Cytotoxicity of intracanal dressings on apical papilla cells differ upon activation with E. faecalis LTA

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the cytotoxic effects of modified triple antibiotic paste and an experimental composition using calcium hydroxide on lipoteichoic acid (LTA)-primed apical papilla cells (APC). Material and Methods: Human APC were tested for in vitro cytotoxicity of modified Triple Antibiotic Paste (mTAP – Ciprofloxacin, Metronidazole and Cefaclor at 1:1:1) and of a paste of Ciprofloxacin, Metronidazole and Calcium hydroxide (CMC – 1:1:2) and modified CMC (mCMC – 2:2:1) by using MTT assay. The substances were reconstituted in DMEM at 1,000 µg/mL and ¼ serially diluted before being kept in contact with cells for 1, 3, 5 and 7 days. Further, cells were primed with 1 µg/mL of Enterococcus faecalis LTA for 7 days prior to the viability test with 1,000 µg/mL of each substance. Statistical analysis was performed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and two-way ANOVA respectively followed by Tukey’s post-test. Significance levels were set at p<0.05. Results: In the first assay, the higher cytotoxic rates were reached by mTAP for all experimental periods. CMC was found toxic for APC at 5 and 7 days, whereas mCMC did not affect the cell viability. Only CMC and mCMC were able to induce some cellular proliferation. In the second assay, when considering the condition with medium only, LTA-primed cells significantly proliferated in comparison to LTA-untreated ones. At this context, mTAP and CMC showed similar cytotoxicity than the observed for LTA-untreated cells, while mCMC was shown cytotoxic at 7 days only for LTA-primed APC. Comparing the medications, mTAP was more cytotoxic than CMC and mCMC. Conclusion: mTAP showed higher cytotoxicity than CMC and mCMC and the effect of topic antimicrobials might differ when tested against apical papilla cells under physiological or activated conditions

On estimating the gross primary productivity of Mediterranean grasslands under different fertilization regimes using vegetation indices and hyperspectral reflectance

We applied an empirical modelling approach for gross primary productivity (GPP) estimation from hyperspectral reflectance of Mediterranean grasslands undergoing different fertilization treatments. The objective of the study was to identify combinations of vegetation indices and bands that best represent GPP changes between the annual peak of growth and senescence dry out in Mediterranean grasslands. In situ hyperspectral reflectance of vegetation and CO2 gas exchange measurements were measured concurrently in unfertilized (C) and fertilized plots with added nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) or the combination of N, P and potassium (NPK). Reflectance values were aggregated according to their similarity (r 90 %) in 26 continuous wavelength intervals (Hyp). In addition, the same reflectance values were resampled by reproducing the spectral bands of both the Sentinel-2A Multispectral Instrument (S2) and Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (L8) and simulating the signal that would be captured in ideal conditions by either Sentinel-2A or Landsat 8. An optimal procedure for selection of the best subset of predictor variables (LEAPS) was applied to identify the most effective set of vegetation indices or spectral bands for GPP estimation using Hyp, S2 or L8. LEAPS selected vegetation indices according to their explanatory power, showing their importance as indicators of the dynamic changes occurring in community vegetation properties such as canopy water content (NDWI) or chlorophyll and carotenoids = chlorophyll ratio (MTCI, PSRI, GNDVI) and revealing their usefulness for grasslands GPP estimates. For Hyp and S2, bands performed as well as vegetation indices to estimate GPP. To identify spectral bands with a potential for improving GPP estimates based on vegetation indices, we applied a two-step procedure which clearly indicated the short-wave infrared region of the spectra as the most relevant for this purpose. A comparison between S2- and L8-based models showed similar explanatory powers for the two simulated satellite sensors when both vegetation indices and bands were included in the model. Altogether, our results describe the potential of sensors on board Sentinel-2 and Landsat 8 satellites for monitoring grassland phenology and improving GPP estimates in support of a sustainable agriculture managementinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Sustainability of food waste biorefinery: A review on valorisation pathways, techno-economic constraints, and environmental assessment

The need to increase circularity of industrial systems to address limited resources availability and climate change has triggered the development of the food waste biorefinery concept. However, for the development of future sustainable industrial processes focused on the valorisation of food waste, critical aspects such as (i) the technical feasibility of the processes at industrial scale, (ii) the analysis of their techno-economic potential, including available quantities of waste, and (iii) a life cycle-based environmental assessment of benefits and burdens need to be considered. The goal of this review is to provide an overview of food waste valorisation pathways and to analyse to which extent these aspects have been considered in the literature. Although a plethora of food waste valorisation pathways exist, they are mainly developed at lab-scale. Further research is necessary to assess upscaled performance, feedstock security, and economic and environmental assessment of food waste valorisation processes

Conhecimentos sobre sexualidade em adolescentes inseridos num projeto de intervenção social

A promoção de estilos de vida saudáveis durante a adolescência, nomeadamente no que concerne à saúde sexual e reprodutiva, é um objetivo fundamental para o desenvolvimento das pessoas e das comunidades. Pretendendo contribuir para este objetivo, foi pensado um Atelier formativo de educação afetivo-sexual para jovens, estruturado em 10 sessões de 90 minutos cada, recorrendo a metodologias ativas, tais como debates, brainstorming, dinâmicas e reflexão em grupo. Frequentaram o Atelier 14 jovens de idades compreendidas entre 14 e 19 anos. Os resultados, embora incipientes, são encorajadores

Violência no namoro : relato de uma experiência

1.º Congresso Internacional de Educação, Psicologia e Neurociências: Sinapses, Educar no Século XXI. Vila Franca do Campo: 30 de março e 1 de abril.Em Portugal, a violência no namoro integra a tipologia legal da Violência Doméstica e é criminalizada desde 2007, através da alínea b) do artigo 152.º do Código Penal, após alteração pela Lei nº59/2007 que "Quem, de modo reiterado ou não, infligir maus tratos físicos ou psíquicos, incluindo castigos corporais, privações da liberdade e ofensas sexuais: b) A pessoa de outro ou do mesmo sexo com quem o agente mantenha ou tenha mantido uma relação análoga à dos cônjuges, ainda que sem coabitação". A expressão "relação análoga à dos cônjuges, ainda que sem coabitação", indicava já a inclusão de relações que, embora não estivessem sob um contrato de casamento ou numa relação de união de fato, mantinham uma relação de intimidade. A Lei n.º19/2013 veio integrar de forma mais explícita a violência nas relações de namoro: "A pessoa de outro ou do mesmo sexo com quem o agente mantenha ou tenha mantido uma relação de namoro ou uma relação análoga à dos cônjuges, ainda que sem coabitação", (CPP,2009)

A LIZZIE BORDEN DE ANGELA CARTER: HERSTORY

Este artigo propõe uma análise do conto da autora inglesa Angela Carter, “The Fall River Axe Murders” encontrado em seu livro de contos Black Venus (1985). Tal análise leva em conta os fatos da vida de Lizzie Borden que serviram de inspiração para o conto, o que enxergamos como uma forma da autora promover o herstory, ou seja, contar a história de Lizzie Borden pela perspectiva dela, considerando as dificuldades que ela enfrentava por ser mulher em uma sociedade puritana. Dessa forma, utilizamos textos como o de Schofield (1993), “Lizzie Borden took an axe: history, feminism and American culture” que nos forneceu os dados reais sobre Lizzie; bem como textos de cunho feminista como o de Harding (1985), Os Mistérios da Mulher, por exemplo. O objetivo, então, é mostrar a maneira subversiva que Carter revisita a história de Lizzie Borden por meio de seu conto

Carob pulp syrup : a potential Mediterranean carbon source for carotenoids production by Rhodosporidium toruloides NCYC 921

ABSTRACT: Carob pulp syrup (CPS) was used as carbon source to produce carotenoids from Rhodosporidium toruloides. To increase the carbon concentration in the growth medium aiming at the carotenoid production improvement, the CPS was concentrated and two different total sugar (TS) concentrations (195.6 g/L and 548.7 g/L) were studied. CPS 195.6 g/L TS contained 4.1 g/L and 0.7 g/L of hydroxymethyl furfural (HMF) and furfural, respectively. CPS 548.7 g/L TS contained 17.7 g/L of HMF and 1.2 g/L of furfural, respectively. >42% of metabolically active cells (with intact membrane and enzymatic activity) were detected throughout the course of the yeast cultivation on CPS 195.6 g/L TS. On the contrary, the proportion of metabolically active cells was always below 28% during the yeast cultivation on CPS 548.7 g/L TS. Nevertheless, the maximum carotenoid content and productivity (0.42 mg/g and 0.43 mg/Lh, respectively) were obtained when using CPS 548.7 g/L TS.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Carob pulp syrup : a potential Mediterranean carbon source for carotenoids production by Rhodosporidium toruloides NCYC 921

ABSTRACT: Carob pulp syrup (CPS) was used as carbon source to produce carotenoids from Rhodosporidium toruloides. To increase the carbon concentration in the growth medium aiming at the carotenoid production improvement, the CPS was concentrated and two different total sugar (TS) concentrations (195.6 g/L and 548.7 g/L) were studied. CPS 195.6 g/L TS contained 4.1 g/L and 0.7 g/L of hydroxymethyl furfural (HMF) and furfural, respectively. CPS 548.7 g/L TS contained 17.7 g/L of HMF and 1.2 g/L of furfural, respectively. >42% of metabolically active cells (with intact membrane and enzymatic activity) were detected throughout the course of the yeast cultivation on CPS 195.6 g/L TS. On the contrary, the proportion of metabolically active cells was always below 28% during the yeast cultivation on CPS 548.7 g/L TS. Nevertheless, the maximum carotenoid content and productivity (0.42 mg/g and 0.43 mg/Lh, respectively) were obtained when using CPS 548.7 g/L TS.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio