Presence of microcystis sp. and microcystins in alqueva reservoirs assessed by chemical and molecular methods

The Alqueva reservoir, located in the Alentejo region, in the south of Portugal, is considered the largest artificial lake in Europe. It has been in operation since 2002, and it is used to produce energy and supply water for agriculture and to the populations in this region of Portugal. The water distribution system, starting from the main reservoir, includes 19 reservoirs of smaller capacity and a network of waterways totaling 382 km in length. Furthermore, the occurrence of cyanobacteria in water reservoirs has been recognized as an environmental concern due to the potential presence of their related toxins that can cause severe health effects. This work aimed to monitor the presence of cyanobacteria and the commonly associated cyanotoxin microcystin (MC) in three reservoirs belonging to the Alqueva water system, namely São Pedro, Magra, and Pisão, located in the district of Beja. These reservoirs were selected considering the historical data of phytoplankton provided by EDIA, the entity in charge of the management of this infrastructure. The field work was carried out in July, August, and September, the months with the highest risk of outgrowth of cyanobacteria, in the year 2020. Two or three samples of water (5 L) were collected in different locations of the reservoirs, once per month, by boat. Samples were collected at different depths in the photic zone using a Van Dorn bottle and pooled. The water samples were then processed in the laboratory. Molecular biology techniques were used to detect the presence of cyanobacteria (16S rRNA) and MC-related genes. Moreover, chemical analysis techniques based on liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry (MS) were used to identify and quantify MCs. The results revealed the presence of MCs in the three reservoirs in the three months monitored. Concentrations of this toxin varied between 0.01 µg/L and 0.1 µg/L, with São Pedro being the reservoir displaying the highest concentrations of MCs in all of the months monitored. These results are consistent with the molecular study based on the analysis of Microcystis sp. 16 rRNA and MC biosynthetic genes (mcya–mcyG), suggesting the presence of putative toxic Microcystis sp. strains in the three reservoirs. Despite the low concentrations of MCs detected in these reservoirs, their recurrent presence in Alqueva waters serve as a reminder of the need to monitor cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins on a regular basis.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Association between patient's expectations and real outcomes for degenerative spine surgery.

Objetivo: O objetivo deste estudo passa por comparar as expectativas dos pacientes antes da cirurgia a patologia degenerativa da coluna com a sua perceção dos resultados e identificar os principais fatores que se correlacionam com expectativas superiores e o seu cumprimento. A questão do nosso estudo baseia-se na possibilidade de as expectativas pré-cirúrgicas dos pacientes poderem predizer os resultados reais da cirurgia. Métodos: Para a nossa análise foram considerados doentes consecutivos submetidos a cirurgia espinhal por patologia degenerativa no nosso centro hospitalar entre Agosto de 2018 e Maio de 2019. As expectativas expressas pelos pacientes foram registadas usando o questionário de expectativas para cirurgia espinhal cervical ou lombar e foram comparadas com o mesmo instrumento três meses após a cirurgia. Os resultados relatados pelo paciente foram avaliados usando o questionário COMI antes e após a cirurgia. Resultados: Foram analisados 120 pacientes. A média do score de expectativas relatadas pelos pacientes foi de 82.87%±14.57% e o score pós-operatório foi significativamente mais baixo, com uma média de 60.5±20.6% (p<0.001). Na análise multivariada, apenas Cirurgia prévia e Duração dos sintomas mantiveram a sua relação com as expectativas pré-operatórias e apenas Tipo de cirurgia se correlacionou com o Rácio de expectativas. Melhoria no score COMI após a cirurgia foi observada em 85% dos pacientes, mas somente em 14% é que as expectativas foram igualadas ou superadas. Conclusão: As expectativas pré-operatórias foram significativamente mais altas, mas os resultados pós-cirúrgicos foram menos otimistas. Expectativas mais baixas e uma perceção de sucesso menor após a cirurgia podem ser antecipadas em alguns pacientes tendo em conta características pré-operatórias. Apesar de 85% dos pacientes melhorarem após a cirurgia, as suas expectativas não foram cumpridas na maioria dos casos.Purpose: The aim of this study is to compare patient's expectations before surgery for degenerative spine disease to postoperative perceived outcomes and identify main factors that correlate with higher expectations and their fulfillment. The study question is whether patient's pre-surgical expectations can predict actual outcomes. Methods: Consecutive patients submitted to degenerative spine surgery between August 2018 and May 2019 in our spine center were enrolled. Patient's expressed expectations were recorded using the Lumbar/Cervical Spine Surgery Expectations Survey and compared to the same instrument, three months after surgery. Patient reported outcomes were evaluated using the COMI questionnaire before and after surgery. Results: A total of 120 patients were analyzed. The mean score of expectations reported by patients was 82.87%±14.57% and post-surgical score was significantly lower, 60.5±20.6% (p<0.001). In a multivariate analysis, only a history of spine surgery and a longer duration of symptoms were associated with low pre-surgical expectations. Lumbar surgery was associated to a lower ratio between postoperative and preoperative Expectations Survey scores. An improvement on the COMI score after surgery was achieved in 85% of the patients, but only 14% reported that their expectations were matched or exceeded. Conclusion: The pre-surgical expectations were significatively high, but the post-surgical results were less optimistic. Lower expectations and lower perceived success after surgery can be anticipated on some patients based on preoperative features. Although 85% of patients improved after surgery, their expectations weren't met in most cases

Using Wavelets to decompose time-frequency economic relations

Economic agents simultaneously operate at different horizons. Many economic processes are the result of the actions of several agents with different term objectives. Therefore, economic time-series is a combination of components operating on different frequencies. Several questions about the data are connected to the understanding of the time-series behavior at different frequencies. While Fourier analysis is not appropriate to study the cyclical nature of economic time-series, because these are rarely stationary, wavelet analysis performs the estimation of the spectral characteristics of a time-series as a function of time. In spite of all its advantages, wavelets are hardly ever used in economics. The purpose of this paper is to show that cross wavelet analysis can be used to directly study the interactions different time-series in the time-frequency domain. We use wavelets to analyze the impact of interest rate price changes on some macroeconomic variables: Industrial Production, Inflation and the monetary aggregates M1 and M2. Specifically, three tools are utilized: the wavelet power spectrum, wavelet coherency and wavelet phase-difference. These instruments illustrate how the use of wavelets may help to unravel economic time-frequency relations that would otherwise remain hidden.Monetary policy, time-frequency analysis, non-stationary time series, wavelets, cross wavelets, wavelet coherency.

Análise do efeito da fadiga muscular no senso de posição articular do joelho

Projeto de Graduação apresentado à Universidade Fernando Pessoa como parte dos requisitos para obtenção do grau de Licenciada em FisioterapiaObjetivo: Determinar o efeito da fadiga muscular no Senso de Posição Articular (SPA) do joelho e comparar acuidade propriocetiva entre amplitudes de teste, membro preferido e não-preferido e entre géneros. Métodos: Participaram neste estudo 33 adultos saudáveis. A fadiga foi induzida através do levantar e sentar de uma cadeira. O SPA foi avaliado pelo método de reposicionamento ativo, para as posições de 20º e 45º de flexão, através de um sistema de centrais inerciais. Resultados: O erro de reposicionamento aumentou com a fadiga aos 45º no membro preferido (p=0.030). O erro de reposicionamento é maior aos 45º do que aos 20º, com diferenças significativas no membro não-preferido (p=0.018) antes da fadiga e no membro preferido (p=0.020) depois da fadiga. A dominância não influenciou o SPA em repouso, mas depois da fadiga o membro preferido apresentou erros de posicionamento superiores na amplitude de 45º (p=0.039). Não existem diferenças relacionadas com o género (p>0.05). Conclusão: A fadiga afeta o SPA. O erro de reposicionamento é maior em amplitudes intermédias do que em amplitudes extremas. O membro preferido é mais afetado pela fadiga e não existem diferenças no SPA inerentes ao género.Aim: To determine the effect of muscle fatigue on knee joint position sense (JPS) and compare the proprioceptive acuity between test amplitudes, dominant and non-dominant limb and genders. Methods: The sample consisted of 33 healthy subjects. Fatigue was induced by a sit to stand task. JPS was evaluated by active repositioning method, to the ranges of 20º and 45º of flexion, using a central inertial system. Results: Reposition error increased with fatigue at the range of 45º in the dominant limb (p=0.030). The reposition error is higher at 45º than at 20º, with significant differences in the non-dominant limb before fatigue (p=0.018) and in the dominant limb (p=0.020) after fatigue. Dominance did not influenced JPS at rest, but after fatigue the dominant limb showed higher reposition errors at the range of 45º (p=0.034). There are no differences related to gender (p>0.05). Conclusion: Muscle fatigue affects JPS. The reposition error is higher at intermediate ranges than in limit ranges. Fatigue affects mainly the dominant limb and there are no differences in the JPS between gender.N/

Contribution to the discriminant power of some of the variables involved in the staging of severe equine asthma syndrome

Tese de Doutoramento em Ciências Veterinárias na especialidade de ClínicaSevere Equine Asthma Syndrome (EAS) is a highly prevalent, chronic and recurrent respiratory disease which appears to be related to equine domestication. Due to its insidious nature, treatment may sometimes be frustrating and severe economic loses occur. Genetically susceptible individuals develop airway inflammation, hyperresponsiveness and obstruction when exposed to environments with high concentrations of respirable dust particles, which include mould spores, mites, endotoxins, pollen and other antigenic materials. These hazardous respirable dust concentrations are usually found in traditional equine housing systems, while lower concentrations tend to be present in outdoor systems (pasture). The management of severe EAS essentially requires environmental control to ensure improvement of lung function and in some cases medical treatment with corticosteroids and bronchodilators to ameliorate the clinical signs of airway inflammation and bronchospasm. Considering the clinical importance of this syndrome, the dissertation focuses on further contributing to scientific knowledge of severe EAS. As such, we investigated the influence of lung function tests on the diagnosis and staging of the disease and developed a staging method using only portable equipment, which has the potential of being used in equine ambulatory practice. We also investigated the relation between severe EAS and resistance to gastrointestinal parasites, which had not been, to the author’s knowledge, previously reported in the Lusitano breed horses. This association has been reported in other equine breeds with severe EAS or with other multiple hypersensitivities (MHS). Lastly, because allergen avoidance is fundamental for the remission of severe EAS we examined owner compliance to a set of recommended guidelines for environmental management.RESUMO - A síndrome de asma equina (SAE) grave é uma doença respiratória crónica, recorrente e altamente prevalente em animais adultos, estando associada à domesticação dos equinos. Devido à sua natureza insidiosa, o tratamento é muitas vezes frustrante, originando perdas económicas significantes. Quando expostos a ambientes com elevadas concentrações de partículas respiráveis, tais como esporos de fungos, ácaros, endotoxinas, pólen e outras partículas antigénicas, os animais geneticamente suscetíveis desenvolvem inflamação, hiper-reactividade e obstrução das vias aéreas. As concentrações de partículas respiráveis elevadas encontram-se normalmente presentes em sistemas de estabulação de equinos tradicionais, enquanto que em sistemas em extensivo (pastagem) estas concentrações tendem a ser menores. Assim, no maneio da SAE grave é essencial o controlo ambiental de modo a assegurar a melhoria da função pulmonar e em alguns casos o tratamento médico com corticosteroides e broncodilatadores para reduzir os sinais clínicos de inflamação das vias aéreas e broncospasmo. Tendo em conta a importância clínica desta síndrome, esta dissertação tem por objetivo contribuir para o conhecimento científico da SAE grave. Assim sendo, investigámos a influencia dos testes de função pulmonar no diagnóstico e estadiamento da doença e desenvolvemos um método de estadiamento, utilizando apenas equipamento portátil, o qual poderá ser utilizado na clínica em regime de ambulatório. Ainda, investigámos a relação entre SAE grave e a resistência a parasitas gastrointestinais, a qual até à data ainda não havia sido reportada em cavalos Puro Sangue Lusitanos. Esta associação foi, contudo, descrita em equinos de outras raças diagnosticados com SAE grave ou outras hipersensibilidades múltiplas. Por fim, considerando que a remoção de aeroalérgenos é fundamental para a remissão da SAE grave, procurámos avaliar a complacência dos donos dos animais asmáticos a um conjunto de recomendações de maneio ambiental.CIISA through the project INOV CIISA 8.N/