Biodiversity and characterization of marine mycota from Portuguese waters

Biodiversity and characterization of marine mycota from Portuguese waters.— The occurrence, diversity and similarity of marine fungi detected by the sum of direct and indirect observations in Fagus sylvatica and Pinus pinaster baits submerged at two Portuguese marinas are analyzed and discussed. In comparison with the data already published in 2010, the higher number of specimens considered in this study led to the higher number of very frequent taxa for these environments and substrata; the significant difference in substrata and also in fungal diversity detected at the two environments is also highlighted, in addition to the decrease in fungal similarity. Because the identification of Lulworthia spp., Fusarium sp., Graphium sp., Phoma sp. and Stachybotrys sp. down to species level was not possible, based only on the morphological characterization, a molecular approach based on the amplification of the LSU rDNA region was performed with isolates of these fungi. This was achieved for three isolates, identified as Fusarium solani, Graphium eumorphum and Stachybotrys chartarum. To achieve this with the other isolates which are more complex taxa, the sequencing of more regions will be considered.Biodiversidad y caracterización de los hongos marinos de las aguas portuguesas.— Se analiza y discute la presencia, la diversidad y la similitud de los hongos marinos detectados mediante la suma de observaciones directas e indirectas utilizando cebos de Fagus sylvatica y Pinus pinaster sumergidos en dos puertos deportivos portugueses. En comparación con los datos ya publicados en 2010, el mayor número de especímenes aquí considerados condujo a un mayor número de taxones muy frecuentes en estos sustratos y medios ambientales; también debe destacarse la diferencia significativa en los sustratos y también en la diversidad fúngica en los dos medios ambientales, además de la disminución de la similitud fúngica. Dado que no fue posible la identificación de Lulworthia spp., Fusarium sp., Graphium sp., Phoma sp., y Stachybotrys sp. hasta el nivel de especie, basándose únicamente en la caracterización morfológica, se llevó a cabo un estudio molecular basado en la amplificación de la región LSU ADNr con extractos de dichos hongos. Ello se consiguió en tres extractos puros, identificados como de Fusarium solani, Graphium eumorphum y Stachybotrys chartarum. Para llevar a cabo este proceso con otros extractos puros pertenecientes a taxones más complejos, se considerará la secuenciación de más regiones.publishe

Assessment of the presence of Hepatitis E virus in surface water and drinking water in Portugal

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a non-enveloped single-stranded positive-sense RNA virus, belonging to the Hepeviridae family, resistant to environmental conditions, and transmitted by the consumption of contaminated water. This virus is responsible for both sporadic and epidemic outbreaks, leading to thousands of infections per year in several countries, and is thus considered an emerging disease in Europe and Asia. This study refers to a survey in Portugal during 2019, targeting the detection and eventual quantification of enteric viruses in samples from surface and drinking water. Samples positive for HEV RNA were recurrently found by reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), in both types of matrix. The infectivity of these samples was evaluated in cultured Vero E6 cells and RNA from putative viruses produced in cultures evidencing cytopathic effects and was subjected to RT-qPCR targeting HEV genomic RNA. Our results evidenced the existence of samples positive either for HEV RNA (77.8% in surface water and 66.7% in drinking water) or for infectious HEV (23.0% in surface water and 27.7% in drinking water). These results highlight the need for effective virological control of water for human consumption and activities.This research was funded by Empresa Portuguesa das Águas Livres (EPAL) and Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) Portugal through a Ph.D. grant to D. Salvador (PDE/BDE/114582/2016) and FCT/MCTES projects UIDP/50017/2020+UIDB/50017/2020 and UIDB/04295/2020 through national funds.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Estudo da Sensibilização aos Aeroalergenos Phl p 1, Phl p 5, Ole e 1 e Ole e 2 em Doentes com Patologia Alérgica Sazonal

Estudo da Sensibilização aos Aeroalergenos Phl p 1, Phl p 5, Ole e 1 e Ole e 2 em Doentes com Patologia Alérgica Sazonal Cátia Coelho2, Elsa Caeiro2,4, Maria Luísa Lopes1, Ana Filipa Lopes3, Raquel Ferro2, José Eduardo Moreira3, Célia Antunes3,4, Rui Brandão4,5 1Hospital de Santa Luzia, Elvas, Portugal; 2Sociedade Portuguesa de Alergologia e Imunologia Clínica (SPAIC), Lisboa, Portugal; 3Departamento de Química, Universidade de Évora, Portugal; 4Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas (ICAAM), Universidade de Évora, Portugal; 5 Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de Évora, Portugal Introdução: A sensibilização aos pólenes depende de vários factores nomeadamente do tipo de vegetação local e sabe-se que a sintomatologia não está apenas associada à exposição aos pólens mas também a partículas, algumas das quais resultantes da rotura dos grãos de pólen sendo posteriormente aerossolizadas. Objectivos: Relacionar a sensibilização de doentes com a concentração polínica atmosférica e a concentração de alguns dos respectivos aerolergenos. Métodos: Das consultas externas de Imunoalergologia dos hospitais de Évora e Elvas seleccionaram-se doentes que apresentavam queixas sazonais de rinite alérgica e asma brônquica, aos quais foram realizados testes cutâneos em Prick, standardizados, aos pólenes identificados na região. A 55 doentes foram realizados testes ao extracto de Phleum, aos seus alergénios Phl p 1 e Phl p 5, bem como aos extractos das restantes gramíneas e a 47 doentes foram realizados testes ao extracto de Olea, aos seus alergénios Ole e 1 e Ole e 2. Monitorizaram-se diariamente as partículas polínicas e os aeroalergenos mediante 2 colectores específicos para cada tipo. Resultados: A percentagem de doentes que é sensível aos 3 extractos de Phleum (Phleum total, Phl p 1 e Phl p 5) é de 51% , a dos que são sensíveis aos extractos de Phleum total e Phl p 1 é de 16 % e a dos que são sensíveis a Phleum total e Phl p5 é de 2%. A percentagem de doentes que é sensível a somente um dos extractos é de 20% e os que não têm qualquer sensibilidade são 11%. A percentagem de doentes que é sensível aos 3 extractos de Olea (Olea total, Ole e 1 e Ole e 2) é de 23%, a dos que são sensíveis à Olea total e Ole e 1 é de 21 % e a dos que são sensíveis à Olea total e Ole e 2 é de apenas 4%. A percentagem dos que são sensíveis a um dos extractos é de 19% e a dos que não apresentaram qualquer sensibilidade é de 32%. Conclusões: Podemos concluir que 89% dos doentes mostraram ser sensíveis aos alergénios da gramínea Phleum pratense pois mostraram positividade tanto ao extracto de Phleum e/ou aos seus alergénios Phl p 1 e Phl p 5. Em relação à oliveira, 44% dos doentes são alérgicos a este pólen pois são sensíveis ao seu alergénio major, Ole e 1. Em ambos os casos estão correlacionados com os aeroalergenos detectados nas amostras de ar, sendo a sensibilidade aos pólenes de gramíneas maior que a sensibilidade ao pólen de oliveira. Mais estudos devem ser realizados para despiste de reacções cruzadas nomeadamente quanto à Olea com outras plantas da região

Esterilização tubária histeroscópica com Essure ® : um estudo observacional de 7 anos

Introduction: Hysteroscopic sterilization with the Essure® device is a method of contraception considered safe and effective already applied in more than 200,000 women. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of this method of contraception and the adverse events associated with the placement of Essure®, including pain during the procedure and postprocedure complications. Material and methods: We performed a retrospective observational study with inclusion of all the women submitted to Essure® placement in a large urban hospital in Portugal, from January 2008 to December 2015 (7 years). The variables age, parity, duration and intercurrences of the procedure, follow-up exams and final outcome were evaluated. The statistical analysis was performed with STATA 12.1. Results: Of the 118 women only 100 finished the procedure with 16.9% reporting moderate or severe pain. Although less than 3 intrauterine rings were found in 8.5% of cases, the success rate was 92%. The complications described were tubal perforation (0.8%), pregnancy (1 case) and incorrect positioning of the implants (3%). Discussion/Conclusion: The success rate of the procedure was very close to that described in the literature with a low incidence of complications. That advantages make it an idea method for women with high surgical risk and multiple co-morbiditiesinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Determinação da Carga Alergénica (Ole e1) Presente no Ar Atmosférico na Região de Évora: Correlação com o conteúdo polínico de Olea

Introdução: Em Portugal, o pólen da oliveira (Olea europaea) constitui uma das fontes mais relevantes de aero-alergénios, sendo uma causa frequente de polinose na região Mediterrânica, onde o Ole e 1 é um alergeno major. Apesar de se julgar apenas associado aos grãos de pólen, desconhece-se a variabilidade inter-anual da carga alergénica do pólen e ainda existe alguma controvérsia sobre a forma como este aeroalergeno se distribui no ar atmosférico. Objectivo: Este trabalho teve como objectivos: i) determinar a fracção dos bioaerossóis mais rica em Ole e 1; ii) avaliar a correlação dos conteúdos diários de pólen e aeroalergeno no ar atmosférico; iii) avaliar variação anual da carga alergénica do pólen. Métodos: Os aeroalergenos foram captados utilizando um colector de impacto CHEMVOL equipado com dois filtros com capacidade para reter partículas de diferentes dimensões: PM>10µm e 10µm>PM>2,5µm. Após 24h os filtros foram retirados, a fracção proteica foi extraída e os alergenos quantificados por ELISA. Simultaneamente o pólen foi monitorizado pela tecnologia padrão utilizando um colector volumétrico Burkard 7-Day Recording Volumetric Spore Trap. Os colectores foram ambos colocados numa mesma plataforma a 17m de altura, e a ≈3-4m um do outro. Resultados: Entre 2009 e 2011, registou-se uma variação inter-anual quer do perfil quer da duração da época polínica (39, 47 e 45 dias, respectivamente). O conteúdo polínico total no ar atmosférico também foi variável no intervalo de 7240 a 12524 grãos/m3. Mais de 90% do alergeno foi encontrado na fracção de bioaerossóis de PM>10µm. O conteúdo em Ole e 1 foi directamente proporcional ao número de grãos de pólen no ar atmosférico, tendo-se encontrado uma correlação positiva entre os valores diários dos dois parâmetros. Comparando as épocas estudadas, os conteúdos totais de Ole e1 e de pólen não foram proporcionais, tendo-se observado que a carga alergénica por grão de pólen variou mais de 3x. Conclusões: Estes resultados sugerem que o Ole e 1 está preferencialmente associado aos grãos de pólen. Os conteúdos em pólen e Ole e 1 variaram inter-anualmente, tendo a carga alergénica dos grãos de pólen sido diferente. Este trabalho poderá assim contribuir para o desenvolvimento de um indicador que permita melhorar a previsão do risco de exposição a aeroalergenos. Agradecimentos: Este foi realizado no âmbito do projecto europeu HIALINE (Executive Agency for Health and Consumers, grant agreement No 2008 11 07)

Bone Densitometry Versus Bone Histomorphometry in Renal Transplanted Patients: A Cross‐Sectional Study

Bone loss leads to increase risk of fractures in renal transplantation. The aim of this study was to analyse the relationship between bone densitometry (DXA) findings, bone histomorphometry and bone-related molecules 1-year after renal transplantation. We performed a cross-sectional study of de novo renal transplanted patients that agreed to perform a bone biopsy and a DXA examination 1 year after transplantation. All patients underwent a laboratory evaluation, bone biopsy, DXA examination and cardiac CT 1 year after transplantation. 67 patients were included, 16 had a normal examination, and 18 patients were classified as having osteoporosis by DXA. Correlations between bone mineral density and T-scores of total femur and femoral neck were the ones that best correlated with bone volume assessed by a bone biopsy. The sensitivity of DXA for osteoporosis diagnosis was 47.0%, and the specificity was 81.2%. The positive predictive value was 50.0%, and the negative predictive value (NPV) was 80.0%. DXA parameters also correlated with klotho and sclerostin serum levels. In this population, a normal examination excluded the presence of osteoporosis, helping in identifying patients that would not benefit from therapy. Overall, densitometry in total femur and femoral neck correlated well with bone volume measured by bone biopsy.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The Role of Bone Volume, FGF23 and Sclerostin in Calcifications and Mortality; a Cohort Study in CKD Stage 5 Patients

Chronic kidney disease-mineral and bone disorder has been associated with increasing morbid-mortality. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and phenotype of bone disease before transplantation and to correlate FGF23 and sclerostin levels with bone histomorphometry, and study possible associations between FGF23, sclerostin, and bone histomorphometry with cardiovascular disease and mortality. We performed a cross-sectional cohort study of a sample of 84 patients submitted to renal transplant, which were prospectively followed for 12 months. Demographic, clinical, and echocardiographic data were collected, laboratory evaluation, bone biopsy, and X-ray of the pelvis and hands were performed. Patient and graft survival were recorded. We diagnosed low bone turnover in 16 patients (19.5%); high bone turnover in 22 patients (26.8%); osteomalacia in 1 patient (1.2%), and mixed renal osteodystrophy in 3 patients (3.7%). At the end of 12 months, 5 patients had graft failure (5.9%), 4 had a cardiovascular event (4.8%), and 4 died. Age was associated with low remodeling disease, whereas high BALP and phosphorus and low sclerostin with high turnover disease. Sclerostin was a risk factor for isolated low bone volume. High BALP, low phosphorus, and low FGF23 were risk factors for abnormal mineralization. FGF23 appears as an independent factor for severity of vascular calcifications and for cardiovascular events, whereas the presence of valve calcifications was associated with low volume and with turnover deviations. Sclerostin was associated a higher HR for death. Sclerostin and FGF23 seemed to provide higher cardiovascular risk, as well as low bone volume, which associated with extra-osseous calcifications.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Adenovirus Infection in a Kidney–Pancreatic Transplant Recipient: Case Report

Adenovirus infection in transplant recipients may present from asymptomatic viremia to multisystemic involvement. Most frequently, it occurs in the first year after a kidney transplant, and it is secondary to the reactivation of latent disease. However, primary infection may occur, and disseminated disease is more common when related to primary infection. Kidney involvement may be confirmed by biopsy, although diagnosis may be presumptive. Reduction of immunosuppression and supportive care are important components of therapy. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 41-year-old female renal-pancreatic recipient 12 years before with chronic renal graft dysfunction and a functional pancreatic graft had a history of cytomegalovirus and polyoma virus infection 2 years after transplantation. She was taking tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, and prednisolone. The patient was admitted after persistent uncharacteristic diarrhea 3 weeks before hospitalization without any relevant epidemiologic context. She was dehydrated, and the lab results showed worsened kidney function and leucocytosis. The viral culture revealed adenovirus. Vigorous hydration was implemented, and the mycophenolate mofetil dose was reduced. The patient was discharged, and renal function returned to previous values. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Adenovirus infection has a wide clinical presentation, and multisystemic involvement may occur in transplant recipients. Supportive care is paramount. The clinical features and viral culture confirm the diagnosis, although tissue samples and quantitative polymerase chain reaction may be required in more severe cases.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Distócia de ombros e lesão do plexo braquial: revisão e casuística 2012

In this paper, we investigate the realization problem of a special class of positive-real admittances in a form similar to biquadratic functions but with an extra pole at s = 0, which is common in vehicle suspension designs. The number of inerters and dampers is restricted to one in each case and number of the springs is arbitrary. To solve the problem, we first convert a previous result by Chen & Smith, 2009 to a more direct form. A necessary and sufficient condition for realizability is then derived and explicit circuit arrangements are provided to cover the realizability conditions. © 2012 IEEE.published_or_final_versio