Artisanal salt production in Aveiro/Portugal - an ecofriendly process

Solar salinas are man-made systems exploited for the extraction of salt, by solar and wind evaporation of seawater. Salt production achieved by traditional methods is associated with landscapes and environmental and patrimonial values generated throughout history. Since the mid-twentieth century, this activity has been facing a marked decline in Portugal, with most salinas either abandoned or subjected to destruction, making it necessary to find a strategy to reverse this trend

Joint models for longitudinal and survival analysis

Funding Information: This study was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia) through the Instituto de Telecomunicações (UIDB/50008/2020), INESC-ID (UIDB/50021/2020), and projects MATISSE (DSAIPA/DS/0026/2019) and PREDICT (PTDC/CCI-CIF/29877/2017). This work has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under grant agreement no. 951970 (OLISSIPO project). We also acknowledge Sociedade Portuguesa de Reumatologia and all Reuma.pt contributors.Background: Rheumatic diseases are one of the most common chronic diseases worldwide. Among them, spondyloarthritis (SpA) is a group of highly debilitating diseases, with an early onset age, which significantly impacts patients' quality of life, health care systems, and society in general. Recent treatment options consist of using biologic therapies, and establishing the most beneficial option according to the patients' characteristics is a challenge that needs to be overcome. Meanwhile, the emerging availability of electronic medical records has made necessary the development of methods that can extract insightful information while handling all the challenges of dealing with complex, real-world data. Objective: The aim of this study was to achieve a better understanding of SpA patients' therapy responses and identify the predictors that affect them, thereby enabling the prognosis of therapy success or failure. Methods: A data mining approach based on joint models for the survival analysis of the biologic therapy failure is proposed, which considers the information of both baseline and time-varying variables extracted from the electronic medical records of SpA patients from the database, Reuma.pt. Results: Our results show that being a male, starting biologic therapy at an older age, having a larger time interval between disease start and initiation of the first biologic drug, and being human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B27 positive are indicators of a good prognosis for the biological drug survival; meanwhile, having disease onset or biologic therapy initiation occur in more recent years, a larger number of education years, and higher values of C-reactive protein or Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI) at baseline are all predictors of a greater risk of failure of the first biologic therapy. Conclusions: Among this Portuguese subpopulation of SpA patients, those who were male, HLA-B27 positive, and with a later biologic therapy starting date or a larger time interval between disease start and initiation of the first biologic therapy showed longer therapy adherence. Joint models proved to be a valuable tool for the analysis of electronic medical records in the field of rheumatic diseases and may allow for the identification of potential predictors of biologic therapy failure.publishersversionpublishe

Una visión bentónica de arroyos y ríos pampeanos

In this paper, Tributaries of the Río Paraná and Río de la Plata rivers (Arrecifes and Matanza-Riachuelo rivers, El Gato, El Pescado, Juan Blanco and Buriñigo streams). The System of Río Salado (Samborombón and Salado rivers, Las Garzas stream) and streams of Tandilia gills north-eastern slope stream (Napaleofú, Langueyú, Tandileofú, Chelforó and Vivoratá) were studied by analysing the zoobenthic community. Several streams tributaries of Rio de la Plata river are affected (to a different extent) by urban and industrial perturbations and they were compared with pristine streams of the region. Diversity and Biotic Indices were applied in the streams. Tolerant species and slow scores of the both indices were mainly registered in Matanza-Riachuelo river and El Gato stream, and the more sensitive taxa were identified in El Pescado and Juan Blanco streams. In Samborombon river there were salinity changes with taxa adapted to this condition (Polichaeta, Chasmagnatus granulata, Cyrtograpsus angulata, Cirripedia.Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) - Instituto de Limnología "Dr. Raul A. Ringuelet" (ILPLA

Una visión bentónica de arroyos y ríos pampeanos

In this paper, Tributaries of the Río Paraná and Río de la Plata rivers (Arrecifes and Matanza-Riachuelo rivers, El Gato, El Pescado, Juan Blanco and Buriñigo streams). The System of Río Salado (Samborombón and Salado rivers, Las Garzas stream) and streams of Tandilia gills north-eastern slope stream (Napaleofú, Langueyú, Tandileofú, Chelforó and Vivoratá) were studied by analysing the zoobenthic community. Several streams tributaries of Rio de la Plata river are affected (to a different extent) by urban and industrial perturbations and they were compared with pristine streams of the region. Diversity and Biotic Indices were applied in the streams. Tolerant species and slow scores of the both indices were mainly registered in Matanza-Riachuelo river and El Gato stream, and the more sensitive taxa were identified in El Pescado and Juan Blanco streams. In Samborombon river there were salinity changes with taxa adapted to this condition (Polichaeta, Chasmagnatus granulata, Cyrtograpsus angulata, Cirripedia.Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) - Instituto de Limnología "Dr. Raul A. Ringuelet" (ILPLA

Chitosan composites in packaging industry-current trends and future challenges

This work has been supported by FCT-Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia within the R&D Units Project Scope: UID/EMS/04077/2019 and UIDP/04077/2020. This work has also been supported by the Associate Laboratory for Green Chemistry-LAQV which is financed by national funds from FCT/MCTES (UID/QUI/50006/2019 and UIDB/50006/2020).Chitosan-based composites play an important role in food packaging applications and can be used either as films or as edible coatings. Due to their high costs and lower performance (i.e., lower barrier against water vapor, thermal, and mechanical properties) when compared to the traditional petroleum-based plastics, the use of such biopolymers in large-scale is still limited. Several approaches of chitosan composites in the packaging industry are emerging to overcome some of the disadvantages of pristine polymers. Thus, this work intends to present the current trends and the future challenges towards production and application of chitosan composites in the food packaging industry.publishersversionpublishe

Transcriptome analysis of Taenia solium cysticerci using Open reading Frame ESTS (ORESTES)

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Human infection by the pork tapeworm <it>Taenia solium </it>affects more than 50 million people worldwide, particularly in underdeveloped and developing countries. Cysticercosis which arises from larval encystation can be life threatening and difficult to treat. Here, we investigate for the first time the transcriptome of the clinically relevant cysticerci larval form.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Using Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs) produced by the ORESTES method, a total of 1,520 high quality ESTs were generated from 20 ORESTES cDNA mini-libraries and its analysis revealed fragments of genes with promising applications including 51 ESTs matching antigens previously described in other species, as well as 113 sequences representing proteins with potential extracellular localization, with obvious applications for immune-diagnosis or vaccine development.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The set of sequences described here will contribute to deciphering the expression profile of this important parasite and will be informative for the genome assembly and annotation, as well as for studies of intra- and inter-specific sequence variability. Genes of interest for developing new diagnostic and therapeutic tools are described and discussed.</p

Ingestão dietética de pacientes bariátricas femininas após gastroplastia anti-obesidade

PURPOSE: Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is a popular and successful operation for the treatment of morbid obesity. However, it greatly restricts ingestion and moderately interferes with absorption of food, thus potentially paving the way for undernutrition, especially during the first year before patients adapt to the new condition. Aiming to document actual dietary intake during this period, a prospective observational study was performed. METHODS: Forty consecutive patients were investigated using a 24-hour dietary recall technique every 3 months after surgery for 1 year. Females only were accepted for greater homogeneity of the sample. All received a vitamin and mineral supplement on a daily basis as a postoperative routine. A questionnaire was employed regarding general, nutritional, and gastrointestinal changes as well as consumption of medications. Dietary intake was analyzed after data processing using the Virtual Nutri software package (São Paulo, SP, Brazil). RESULTS: The surgical response was within the expected range, with about 67% excess weight loss at the end of the 1st year, and the same occurred with gastrointestinal symptoms and drug requirements. Daily energy intake on the 4 analyzed occasions was 529.4 &plusmn; 47.4, 710.9 &plusmn; 47.6, 833.2 &plusmn; 72.0, and 866.2 &plusmn; 95,1 kcal/day (mean &plusmn; SEM); protein intake was increased in the same proportion at 6 and 9 months, but reduced at 12 months. Thus, patients did not meet standard recommendations regarding calories and proteins, even at the end of the 1st year; iron and zinc intake were also inadequate, although deficiencies were probably staved off by the prescribed supplement preparation. CONCLUSIONS: 1) The risk for postoperative undernutrition was evidenced up to 1 year, while spontaneous improvement in food intake was slow and inefficient; 2) Specific protocols should be devised to improve nutrition and health during the postoperative phase until successful dietary adaptation is achieved.OBJETIVO: A gastroplastia com anastomose gastrojejunal em Y de Roux é uma operação popular e bem sucedida no tratamento da obesidade grave. Ela restringe seriamente a ingestão e moderadamente a absorção do alimento, potencialmente abrindo caminho para desnutrição especialmente no primeiro ano, antes que o paciente se adapte à nova condição. Com o propósito de documentar a real ingestão neste período, um estudo prospectivo observacional foi executado. MÉTODO: Quarenta pacientes consecutivos foram investigados por recordatório de 24 horas a cada três meses após a operação, até um ano. Apenas mulheres foram arroladas para maior homogeneidade da amostra. Todas receberam diariamente um suplemento vitamínico-mineral, como rotina pós-operatória. Um questionário foi empregado abordando alterações gerais, nutricionais e gastrointestinais assim como consumo de medicamentos. Os ganhos dietéticos foram analisados mediante o programa Virtual Nutri (São Paulo, SP, Brasil). RESULTADOS: A resposta cirúrgica situou-se dentro da faixa esperada, com perda de cerca de 67% do excesso de peso após um ano, e o mesmo ocorreu com sintomas gastrointestinais e necessidades medicamentosas. A quantidade de energia diária nas quatro ocasiões foi de 529,4&plusmn;47,5, 710,9&plusmn; 47,7, 833,2&plusmn; 72,0 e 866,2&plusmn; 95,1 kcal/dia (média &plusmn; erro padrão da média), e o aumento do consumo de proteína foi da mesma proporção nos 6 e 9 meses e com redução em 12 meses. Consequentemente mesmo após um ano as pacientes estavam abaixo das recomendações usuais de calorias e proteínas. A contribuição da dieta no tocante a ferro e zinco também mostrou-se inadequada, embora quadros deficitários tenham provavelmente sido abortados pelo suplemento utilizado. CONCLUSÕES: 1) O risco para desnutrição pos-operatória ficou demonstrado até um ano, e a melhora espontânea da ingestão de alimentos revelou-se lenta e ineficiente; 2) Protocolos específicos deveriam ser elaborados visando melhorar a nutrição e a saúde na fase pós-operatória, até que se verifique uma adaptação dietética satisfatória

A current overview

Yeast adaptation to stress has been extensively studied. It involves large reprogramming of genome expression operated by many, more or less specific, transcription factors. Here, we review our current knowledge on the function of the eight Yap transcription factors (Yap1 to Yap8) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which were shown to be involved in various stress responses. More precisely, Yap1 is activated under oxidative stress, Yap2/Cad1 under cadmium, Yap4/Cin5 and Yap6 under osmotic shock, Yap5 under iron overload and Yap8/Arr1 by arsenic compounds. Yap3 and Yap7 seem to be involved in hydroquinone and nitrosative stresses, respectively. The data presented in this article illustrate how much knowledge on the function of these Yap transcription factors is advanced. The evolution of the Yap family and its roles in various pathogenic and non-pathogenic fungal species is discussed in the last section.publishersversionpublishe

Development of novel magnetoliposomes containing nickel ferrite nanoparticles covered with gold for applications in thermotherapy

Multifunctional nanosystems combining magnetic and plasmonic properties are a promising approach for cancer therapy, allowing magnetic guidance and a local temperature increase. This capability can provide a triggered drug release and synergistic cytotoxic effect in cancer cells. In this work, nickel ferrite/gold nanoparticles were developed, including nickel ferrite magnetic nanoparticles decorated with plasmonic gold nanoparticles and core/shell nanostructures (with a nickel ferrite core and a gold shell). These nanoparticles were covered with a surfactant/lipid bilayer, originating liposome-like structures with diameters below 160 nm. The heating capacity of these systems, upon excitation with light above 600 nm wavelength, was assessed through the emission quenching of rhodamine B located in the lipid layer. The developed nanosystems show promising results for future applications in thermotherapy.This research was funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) in the framework of the Strategic Funding of CF-UM-UP (UID/FIS/04650/2019) and through the research project PTDC/QUI-QFI/28020/2017 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-028020), financed by European Fund of Regional Development (FEDER), COMPETE2020, and Portugal2020. The magnetic measurements were supported by projects UTAP-EXPL/NTec/0046/2017, NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-028538, and PTDC/FIS-MAC/29454/2017. I.S.R.R. acknowledges FCT for a research grant under CF-UM-UP Strategic Funding (UID/FIS/04650/2019)