Evaluación de la disponibilidad de N en suelo en pastos biodiversos ricos en leguminosas mediante el cultivo de plantas nitrófilas dentro de la dehesa

Biodiverse legume-rich pastures (BLRP) have been recommended for extensive animal production since they can improve productivity and pasture quality. However, the consequences for the N balance within the agro-system, due to the increase in biological N 2 fixation, must be monitored. A field trial was carried out to evaluate the soil N availability in a BLRP in comparison with an adjacent unsown pasture. The field experiment consisted of growing tufts of nitrophilic species (turnip, Brassica campestris and rye, Secale cereale) in the pastures rounded by PVC rings. Soil inorganic-N levels were monitored during a period of one year. The potentially available soil N was determined by growing ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) in a pot experiment and carrying out several chemical extraction methods. The mean values of N recovered by field-grown turnip and rye were, respectively, 30.6 and 31.1 kg ha–1 in BLRP, not statistically higher than that recovered in the unsown pasture. This is consistent with the very low levels of soil inorganic-N observed both in BLRP and the unsown pasture. Nitrogen recovered by ryegrass grown in pots was significantly higher in the soil collected from the BLRP than in soil from the unsown pasture. In this study, plant-available inorganic-N appeared as a strong limiting factor for the growth of the non-legume component. The BLRP seems to be currently environmentally sound, since the risk of N loss is practically non-existent. However, the potentially mineralisable organic N is increasing, which requires a further monitoring of the soil N dynamic as the pasture ages.Los pastos biodiversos ricos en leguminosas (PBRL) están siendo recomendados para la ganadería extensiva, ya que pueden mejorar la calidad de los pastos. Sin embargo, las implicaciones en el balance de nitrógeno (N) en suelo, debido a la fijación biológica de N, deben ser monitorizadas. Este estudio se estableció para evaluar la disponibilidad de N en suelo en PBRL en comparación con pastizales naturales. El ensayo consistió en el establecimiento de especies nitrófilas (nabo y centeno) en matas rodeadas por anillos de PVC. Durante un año se monitorizaron también los niveles de N mineral en suelo. El N potencialmente disponible se determinó mediante el cultivo de raigrás en macetas y mediante varios análisis químicos de laboratorio. En los PBRL los valores medios de N recuperado por el nabo y el centeno fueron 30,6 y 31,1 kg ha –1, respectivamente, no existiendo diferencias significativas con los valores registrados en los pastos naturales. Durante todo el año se registraron niveles bajos de N inorgánico en suelo. El N recuperado por el raigrás fue significativamente más elevado en los PBRL que en el pasto natural. Los resultados mostraron que el N fue un factor ecológico muy limitante para el crecimiento de las especies no leguminosas. Por otro lado, en los PBRL el riesgo de pérdida de N para el medio ambiente fue prácticamente nulo. Sin embargo, el N orgánico potencialmente mineralizable aumenta en el suelo, lo cual justificaría la necesidad de realizar nuevos análisis de dinámica del N en el suelo en un futuro

The Portuguese Severe Asthma Registry: Development, Features, and Data Sharing Policies

The Portuguese Severe Asthma Registry (Registo de Asma Grave Portugal, RAG) was developed by an open collaborative network of asthma specialists. RAG collects data from adults and pediatric severe asthma patients that despite treatment optimization and adequate management of comorbidities require step 4/5 treatment according to GINA recommendations. In this paper, we describe the development and implementation of RAG, its features, and data sharing policies. The contents and structure of RAG were defined in a multistep consensus process. A pilot version was pretested and iteratively improved. The selection of data elements for RAG considered other severe asthma registries, aiming at characterizing the patient's clinical status whilst avoiding overloading the standard workflow of the clinical appointment. Features of RAG include automatic assessment of eligibility, easy data input, and exportable data in natural language that can be pasted directly in patients' electronic health record and security features to enable data sharing (among researchers and with other international databases) without compromising patients' confidentiality. RAG is a national web-based disease registry of severe asthma patients, available at asmagrave.pt. It allows prospective clinical data collection, promotes standardized care and collaborative clinical research, and may contribute to inform evidence-based healthcare policies for severe asthma.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Budget impact analysis of cervical cancer screening in Portugal: comparison of cytology and primary HPV screening strategies

BACKGROUND: Primary Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) testing is the currently recommended cervical cancer (CxCa) screening strategy by the Portuguese Society of Gynecology (SPG) clinical consensus. However, primary HPV testing has not yet been adopted by the Portuguese organized screening programs. This modelling study compares clinical benefits and costs of replacing the current practice, namely cytology with ASCUS HPV triage, with 2 comparative strategies: 1) HPV (pooled) test with cytology triage, or 2) HPV test with 16/18 genotyping and cytology triage, in organized CxCa screenings in Portugal. METHODS: A budget impact model compares screening performance, clinical outcomes and budget impact of the 3 screening strategies. A hypothetical cohort of 2,078,039 Portuguese women aged 25-64 years old women is followed for two screening cycles. Screening intervals are 3 years for cytology and 5 years for the HPV strategies. Model inputs include epidemiological, test performance and medical cost data. Clinical impacts are assessed with the numbers of CIN2-3 and CxCa detected. Annual costs, budget impact and cost of detecting one CIN2+ were calculated from a public healthcare payer's perspective. RESULTS: HPV testing with HPV16/18 genotyping and cytology triage (comparator 2) shows the best clinical outcomes at the same cost as comparator 1 and is the most cost-effective CxCa screening strategy in the Portuguese context. Compared to screening with cytology, it would reduce annual CxCa incidence from 9.3 to 5.3 per 100,000, and CxCa mortality from 2.7 to 1.1 per 100,000. Further, it generates substantial cost savings by reducing the annual costs by €9.16 million (- 24%). The cost of detecting CIN2+ decreases from the current €15,845 to €12,795. On the other hand, HPV (pooled) test with cytology triage (comparator 1) reduces annual incidence of CxCa to 6.9 per 100,000 and CxCa mortality to 1.6 per 100,000, with a cost of €13,227 per CIN2+ detected with annual savings of €9.36 million (- 24%). The savings are mainly caused by increasing the length of routine screening intervals from three to five years. CONCLUSION: The results support current clinical recommendations to replace cytology with HPV with 16/18 genotyping with cytology triage as screening algorithm.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Biochar and zeolites did not improve phosphorus uptake or crop productivity in a field trial performed in an irrigated intensive farming system

Soil conditioners, such as biochar and zeolites, may play an important role in agriculture if they increase nutrient use efficiency, in particular, that of phosphorus (P), due to the depletion of phosphate rocks from which P-fertilizers are manufactured. This study report results from a field trial, where maize was grown in summer and oats in winter, and from a pot experiment with maize. In the field, the use of biochar and zeolites, along with an untreated control in combination with various P rates (0, 50, 100 and 200 kg P2O5 ha−1), was tested. In the pot experiment, six treatments were included, biochar, zeolites and a non-amended control with and without P application. Soil conditioners did not significantly influence tissue elemental composition or the dry matter (DM) yield of maize and oats in the field trial, nor the DM yield of maize in the pots. In the field trial, average maize DM yields varied from 14.3 to 15.6 t ha−1 and 11.8 to 13.7 t ha−1 and average oats DM yields from 2.1 to 2.4 t ha−1 and 3.0 to 3.2 t ha−1, respectively, in 2018 and 2019. Biochar only significantly increased total organic carbon (C); and zeolites the levels of potassium (K) in the soil, a result of their initial composition. P application increased DM yield of maize in the second year and oats in the two years of the field trial and also the DM yield of potted maize. In the pots, P application also influenced the concentration of P and several other nutrients in plant tissues and increased the labile soil P fraction. This study showed that the biochar and zeolite soil conditioners applied may not be suitable for short-term increase of crop production in soil with high agricultural potential and under intensive irrigated farming systems.The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under Programme PT2020 for financial support to Centro de Investigação de Montana (CIMO) (UID/AGR/00690/2015) and Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB) (UIDB/04033/2020).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Organic farming in northeast of Portugal: effects of soil fertility management on DM yield and nutrients composition of pastures

The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of six types of soil fertility management: no fertiliser (NF), lime inputs (Ca), mineral fertilisation combined with hming (CaP (lime and phosphorous), CaPB (lime, phosphorous and boron), manure (M), and manure+lime+mineral fertilisation (MCaPB), and two types of pasture (unsown and sown) on DM yield, botanical composition and nutrients content of pasture during two years of study. DM yield was significantly increased when plots were fertilised with manure (M and MCaPB), which also improved the proportion of legumes, mainly in the sown pasture

Control of quality and silo storage of sunflower seeds using near infrared technology

En este trabajo se evalúa la espectroscopía de infrarrojo cercano para su uso en el control de calidad y almacenamiento de semillas de girasol. Los resultados indican que el método analítico empleado puede utilizarse como método de determinación rápida de humedad, grasa y contenidos altos/bajos de ácido oleico. Los rangos de aplicación son comparables con los valores que se han determinado mediante métodos clásicos de análisis, encontrándose entre 4.6-21.4% la humedad, 38.4-49.6% la grasa y 60.0- 93.1% de ácido oleico del total de los ácidos grasos. Además se ha utilizado un análisis discriminarte lineal por pasos determinando las longitudes de onda más adecuadas para la clasificación de semillas de girasol en los grupos alto/bajo oleico. El modelo generado permitió la clasificación de semillas de girasol en los grupos alto y bajo oleico con unos porcentajes de muestras correctamente clasificadas de un 90.5% en validación interna y de un 89.4% en validación cruzadaThis work assesses the application of near infrared spectroscopy technology for the quality control of sunflower seeds direct from farmers and from a storage silo. The results show that the analytical method employing near infrared spectroscopy can be used as a rapid and non-destructive tool for the determination of moisture, fat and high/low oleic acid contents in samples of sunflower seeds. The ranges obtained were comparable to those reported for classic chemical methods, and were between 4.6-21.4% for moisture; 38.4-49.6% for fat, and 60.0-93.1% for oleic acid expressed as percentage of total fatty acids. A stepwise discriminant analysis was performed to determine the most useful wavelengths for classifying sunflower seeds in terms of their (high/low) oleic acid composition. The discriminant model allows the classification of sunflower seeds with high or low oleicacid contents, with a prediction rate of 90.5% for internal validation and of 89.4% for cross-validatio

Laboratory diagnosis of severe hypertriglyceridaemia. Cases from the dyslipidaemia regristy of the spanish atherosclerosis society

Background and Aims Severe hypertriglyceridaemia (sHTG) increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and acute pancreatitis episodes. Patients with sHTG fit mainly into two clinical entities: Familial or Multifactorial Chylomicronemia Syndromes (FCS and MCS, respectively). FCS and MCS exhibit clinical differences but also separate genetic and biochemical characteristics that can be assessed in the laboratory. The aim of this work has been to implement a laboratory workflow to help diagnose sHTG patients with either FCS or MCS. Methods Patients with two fasting triglycerides >1000mg/dL determinations were sequenced with a capture probe panel of 24 triglycerides-related genes using massive parallel sequencing (n=200). Two-step sequential ultracentrifugation was performed (n= 159) to diagnose Type I hyperlipoproteinemia (HLP I) and post heparin lipoprotein lipase activity was measured to discard or confirm its deficiency (n=60). Results Most patients had MCS as they: (i) did not exhibit HLPI and/or (ii) their genetic profile was not compatible with FCS and (iii) were not deficient in LPL activity. FCS cases were identified as they had: (i) HLPI, and/or (ii) biallelic pathogenic variants in LPL (n=5), GPIHBP1 (n=3), or LMF1 (n=2) genes and/or (iii) LPL activity deficiency. We identified 4 FCS patients with HLPI, biallelic pathogenic variants in APOA5 but a rescued LPL activity. An additional study of Apo-AV functionality was designed to confirm the FCS diagnosis in these cases. Conclusions Laboratory studies, in patients with severe hypertriglyceridaemia, provide with information of clinical utility to distinguish between Familial and Multifactorial Chylomicronemia Syndromes.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Performance and modeling of Ni(II) adsorption from low concentrated wastewater on carbon microspheres prepared from tangerine peels by FeCl3-assisted hydrothermal carbonization

The presence of heavy metals in the environment as a consequence of human activity is an issue that has caught the attention of researchers to find wastewater treatment solutions, such as adsorption. In this work, hydrochars and activated carbon microspheres are prepared from tangerine peels as carbon precursor and FeCl3 as activating and structure-directing agent in the hydrothermal carbonization, allowing to obtain hydrochar microspheres ranging from 50 to 3615 nm. In addition, a pyrochar was prepared by pyrolysis of the same precursor. The activated carbon shows the highest surface area (SBET up to 287 m2 g–1), but the basicity of the pyrochar (1.83 mmol g 1, SBET = 104 m2 g–1) was determinant in the adsorption of Ni, being considered the carbon-based material with the highest uptake capacity of Ni. Isotherm and kinetic adsorption of Ni on the most representative activated carbon microsphere, pyrochar and hydrochar microsphere are assessed by 10 and 7 models, respectively.The authors are grateful to the FCT (Foundation for Science and Technology, Portugal) and FEDER (European Regional Development Fund) under Programme PT2020 for financial support to CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020). We would also like to thank the scientific collaboration under Base- UIDB/50020/2020 and Programmatic- UIDP/50020/2020 funding of LSRE-LCM, and LA/P/0045/2020 funding of ALiCE, funded by national funds through FCT and MCTES (Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior, Portugal) by PIDDAC (Programa de Investimentos e Despesas de Desenvolvimento da Administraç˜ao Central, Portugal). Fernanda F. Roman and Adriano dos Santos Silva acknowledge the national funding by FCT and MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA), and the ESF (European Social Fund) for individual research grants with reference numbers of SFRH/BD/143224/2019 and SFRH/BD/151346/2021, respectively.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Patient-physician discordance in assessment of adherence to inhaled controller medication: a cross-sectional analysis of two cohorts

We aimed to compare patient's and physician's ratings of inhaled medication adherence and to identify predictors of patient-physician discordance.(SFRH/BPD/115169/2016) funded by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT); ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) through the operations: POCI-01-0145-FEDER-029130 ('mINSPIRERS—mHealth to measure and improve adherence to medication in chronic obstructive respiratory diseases—generalisation and evaluation of gamification, peer support and advanced image processing technologies') cofunded by the COMPETE2020 (Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização), Portugal 2020 and by Portuguese Funds through FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Monitoring Adherence to Asthma Inhalers Using the InspirerMundi App: Analysis of Real-World, Medium-Term Feasibility Studies

Background: Poor medication adherence is a major challenge in asthma and objective assessment of inhaler adherence is needed. InspirerMundi app aims to monitor inhaler adherence while turning it into a positive experience through gamification and social support. Objective: We assessed the medium-term feasibility of the InspirerMundi app to monitor inhaler adherence in real-world patients with persistent asthma (treated with daily inhaled medication). In addition, we attempted to identify the characteristics of the patients related to higher app use. Methods: Two real-world multicenter observational studies, with one initial face-to-face visit and a 4-month telephone interview, were conducted in 29 secondary care centers from Portugal. During an initial face-to-face visit, patients were invited to use the app daily to register their asthma medication intakes. A scheduled intake was considered taken when patients took a photo of the medication (inhaler, blister, or others) using the image-based medication detection tool. Medication adherence was calculated as the number of doses taken as a percentage of the number scheduled. Interacting with the app ≥30 days was used as the cut-off for higher app use. Results: A total of 114 patients {median 20 [percentile 25 to percentile 75 (P25-P75) 16-36] years, 62% adults} were invited, 107 (94%) installed the app and 83 (73%) completed the 4-month interview. Patients interacted with the app for a median of 18 [3-45] days, translated on a median use rate of 15 [3-38]%. Median inhaler adherence assessed through the app was 34 [4-73]% when considering all scheduled inhalations for the study period. Inhaler adherence assessed was not significantly correlated with self-reported estimates. Median adherence for oral and other medication was 41 [6-83]% and 43 [3-73]%, respectively. Patients with higher app use were slightly older (p = 0.012), more frequently taking medication for other health conditions (p = 0.040), and more frequently prescribed long-acting muscarinic antagonists (LAMA, p = 0.024). After 4 months, Control of Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma Test (CARAT) scores improved (p < 0.001), but no differences between patients interacting with the app for 30 days or less were seen. Conclusions: The InspirerMundi app was feasible to monitor inhaler adherence in patients with persistent asthma. The persistent use of this mHealth technology varies widely. A better understanding of characteristics related to higher app use is still needed before effectiveness studies are undertaken.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio