Residential building rehabilitation in Porto historic center: case study analysis by using a simulation model

Nowadays, rehabilitation in historic centers can become a challenge due to the restrictions concerning the requirements for the building envelope. Portugal has conducted studies to define the maximum U values [W/(m2 K)] for single building components based on the indoor temperature. Despite the relative humidity being crucial for thermal comfort, the current Portuguese scheme for energy certification of buildings does not consider it. Additionally, it is essential to know that most of the dwellings in Portugal are in a fleet-float regime due to cultural habits and energy poverty. Therefore, increasing the insulation thickness of exterior walls might not have a relevant impact on the indoor temperature. There is even the risk of harming the authenticity of the built heritage. Using a calibrated dynamic simulation model developed with TRNSYS software, we found that, in winter, the effect of external wall insulation on the indoor temperature is tiny. Results suggest that maximum U values [W/(m2 K)] for exterior walls might be over-defined. Further studies of cost-optimal levels should be conducted with calibrated models in a free-float regime to define the maximum U values [W/(m2 K)] of external walls for this type of buildings.publishe

Point-of-Care Strategies Applied to Malaria Diagnosis

Rapid and specific diagnosis of malaria remains one of the main strategies to fight the disease. The diagnosis is made primarily by the simple and low-cost thick drop technique, considered the gold standard test. However, the requirement for good quality microscopes and well-trained personnel often lead to inaccurate diagnosis, especially in cases of mixed infections or low parasitemia. Although PCR-based tests can help in these situations, this technique requires large and sensitive equipments, being unsuitable for point of care (POC) settings. A myriad of POC diagnostic tests have being developed in the last years, relying on molecular methods but also on novel strategies. New platforms, miniaturization techniques, and multiplexing possibilities promise great potential to improve disease diagnostics through fast and accurate detection of cases, even at remote places. Here, we will address the main POC strategies developed for the diagnosis of malaria, highlighting their strengths and weakness as POC applications

Development and validation of an LC-MS/MS method to quantify ceftaroline in microdialysate samples from plasma and brain : application to a preclinical pharmacokinetic investigation

A bioanalytical LC–MS/MS method was developed and validated to determine ceftaroline in microdialysate samples from plasma and brain. Ceftaroline was separated using a C18 column and a mobile phase consisting of water and acetonitrile, both with 5 mM of ammonium formate and acid formic 0.1%, eluted as gradient. Ceftaroline was monitored using electrospray ionization operating on positive mode (ESI+) monitoring the transition 604.89 > 209.3 m/z. The method showed linearity in the concentration range of 0.5–500 ng/mL for brain microdialysate and 0.5–2500 ng/mL for plasma microdialysate with coefficients of determination ≥0.997. The inter-and intra-day precision, the accuracy, and the stability of the drug in different conditions were in accordance with the acceptable limits determined by international guidelines. Plasma pharmacokinetics and brain distribution of the drug were carried out after intravenous administration of 20 mg/kg of ceftaroline to male Wistar rats. The estimated geometric mean (geometric coefficient of variation) area under the curve (AUC0-∞) was 4.68 (45.8%) mg·h/L and 1.20 (54.2%) mg·h/L for plasma and brain, respectively, resulting in a brain exposure of about 33% (AUCfree brain/AUCfree plasma). The results indicate that ceftaroline presents good penetration in the brain when considering free plasma and free brain concentrations

Towards the establishment of a single standard curve for quantification of Trypanosoma cruzi natural populations using a synthetic satellite unit DNA sequence

Accurate diagnostics tools and surrogate markers of parasitological response to treatment are priority needs for management of Chagas disease. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) is used for treatment monitoring, but variability in copy dosage and sequences of molecular target genes among different Trypanosoma cruzi strains limit the precision of quantitative measures. To improve qPCR quantification accuracy, we designed and evaluated a synthetic DNA molecule containing a Satellite DNA (satDNA) repeat unit as standard for quantification of T. cruzi loads in clinical samples, independently of the parasite strain. Probit regression analysis established for Dm28c (Tc I) and CL-Brener (Tc VI) stocks similar LOD95 values (0.903 (0.745-1.497) and 0.667 (CI 0.113-3.927) copy numbers/μL, respectively), when synthetic DNA was the standard for quantification, thus allowing direct comparison of loads in samples infected with different DTUs. This standard curve was evaluated in 205 samples from 38 acute oral and 19 chronic CD patients from different geographical areas infected with different genotypes, including samples obtained during treatment follow-up, and high agreement with parasitic load trends using standard curves based on DNA extracted from spiked blood with counted parasites was obtained. This qPCR-based quantification strategy will be a valuable tool in phase III clinical trials, to follow-up patients under treatment or at risk of reactivation and in experimental models using different parasite strains.Fil: Muñoz Calderon, Arturo Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular "Dr. Héctor N. Torres"; ArgentinaFil: Silva Gomess, Natalia Lins. Fundación Oswaldo Cruz; BrasilFil: Apodaca, Sofia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular "Dr. Héctor N. Torres"; ArgentinaFil: Alarcón de Noya, Belkisyolé. Universidad Central de Venezuela; VenezuelaFil: Díaz Bello, Zoraida. Universidad Central de Venezuela; VenezuelaFil: Quintino Souza, Leticia Rocha. Fundación Oswaldo Cruz; BrasilFil: Tavares Costa, Alexandre Dias. Fundación Oswaldo Cruz; BrasilFil: Britto, Constança. Fundación Oswaldo Cruz; BrasilFil: Moreira, Otacilio Cruz. Fundación Oswaldo Cruz; BrasilFil: Schijman, Alejandro Gabriel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular "Dr. Héctor N. Torres"; Argentin

Avaliação da carcaça e dos componentes não-carcaça de caititus (Pecari tajacu) alimentados com torta de dendê

The objective was to study characteristics of the carcass and non-carcass body components of collared peccaries fed diets including palm kernel cake (PKC). The effects of increasing dietary levels of PKC inclusion, 0, 7.5, 15 and 22.5%, in diets based on maize grain and wheat middlings were analyzed. Twenty experimental pens (12m2), were used to house pairs of male collared peccaries during the finishing phase. Each pen constituted an experimental unit. Under a randomized block design the treatments were randomly assigned to animals blocked according to weight and age. At conclusion of the nutrition experiment the animals were slaughtered in a commercial abattoir for swine. For the respective treatments including from 0 to 22.5% PKC, dressed carcass yield was 58.37, 58.43, 56.78, and 60.42%, while yield of ham as a proportion of the left half carcass was 29.65, 32.08, 31.16, and 29.83%, with no significant difference (P > 0.05). Neither were effects of PKC levels found for liveweight, fasted weight, warm carcass weight, carcass length, and weight of blood, head, skin, organs, fat and three commercial cuts. The results indicate that inclusion of up to 22.5% of PKC in diets for collared peccaries had no detrimental effect on animal performance or carcass characteristics.O objetivo deste trabalho foi verificar as características de carcaça e dos não componentes da carcaça em caititus alimentados com a inclusão da torta da amêndoa de dendê em sua dieta. Para isso, analisou-se o efeito de níveis crescentes de inclusão da torta de dendê, com 0%, 7,5%, 15% e 22,5%, em rações ofertadas aos animais. O experimento foi realizado na Embrapa Amazônia Oriental, Belém-Pará-Brasil, em 12 baias experimentais (12m2), sendo utilizados 40 caititus machos em fase de terminação. Os animais foram alojados dois em cada baia, recebendo a ração correspondente ao tratamento. Cada recinto serviu como uma unidade experimental, sendo as baias e os respectivos tratamentos definidos por meio de sorteio. Os animais foram distribuídos de acordo com o peso e a idade, utilizando-se para tanto o delineamento experimental em blocos casualizados. Após o experimento nutricional, os animais foram abatidos em abatedouro comercial para suínos. Para cada tratamento utilizado (0%, 7,5%, 15% e 22,5%), o rendimento de carcaça foi 59,54%, 56,63%, 56,58%, 62,07%, e a porcentagem de pernil em relação à meia carcaça esquerda foi 31,61%, 33,58%, 30,16% e 35,57%, respectivamente, sem haver diferença significativa (p>0,05). O peso vivo, o peso em jejum, o comprimento e o peso de carcaça, sangue, cabeça, pele, órgãos e glândulas, patas e cortes comerciais não foram influenciados pelos níveis de inclusão da torta de dendê (p>0,05). Os resultados sugerem a inclusão de torta de dendê na ração de caititus sem que ocorra prejuízo ao desempenho dos animais

Doença de Erdheim Chester com envolvimento isolado do SNC: Erdheim Chester disease with isolated CNS involvement

Introdução: A Doença de Erdheim-Chester é  uma forma de  histiocitose  de  células  não-Langerhans  que  ocorre  mais  frequentemente  após  os  40  anos  de  idade,  com leve  predomínio  no  sexo  masculino. Apresentação do caso: Paciente, sexo masculino, branco, X anos de idade, admitido no Hospital das Clínicas de Goiânia, com sintomas de cefaléia crônica, de caráter progressivo de inicio há 3 meses, associados a sintomas neurológicos de ataxia e diplopia. Referiu febre baixa diária, não aferida, com perda de 10kg no período descrito, não associado a dieta ou mudança de hábitos de vida. Nega comorbidades ou uso de medicamentos.  Ao exame físico, apresenta quadro de Nistagmo e Romberg positivo e alteração da úvula para direita. Paciente não apresentava outros sinais dignos de nota. Discussão: Foram selecionados para a revisão, os artigos de relato de caso ou séries de caso relacionados a manifestações clínicas da doença de Erdheim-Chester. Os principais tipos manifestações clínicas relatadas na literatura são: neurológicas, cardiovasculares, oftálmicas, endócrinas, urinárias, hematológicas, ósseas, cutâneas, respiratórias, gastrointestinais, envolvimento de múltiplos sistemas e outras. Entre esses tipos de manifestações, as mais frequentes foram neurológicas, cardiovasculares e oftálmicas, correspondendo a 48% das manifestações relatadas. Conclusão: É fundamental ter uma equipe multidisciplinar acompanhando o paciente,  para que sejam evitadas complicações e se possa proporcionar qualidade de vida ao paciente. &nbsp

Melanoma maligno da próstata primária : Malignant melanoma of the primary prostate

Introdução: Descreve-se um caso de melanoma maligno da próstata primário. Será possível compreender que a próstata é um local raro de se encontrar um melanoma maligno primário e que devido a sua infrequência, possui um prognóstico ruim e um difícil diagnóstico. Apresentação do caso: Paciente do sexo masculino, 47 anos, solteiro, negro, motorista de caminhão, compareceu a UBS com queixa de jato urinário fraco, nocturia e hematoespermia, 3 episódios, início há um ano. Discussão:  Grande parte dos casos relatados, são de origem do epitélio de transição da uretra prostática ou de uma lesão metastática.  Essa patologia possui um comportamento altamente agressivo e deve receber grande atenção. Devido a sua infrequência, é de difícil diagnóstico e tratamento. O tratamento indicado é a excisão, se o paciente não tiver doença sistêmica. Conclusão: o conhecimento dessa patologia e sua suspeição devem ser melhor propagados no meio científico, para que haja o diagnóstico e posterior tratamento mais precocemente possível, objetivando melhores prognósticos

Measurements of fiducial and differential cross sections for Higgs boson production in the diphoton decay channel at s√=8 TeV with ATLAS

Measurements of fiducial and differential cross sections are presented for Higgs boson production in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of s√=8 TeV. The analysis is performed in the H → γγ decay channel using 20.3 fb−1 of data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The signal is extracted using a fit to the diphoton invariant mass spectrum assuming that the width of the resonance is much smaller than the experimental resolution. The signal yields are corrected for the effects of detector inefficiency and resolution. The pp → H → γγ fiducial cross section is measured to be 43.2 ±9.4(stat.) − 2.9 + 3.2 (syst.) ±1.2(lumi)fb for a Higgs boson of mass 125.4GeV decaying to two isolated photons that have transverse momentum greater than 35% and 25% of the diphoton invariant mass and each with absolute pseudorapidity less than 2.37. Four additional fiducial cross sections and two cross-section limits are presented in phase space regions that test the theoretical modelling of different Higgs boson production mechanisms, or are sensitive to physics beyond the Standard Model. Differential cross sections are also presented, as a function of variables related to the diphoton kinematics and the jet activity produced in the Higgs boson events. The observed spectra are statistically limited but broadly in line with the theoretical expectations

Search for squarks and gluinos in events with isolated leptons, jets and missing transverse momentum at s√=8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

The results of a search for supersymmetry in final states containing at least one isolated lepton (electron or muon), jets and large missing transverse momentum with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider are reported. The search is based on proton-proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy s√=8 TeV collected in 2012, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20 fb−1. No significant excess above the Standard Model expectation is observed. Limits are set on supersymmetric particle masses for various supersymmetric models. Depending on the model, the search excludes gluino masses up to 1.32 TeV and squark masses up to 840 GeV. Limits are also set on the parameters of a minimal universal extra dimension model, excluding a compactification radius of 1/R c = 950 GeV for a cut-off scale times radius (ΛR c) of approximately 30

Evidence for the Higgs-boson Yukawa coupling to tau leptons with the ATLAS detector

Results of a search for H → τ τ decays are presented, based on the full set of proton-proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC during 2011 and 2012. The data correspond to integrated luminosities of 4.5 fb−1 and 20.3 fb−1 at centre-of-mass energies of √s = 7 TeV and √s = 8 TeV respectively. All combinations of leptonic (τ → `νν¯ with ` = e, µ) and hadronic (τ → hadrons ν) tau decays are considered. An excess of events over the expected background from other Standard Model processes is found with an observed (expected) significance of 4.5 (3.4) standard deviations. This excess provides evidence for the direct coupling of the recently discovered Higgs boson to fermions. The measured signal strength, normalised to the Standard Model expectation, of µ = 1.43 +0.43 −0.37 is consistent with the predicted Yukawa coupling strength in the Standard Model