Convolutional Neural Networks Applied to Antimony Quantification via Reflectance Spectroscopy Using Soils from Northern Portugal: Opportunities and Challenges

Antimony (Sb) has gained significance as a critical raw material (CRM) within the European Union (EU) due to its strategic importance in various industrial sectors, particularly in the textile industry for flame retardants and as a component of Sb-based semiconductor materials. Moreover, Sb is emerging as a potential alternative for anodes used in lithium-ion batteries, a key element in the Energy transition. This study focused on exploring the feasibility of identifying and quantifying Sb mineralizations through the spectral signature of soils using reflectance spectroscopy, a non-invasive remote sensing technique, and by employing deep learning algorithms such as Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs). Common signal preprocessing techniques were applied to the spectral data, and the soils were analyzed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Despite achieving high R-squared values, the study faces a significant challenge of generalization of the model to new data. Despite the limitations, this study provides valuable insights into potential strategies for future research in this field.</jats:p

Sequencing batch airlift reactors (SBAR): a suitable technology for treatment and valorization of mineral oil wastewaters towards lipids production

Produced water (PW) and spent oil-based wastewaters are some of the largest mineral oil wastewaters produced. Due to the high toxicity of hydrocarbons, several countries set stringent discharge limits and its treatment is compulsory before discharge. In this work, biological treatment of mineral oil wastewaters coupled with the production of bacterial lipids is demonstrated in sequential batch airlift reactors (SBAR). Two SBAR (2 L working volume) were used for treatment of PW and lubricant-based wastewater (LW), inoculated with Alcanivorax borkumensis SK2 (SBARAb+PW) and Rhodococcus opacus B4 (SBARR.o+LW), respectively. A total petroleum hydrocarbon removal (TPH) efficiency up to 96% and 80% were achieved for SBARAb+PW and SBARR.o+LW, respectively. Intracellular lipids production in SBARAb+PW increased when lower TPH/N ratios and higher feast stage duration were applied (up to 0.74 g g-1 cell dry weight (CDW)), whereas in SBARR.o+LW higher lipids production was observed for higher TPH/N ratios (0.94 g g-1 in CDW). Triacylglycerols (TAG) were the main intracellular lipid accumulated in both SBARAb+PW and SBARR.o+LW operations, while wax ester (WE) production was only observed extracellularly in the SBARAb+PW.This work was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) under the scope of project SaltOil+ (POCI-01-0145-FEDER030180); the strategic programmes UIDB/04469/2020, UID/BIA/4050/ 2013 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007569) and UID/BIA/04050/2019; and by the BioTecNorte operation (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000004) funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the scope of Norte2020 - Programa Operacional Regional do Norte. Research of Rita M. Silva was supported by PhD grant SFRH/BD/116154/2016, funded by FCT.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

M onitoring and Evaluating Graduate Courses: Some Thoughts About Requirements and Criteria.

A partir dos resultados de um levantam ento sobre os primeiros 25 anos de funcionamento do programa de pós-graduação em Psicologia Experimental do IPUSP (1974-1990), este trabalho discute algumas questões que emergiram como relevantes para a reflexão sobre o monitoramento e avaliação de cursos de pós-graduação. A identidade do curso é discutida em termos de temática, enfoque epistemológico e natureza da formação oferecida; a dinâmica do curso é abordada através da consideração da diversidade de fatores reguladores que a constituem, desde a disponibilidade de docentes, evolução de áreas de orientação e pesquisa, demanda de alunos e outros, que se refletem nos ciclos de produção do programa, objeto principal dos procedimentos vigentes de avaliação. E apontada a necessidade de auto-monitoramento do curso como instrumento para a validação ou o questionamento de avaliações externas, e sugerem-se alguns critérios de avaliação atualmente pouco contemplados, especialmente participação de alunos na produção científica do programa, avaliação do programa pelos alunos, e destino profissional dos titulados.On the basis of the results of a survey of the first 25 years of the graduate course on Experimental Psychology of the IPUSP (1974-1990), this paper discusses some issues which emerged as relevant for the consideration of m onitoring and evaluation procedures regarding graduate courses. The identity of the course is discussed in terms of main themes, epistem ologic approach and nature of the formation provided to the students; the dynam ics of the course is dealt with through the consideration of the diversity of regulating factors - such as teachers availability, evolution of research areas, students’ demand - which affect the course’s production, the main target of the current evaluation procedures. Self-monitoring is pointed out as a necessary tool for the validation or for the questioning of external evaluations. Some currently neglected evaluation criteria such as students’ participation in the scientific production of the course, its evaluation by the students, and the professional perform ance o f graduated students, are suggested

A model of epileptogenesis in rhinal cortex-hippocampus organotypic slice cultures

Copyright © 2021 JoVE Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported LicenseOrganotypic slice cultures have been widely used to model brain disorders and are considered excellent platforms for evaluating a drug's neuroprotective and therapeutic potential. Organotypic slices are prepared from explanted tissue and represent a complex multicellular ex vivo environment. They preserve the three-dimensional cytoarchitecture and local environment of brain cells, maintain the neuronal connectivity and the neuron-glia reciprocal interaction. Hippocampal organotypic slices are considered suitable to explore the basic mechanisms of epileptogenesis, but clinical research and animal models of epilepsy have suggested that the rhinal cortex, composed of perirhinal and entorhinal cortices, play a relevant role in seizure generation. Here, we describe the preparation of rhinal cortex-hippocampus organotypic slices. Recordings of spontaneous activity from the CA3 area under perfusion with complete growth medium, at physiological temperature and in the absence of pharmacological manipulations, showed that these slices depict evolving epileptic-like events throughout time in culture. Increased cell death, through propidium iodide uptake assay, and gliosis, assessed with fluorescence-coupled immunohistochemistry, was also observed. The experimental approach presented highlights the value of rhinal cortex-hippocampus organotypic slice cultures as a platform to study the dynamics and progression of epileptogenesis and to screen potential therapeutic targets for this brain pathology.This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement Nº 952455, Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) through Project PTDC/MEDFAR/30933/2017, and Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboainfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Isolation and selection of campylobacter bacteriophages from poultry carcasses

Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT

2,3-Diphosphoglycerate and the Protective Effect of Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency against Malaria Infection—Exploring the Role of the Red Blood Cell Membrane

Malaria remains a major world public health problem, contributing to poverty and inequality. It is urgent to find new efficacious tools with few adverse effects. Malaria has selected red blood cell (RBC) alterations linked to resistance against infection, and understanding the protective mechanisms involved may be useful for developing host-directed tools to control Plasmodium infection. Pyruvate kinase deficiency has been associated with resistance to malaria. Pyruvate kinase-deficient RBCs display an increased concentration of 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG).We recently showed that 2,3-DPG impacts in vitro intraerythrocytic parasite growth, induces a shift of the metabolic profile of infected cells (iRBCs), making it closer to that of noninfected ones (niRBCs), and decreases the number of parasite progenies that invade new RBCs. As an increase of 2,3-DPG content may also have an adverse effect on RBC membrane and, consequently, on the parasite invasion, in this study, we explored modifications of the RBC morphology, biomechanical properties, and RBC membrane on Plasmodium falciparum in vitro cultures treated with 2,3-DPG, using atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based force spectroscopy and other experimental approaches. The presence of infection by P. falciparum significantly increased the rigidity of parasitized cells and influenced the morphology of RBCs, as parasitized cells showed a decrease of the area-to-volume ratio. The extracellular addition of 2,3-DPG also slightly affected the stiffness of niRBCs, making it more similar to that of infected cells. It also changed the niRBC height, making the cells appear more elongated. Moreover, 2,3-DPG treatment influenced the cell surface charge, becoming more negative in treated RBCs than in untreated ones. The results indicate that treatment with 2,3-DPG has only a mild effect on RBCs in comparison with the effect of the presence of the parasite on the host cell. 2,3-DPG is an endogenous host metabolite, which may, in the future, originate a new antimalarial tool with few adverse effects on noninfected cells.publishersversionpublishe

A Comparative Study

This research was funded by EU funds through the FEDER European Regional Development Fund (project LISBOA-02-0145-FEDER-031311) project LA/P/0056/2020 of Institute of Molecular Sciences, and LA/P/0140/2020 of i4HB, project UID/EEA/00066/2020 from the Center of Technology and Systems, and from the Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa with IPL/2018/STREAM_ISEL and IPL/2020/AGE-SPReS_ISEL projects. APCR and AMF thank the Instituto Superior Técnico for the scientific employment contracts IST-ID/119/2018 and IST-ID/131/2018, respectively. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.Aiming to develop a nanoparticle-based optical biosensor using gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) synthesized using green methods and supported by carbon-based nanomaterials, we studied the role of carbon derivatives in promoting AuNPs localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), as well as their morphology, dispersion, and stability. Carbon derivatives are expected to work as immobi-lization platforms for AuNPs, improving their analytical performance. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were prepared using an eco-friendly approach in a single step by reduction of HAuCl4·3H2O using phytochemicals (from tea) which act as both reducing and capping agents. UV–Vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), zeta potential (ζ-potential), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to characterize the AuNPs and nanocomposites. The addition of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) resulted in greater dispersion of AuNPs on the rGO surface compared with carbon-based nanomaterials used as a support. Differences in morphology due to the nature of the carbon support were observed and are discussed here. AuNPs/rGO seem to be the most promising candidates for the development of LSPR biosensors among the three composites we studied (AuNPs/G, AuNPs/GO, and AuNPs/rGO). Simulations based on the Mie scattering theory have been used to outline the effect of the phytochemicals on LSPR, showing that when the presence of the residuals is limited to the formation of a thin capping layer, the quality of the plasmonic resonance is not affected. A further discussion of the application framework is presented.publishersversionpublishe

Advanced treatment for arthritic diseases based on the capture and inactivation of interleukin-6 by biofunctionalized polymeric nanoparticles

Arthritic diseases, such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, are associated with synovium inflammation (synovitis). Several pro-inflammatory cytokines, especially tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) and interleukins (IL), are important mediators of inflammation and articular cartilage destruction, supporting a potential possibility of anticytokine therapy in these diseases. IL-6 is one of the key regulators of the inflammatory response. Thus, human monoclonal antibodies against IL-6 may prevent its action, and consequently reduce inflammation after intra-articular (IA) injection. Indeed, several clinical trials have already demonstrated positive outcomes over disease progression. Although these treatments are very attractive, they are associated with limited efficacy because of the rapid clearance of antibodies by the synovium. A solution to overcome this problem is using nanoparticles (NPs) as a substrate to protect and extend the action of the antibodies. Natural-derived polymers, like chitosan (Ch) and hyaluronic acid (HA), are biocompatible and biodegradable polysaccharides, being HA a natural component of the extracellular matrix of articular cartilage. Therefore, biodegradable polymeric NPs represent a good candidate for IA administration. In the present work we propose natural biodegradable polymeric NPs biofunctionalized with immobilized antibodies that selectively capture and inactivate the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6, reducing synovium inflammation. Ch-HA NPs were successfully prepared by polyelectrolyte complexation and further stabilized through carbodiimide chemistry (ethyl(dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC)/Nhydroxysuccinimide (NHS)). The particle size and zeta potential of the NPs were optimized. Stable NPs with 121.8 ± 2.4 of particle diameter, 0.11 ± 0.01 of polydispersity index and +25.12 ± 1.86 mV of zeta potential were produced with 0.25 mg/mL of initial polymers concentrations, at pH 5 and with 50/200 mM of EDC/NHS concentration. The anti-IL-6 antibody was immobilized at the surface of Ch-HA NPs. After determining the maximum antibody immobilization ability (7 µg/mL), the capacity to capture the recombinant IL-6 was evaluated. The efficacy was around 94-97%. Biological assays demonstrated not only the cytocompatibility of the produced NPs with human articular chondrocytes (hACs) (Fig 1) and human macrophages, but also the benefits of the capture and inactivation of IL-6 after stimulation with monocyte-derived macrophage conditioned medium. In conclusion, it is foreseeable that these NPs will overcome the limitations of the abovementioned treatments, since such NPs will increase the therapeutic efficacy due to their subcellular size, non-toxicity and high stability, being a promising approach for the local and sustained treatment of arthritic diseases.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio