Mineral profile and resilience to low water provision of white and black chickpea varieties (Cicer arietinum)

Legumes are of great importance for agriculture and the environment due to their ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen, providing important amounts of minerals, and vitamins, being are an excellent option for a balanced diet (Geraldo et al., 2022). Among the most consumed legumes worldwide, chickpeas (Cicer arietinum) have gained evidence in these past decades, through increased individual production, intercropping with other crops, and formulation of food products, thus improving the resilience of agroecosystems at lower environmental costs (Saget et al., 2020). However, the exploitation of traditional chickpea varieties, such as the black chickpea, has been overlooked, and the recovery of under-exploited traditional varieties could contribute to foster biodiversity, promote environmental sustainability and diversify diets. However, current knowledge on the nutritional profile of commercial and traditional chickpea varieties and their resilience to environmental stresses, such as water scarcity, is very limited, being the focus of this work.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Differential responses of Kabuli and Desi chickpeas (Cicer arietinum) to low water provision and their mineral profiling

Legume grains are of great importance for agriculture and the environment due to their ability to symbiotically fix atmospheric nitrogen and provide protein, minerals, vitamins, and other bioactive nutrients (Geraldo et al., 2022). Chickpea (Cicer arietinum) is one of the most consumed legumes worldwide and it has gained even more importance in recent decades. Production levels have increased, their incorporation as intercrops has been promoted, and they have been used in the formulation of novel food products (Saget et al., 2020). Nonetheless, the exploitation of traditional chickpea varieties, such as the Desi type (black coloured chickpea), has been overlooked, and the recovery of under-exploited traditional varieties could contribute to fostering biodiversity, and promoting environmental sustainability and diversifying diets. However, current knowledge on the nutritional profile of commercial and traditional chickpea varieties and their resilience degree to environmental stresses, such as water scarcity, is limited, thus being the focus of this work.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Non-essential elements and their role in sustainable agriculture

Agricultural systems are constantly under environmental pressure, and the continuous rise of the global population requires an increasingly intensification of agronomical productivity. To meet the current global food demand, particularly in depleted ecosystems under adverse climate conditions, the development of novel agronomical practices, which ensure crop productivity while safeguarding minimal impact to the environment, must be encouraged. Since aluminium (Al), cobalt (Co), selenium (Se), silicon (Si) and sodium (Na) are not essential to plant metabolism, their benefits are often neglected or underestimated in agriculture; however, several studies support their advantages in sustainable agriculture when properly employed. The agronomical uses of these elements have been studied in the last decades, delivering important cues for the improvement of food and feed production worldwide due to beneficial effects in plant growth and productivity, nutrient balance, pest and pathogen resistance, water stress management, heavy-metal toxicity alleviation, and postharvest performance. However, their application has not been addressed as part of a holistic conservation strategy that supports the sustainability of agroecosystems. Here, we discuss the potential use of these elements in sustainable agriculture, and the knowledge gaps that hinder their effective integration into agronomical practices, which result in equally profitable applications while supporting environmental sustainability.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Chitosan increases Pinus pinaster tolerance to the pinewood nematode (Bursaphelenchus xylophilus) by promoting plant antioxidative metabolism

The pine wilt disease (PWD), for which no effective treatment is available at the moment, is a constant threat to Pinus spp. plantations worldwide, being responsible for significant economic and environmental losses every year. It has been demonstrated that elicitation with chitosan increases plant tolerance to the pinewood nematode (PWN) Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, the causal agent of the PWD, but the biochemical and genetic aspects underlying this response have not been explored. To understand the influence of chitosan in Pinus pinaster tolerance against PWN, a low-molecular-weight (327 kDa) chitosan was applied to mock- and PWN-inoculated plants. Nematode population, malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase, carotenoids, anthocyanins, phenolic compounds, lignin and gene expression related to oxidative stress (thioredoxin 1, TRX) and plant defence (defensin, DEF, and a-farnesene synthase, AFS), were analysed at 1, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days post-inoculation (dpi). At 28 dpi, PWN-infected plants elicited with chitosan showed a sixfold lower nematode population when compared to non-elicited plants. Higher levels of MDA, catalase, carotenoids, anthocyanins, phenolic compounds, and lignin were detected in chitosan-elicited plants following infection. The expression levels of DEF gene were higher in elicited plants, while TRX and AFS expression was lower, possibly due to the disease containment-effect of chitosan. Combined, we conclude that chitosan induces pine defences against PWD via modulation of metabolic and transcriptomic mechanisms related with plant antioxidant system.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Revitalizar o milho painço como solução sustentável para a agricultura europeia

O milho painço é uma cultura tradicional, subutilizada, com diferentes tradições associadas em várias partes do mundo. Destacado, em 2023, pela ONU através do ‘Ano Internacional do Milho Painço’, a importância desta cultura tem sido evidenciada em diferentes contextos e com diversos fins. Em Portugal, a produção é muito baixa e maioritariamente dedicada à alimentação animal. No entanto, novas vias de valorização desta cultura têm sido desenvolvidas e o valor, quer nutricional, quer ambiental, do milho painço para a nossa agricultura tem ganho cada vez mais peso. Com o objetivo de potenciar a utilização do milho painço no cenário agrícola português, a Universidade Católica Portuguesa encontra-se a desenvolver ensaios de campo e de tecnologia alimentar, no contexto do projeto europeu RADIANT.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Lentil (lens culinaris L.) intraspecific nutritional variability and development of a lentil-based snack

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Development of a healthy lentil-based food product

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Presynaptic TRPV1 vanilloid receptor function is age- but not CB1 cannabinoid receptor-dependent in the rodent forebrain

Neocortical and striatal TRPV1 (vanilloid or capsaicin) receptors (TRPV1Rs) are excitatory ligand-gated ion channels, and are implicated in psychiatric disorders. However, the purported presynaptic neuromodulator role of TRPV1Rs in glutamatergic, serotonergic or dopaminergic terminals of the rodent forebrain remains little understood. With the help of patch-clamp electrophysiology and neurochemical approaches, we mapped the age-dependence of presynaptic TRPV1R function, and furthermore, we aimed at exploring whether the presence of CB1 cannabinoid receptors (CB1Rs) influences the function of the TRPV1Rs, as both receptor types share endogenous ligands. We found that the major factor which affects presynaptic TRPV1R function is age: by post-natal day 13, the amplitude of capsaicin-induced release of dopamine and glutamate is halved in the rat striatum, and two weeks later, capsaicin already loses its effect. However, TRPV1R receptor function is not enhanced by chemical or genetic ablation of the CB1Rs in dopaminergic, glutamatergic and serotonergic terminals of the mouse brain. Altogether, our data indicate a possible neurodevelopmental role for presynaptic TRPV1Rs in the rodent brain, but we found no cross-talk between TRPV1Rs and CB1Rs in the same nerve terminal

O pó cerâmico como aditivo alternativo no restauro de argamassas históricas: o caso da Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Amparo de São Cristóvão SE/BR / Ceramic powder as an alternative additive in the restoration of historic mortars: the case of Nossa Senhora do Amparo Church In São Cristóvão SE/BR

Na conservação e restauro das categorias patrimoniais e, em específico, do patrimônio cultural material, os tratamentos técnicos das degradações que ocorrem nos objetos portadores de juízo de valor histórico e estético ensejam a busca dos conhecimentos construtivos do passado e do presente, além do entendimento do saber técnico e dos materiais de como essa edificação foi realizada. Este trabalho demonstra os resultados da pesquisa desenvolvida na área da Tecnologia da Conservação e Restauro no Programa de Iniciação Científica da Universidade Federal de Sergipe (Projeto PIBIC- PVF6309-2018), no qual foram analisadas características das argamassas presentes em edificações históricas, no caso a argamassa da Igreja de N. Sa do Amparo na Cidade de São Cristóvão, interior do Estado de Sergipe, com o intuito de conhecer a produção de argamassas antigas e buscar alternativas para “curar” patologias relacionadas a fenômenos como umidades, cristalizações, “leprosidades” e outros agentes aos quais os objetos patrimoniais estão suscetíveis. Neste contexto, estudar e analisar traços de argamassas de restauração/complementação aditivadas com pó cerâmico buscando novas possibilidades no tratamento destas anomalias junto com o aprendizado da história das argamassas, promove não apenas o registro histórico do patrimônio, mas também possibilidades de revisitar ofícios tradicionais no fazer das edificações do passado

Root causes and outcomes of postoperative pulmonary complications after abdominal surgery: A retrospective observational cohort study

FCT project IPOscore (DSAIPA/DS/0042/2018).Background: Postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) contribute significantly to overall postoperative morbidity and mortality. In abdominal surgery, PPCs remain frequent. The study aimed to analyze the profile and outcomes of PPCs in patients submitted to abdominal surgery and admitted in a Portuguese polyvalent intensive care unit. Methods: From January to December 2017 in the polyvalent intensive care unit of Hospital Garcia de Orta, Almada, Portugal, we conducted a retrospective, observational study of inpatients submitted to urgent or elective abdominal surgery who had severe PPCs. We evaluated the perioperative risk factors and associated mortality. Logistic regression was performed to find which perioperative risk factors were most important in the occurrence of PPCs. Results: Sixty patients (75% male) with a median age of 64.5 [47-81] years who were submitted to urgent or elective abdominal surgery were included in the analysis. Thirty-six patients (60%) developed PPCs within 48 h and twenty-four developed PPCs after 48 h. Pneumonia was the most frequent PPC in this sample. In this cohort, 48 patients developed acute respiratory failure and needed mechanical ventilation. In the emergency setting, peritonitis had the highest rate of PPCs. Electively operated patients who developed PPCs were mostly carriers of digestive malignancies. Thirty-day mortality was 21.7%. The risk of PPCs development in the first 48 h was related to the need for neuromuscular blocking drugs several times during surgery and preoperative abnormal arterial blood gases. Median abdominal surgical incision, long surgery duration, and high body mass index were associated with PPCs that occurred more than 48 h after surgery. The American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status score 4 and COPD/Asthma determined less mechanical ventilation needs since they were preoperatively optimized. Malnutrition (low albumin) before surgery was associated with 30-day mortality. Conclusion: PPCs after abdominal surgery are still a major problem since they have profound effects on outcomes. Our results suggest that programs before surgery, involve preoperative lifestyle changes, such as nutritional supplementation, exercise, stress reduction, and smoking cessation, were an effective strategy in mitigating postoperative complications by decreasing mortality.publishersversionpublishe