Proposal for a radiation shielding study aiming the implantation of neutrons beam shutter in the J-9 radiation channel of the Argonauta reactor of the Nuclear Engineering Institute.

Argonauta, the only nuclear research reactor situated in Rio de Janeiro, located at the Institute of Nuclear Engineering (IEN), regularly serves a network of users focused on research and development, and also provides its infrastructure for experimental classes and completion work course. Due to increasing demand for non-destructive thermal neutron assays and production of radioisotopes, there is a search for new procedures and/or devices that optimize users' exposure to neutrons. The implementation of mechanisms that allow access to the irradiation channels without the reactor being turned off and with a shielding configuration that limits the occupational doses at this location is very useful for the operation of the reactor. In order to achieve this, the present work proposes the establishment of a neutron beam shutter of the J-9 irradiation channel of the IEN’s Argonauta reactor. In a first step, experimental measurements were made in the irradiation channel of the reactor using a BF3 detector, which is coupled to a spectrometer. In this phase, the neutron beam was aligned to the spectrometer, and different materials were used as shields, aiming the attenuation of the beam. To validate and/or change the configuration of the barrier that best meets the material irradiation needs, a second planned phase is involving the neutron flux simulation of the reactor and the various shields with different boundary conditions using the particle transport code, Monte Carlo N-Particle Extended (MCNP- X)

Development of pH-Sensitive magnetoliposomes containing shape anisotropic nanoparticles for potential application in combined cancer therapy

Late diagnosis and systemic toxicity associated with conventional treatments make oncological therapy significantly difficult. In this context, nanomedicine emerges as a new approach in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. In this work, pH-sensitive solid magnetoliposomes (SMLs) were developed for controlled release of the chemotherapeutic drug doxorubicin (DOX). Shape anisotropic magnetic nanoparticles of magnesium ferrite with partial substitution by calcium (Mg0.75Ca0.25Fe2O4) were synthesized, with and without calcination, and their structural, morphological and magnetic properties were investigated. Their superparamagnetic properties were evaluated and heating capabilities proven, either by exposure to an alternating magnetic field (AMF) (magnetic hyperthermia) or by irradiation with near-infrared (NIR) light (photothermia). The Mg0.75Ca0.25Fe2O4 calcined nanoparticles were selected to integrate the SMLs, surrounded by a lipid bilayer of DOPE:Ch:CHEMS (45:45:10). DOX was encapsulated in the nanosystems with an efficiency above 98%. DOX release assays showed a much more efficient release of the drug at pH = 5 compared to the release kinetics at physiological pH. By subjecting tumor cells to DOX-loaded SMLs, cell viability was significantly reduced, confirming that they can release the encapsulated drug. These results point to the development of efficient pH-sensitive nanocarriers, suitable for a synergistic action in cancer therapy with magnetic targeting, stimulus-controlled drug delivery and dual hyperthermia (magnetic and plasmonic) therapy.This work was funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) within the framework of the Strategic Funding of Research Units UIDB/04650/2020 (CF-UM-UP), UIDB/00319/2020 (ALGORITMI), UIDB/04077/2020 (MEtRICs), UIDB/04436/2020 (CMEMS) and UIDB/00511/2020 (LEPABE). FCT, POCI, FEDER and NORTE2020 are acknowledged for funding through research projects PTDC/QUI-QFI/28020/2017, EXPL/EMD-EMD/0650/2021, PTDC/EEI-EEE/2846/2021 and NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000054. MINECO (Spain) is acknowledged for project MAT2016-76824-C3-2-R. B.D.C. and V.M.C. acknowledge FCT for PhD grants SFRH/BD/141936/2018 (B.D.C.) and UI/BD/151028/2021 (V.M.C.). R.O.R. thanks FCT for contract 2020.03975.CEECIND

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear un derstanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5–7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8–11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world’s most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepre sented in biodiversity databases.13–15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may elim inate pieces of the Amazon’s biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological com munities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple or ganism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region’s vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most ne glected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lostinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Outcomes from elective colorectal cancer surgery during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

This study aimed to describe the change in surgical practice and the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on mortality after surgical resection of colorectal cancer during the initial phases of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear understanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5,6,7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8,9,10,11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world's most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepresented in biodiversity databases.13,14,15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may eliminate pieces of the Amazon's biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological communities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple organism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region's vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most neglected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lost

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear understanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5,6,7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8,9,10,11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world's most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepresented in biodiversity databases.13,14,15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may eliminate pieces of the Amazon's biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological communities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple organism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region's vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most neglected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lost

Metodologia para determinação simultânea de radônio e torônio

Este trabalho desenvolve uma metodologia alternativa de determinação de radônio, e torônio e de seus produtos de decaimento radioativo, partindo de um estudo comparativo entre diversas técnicas do método ativo, utilizadas rotineiramente. Simulou-se a presença simultânea dos produtos de decaimento radioativo de radônio e torônio na amostragem, atráves de um modelo matemático, e considerando-se as seguintes variáveis na elaboração da metodologia: tamanho do particulado, razões de agregamento e de aglomeração, fatores ambientais e retenção de particulado no filtro. Os resultados experimentais obtidos comprovaram as hipóteses assumidas pela nova metodologia sendo ainda necessário, para maior exatidão dos resultados, a determinação do fator de calibração adequado. A determinação da concentração desses gases é de extrema importância para a determinação de um dos vetores de exposição interna a que o homem está sujeito. A metodologia proposta atende as recomendações do congresso de Bruxelas fornecendo adicionalmente a concentração de torônio além disso, oferecerá os resultados esperados com um baixo custo operacional e sua utilização por qualquer serviço de proteção radiológica é viável, pois a operação, a manutenção e o manuseio são procedimentos de fácil realização