccine policy in a highly susceptible population.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Large-scale screening of unknown varieties in a grapevine intra-varietal variability collection

Since the last decade of the last century, it is known that many old grapevine varieties are descendants of other varieties through natural crossing. Portugal has an important program for the conservation of representative samples of intra-varietal variability of all autochthonous varieties, managed by the Portuguese Association for Grapevine Diversity (PORVID), which makes looking for genotypes with dubious identification an important activity from a perspective of its valorisation. This communication presents the results of the molecular analysis of 5,000 samples (accessions) from the PORVID’s collection, using nine microsatellite loci currently recommended by the International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV) for genetic grapevine identification. The results obtained confirmed the molecular identity of 4,220 samples corresponding to 214 varieties present in the official list of Portuguese varieties. In 780 samples, 95 profiles with a plural number of accessions revealed not to be listed in the Vitis International Variety Catalogue (VIVC) database, corresponding to possible varieties either descendent from natural crossing from at least one known parental variety, or from undetermined origin. Furthermore, the need for a comprehensive strategy aimed at uncovering other hidden varieties is discussed to prevent their imminent loss, deepen understanding of their origin, and add economic value and sustainability to the vine and wine sector