Non-AIDS-related comorbidities in people living with HIV-1 aged 50 years and older: The AGING POSITIVE study.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the profile of non-AIDS-related comorbidities (NARC) in the older HIV-1-infected population and to explore the factors associated with multiple NARC. METHODS: This was a multicentre, cross-sectional study including HIV-1-infected patients aged ≥50 years, who were virologically suppressed and had been on a stable antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimen for at least 6 months. A multiple regression model explored the association between demographic and clinical variables and the number of NARC. RESULTS: Overall, 401 patients were enrolled. The mean age of the patients was 59.3 years and 72.6% were male. The mean duration of HIV-1 infection was 12.0 years and the median exposure to ART was 10.0 years. The mean number of NARC was 2.1, and 34.7% of patients had three or more NARC. Hypercholesterolemia was the most frequent NARC (60.8%), followed by arterial hypertension (39.7%) and chronic depression/anxiety (23.9%). Arterial hypertension and diabetes mellitus were the most frequently treated NARC (95.6% and 92.6% of cases, respectively). The linear regression analysis showed a positive relationship between age and NARC (B=0.032, 95% confidence interval 0.015-0.049; p=0.0003) and between the duration of HIV-1 infection and NARC (B=0.039, 95% confidence interval 0.017-0.059; p=0.0005). CONCLUSIONS: A high prevalence of NARC was found, the most common being metabolic, cardiovascular, and psychological conditions. NARC rates were similar to those reported for the general population, suggesting a larger societal problem beyond HIV infection. A multidisciplinary approach is essential to reduce the burden of complex multi-morbid conditions in the HIV-1-infected population.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Proposta de uma Reserva Extrativista na Região do Rio Tejo-ACRE.

bitstream/item/108125/1/1627.pd

Integrated analytical framework to assess environmental services in a watershed under a shifting cultivation system in the atlantic forest of southeastern Brazil.

Understanding how the inter-relations amongst natural resources in rural landscapes influence environmental services is a challenge for researchers worldwide. Integrated impacts of soil, water, and biodiversity, on erosion control, water regulation, and carbon sequestration was assessed. The area is characterized by a mosaic of land uses, containing forests, fallow fields, crops, and pastures. Soil and water quality of a watershed under shifting cultivation in the Atlantic Forest of Southeastern Brazil was analysed and the results were correlated. A digital terrain model and land use map were used for plan- ning the sampling. Soil loss parcels and an hydrosedimentologic monitoring station completed the field setup. The results highlight how landscape influences the impacts of agricultural use on natural resources. All crops impacted soil structure, microbial parameters, organic carbon and hydraulic conduc- tivity. Water quality in sites receiving greater contributions from cropped fields was compromised, and soil erosion enhanced. However, the hydrosedimentologic data taken downstream did not show signifi- cant alterations, suggesting that landscape attributes had an attenuating effect. Results suggest that environmental services evaluations should be carried out at the landscape scale, integrating data from the different components (soil, water, and biodiversity).Earth System Science Partnership (ESSP) Open Science Conference

Infantile Refsum Disease: Influence of Dietary Treatment on Plasma Phytanic Acid Levels

Infantile Refsum disease (IRD) is one of the less severe of Zellweger spectrum disorders (ZSDs), a group of peroxisomal biogenesis disorders resulting from a generalized peroxisomal function impairment. Increased plasma levels of very long chain fatty acids (VLCFA) and phytanic acid are biomarkers used in IRD diagnosis. Furthermore, an increased plasma level of phytanic acid is known to be associated with neurologic damage. Treatment of IRD is symptomatic and multidisciplinary.The authors report a 3-year-old child, born from consanguineous parents, who presented with developmental delay, retinitis pigmentosa, sensorineural deafness and craniofacial dysmorphisms. While the relative level of plasma C26:0 was slightly increased, other VLCFA were normal. Thus, a detailed characterization of the phenotype was essential to point to a ZSD. Repeatedly increased levels of plasma VLCFA, along with phytanic acid and pristanic acid, deficient dihydroxyacetone phosphate acyltransferase activity in fibroblasts and identification of the homozygous pathogenic mutation c.2528G>A (p.Gly843Asp) in the PEX1 gene, confirmed this diagnosis. Nutritional advice and follow-up was proposed aiming phytanic acid dietary intake reduction. During dietary treatment, plasma levels of phytanic acid decreased to normal, and the patient's development evaluation showed slow progressive acquisition of new competences.This case report highlights the relevance of considering a ZSD in any child with developmental delay who manifests hearing and visual impairment and of performing a systematic biochemical investigation, when plasma VLCFA are mildly increased. During dietary intervention, a biochemical improvement was observed, and the long-term clinical effect of this approach needs to be evaluated.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Numerical optimization of a microchannel geometry for nanofluid flow and heat dissipation assessment

In this study, a numerical approach was carried out to analyze the effects of different geometries of microchannel heat sinks on the forced convective heat transfer in single-phase flow. The simulations were performed using the commercially available software COMSOLMultiphysics 5.6® (Burlington, MA, USA) and its results were compared with those obtained from experimental tests performed in microchannel heat sinks of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). Distilled water was used as the working fluid under the laminar fluid flow regime, with a maximum Reynolds number of 293. Three sets of geometries were investigated: rectangular, triangular and circular. The different configurations were characterized based on the flow orientation, type of collector and number of parallel channels. The main results show that the rectangular shaped collector was the one that led to a greater uniformity in the distribution of the heat transfer in the microchannels. Similar results were also obtained for the circular shape. For the triangular geometry, however, a disturbance in the jet impingement was observed, leading to the least uniformity. The increase in the number of channels also enhanced the uniformity of the flow distribution and, consequently, improved the heat transfer performance, which must be considered to optimize new microchannel heat sink designs. The achieved optimized design for a heat sink, with microchannels for nanofluid flow and a higher heat dissipation rate, comprised a rectangular collector with eight microchannels and vertical placement of the inlet and outlet.This work has been funded by Portuguese national funds of FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC) through base funding from the following research units: UIDB/00532/2020 (Transport Phenomena Research Center-CEFT), UIDB/04077/2020 (MEtRICs) and UIDP/04436/2020. The authors are also grateful for the funding of Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia-FCT through the projectsLISBOA-01-0145-FEDER-030171/NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-030171 (PTDC/EMESIS/30171/2017), funded by COMPETE2020, NORTE2020, PORTUGAL2020, and FEDER. The authors also acknowledge FCT for partially financing the research under the framework of the project JICAM/0003/2017. Finally, I. Gonçalves acknowledges FCT for supporting her PhD fellowship, ref.: 2020.08646.B

Estabilidade de agregados influenciada por diferentes manejos em Cambissolos de Bom Jardim.

Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a estabilidade de agregados como indicador de qualidade do solo, em resposta a diferentes manejos: Pousio, Pasto, Banana, Mandioca, Horta e Batata, comparativamente a um remanescente de Mata Atlântica. Para tanto, foram coletadas amostras utilizando a metodologia dos transectos, em seis tipos de usos do solo, em um Cambissolo de Bom Jardim- RJ na região serrana do Rio de Janeiro. Foram coletadas amostras deformadas e indeformadas na profundidade de 0-20 cm. Nas primeiras procedeu-se a caracterização química e física do solo. Para as amostras indeformadas, foram coletados blocos para determinação da estabilidade de agregados. Posteriormente, calcularam-se índices de agregação: Diâmetro médio Ponderado (DMP) e Índice de estabilidade de agregados (IEA). Observou-se que o índice de carbono não influenciou de forma significativa o índice de estabilidade de agregados (IEA) em respostas aos manejos, mas que este tem relação direta com o DMP, pois o diâmetro médio dos agregados diminuiu quando o teor de carbono era baixo. Além disso, observou-se que o IEA foi índice de agregação mais sensível a influencia dos diferentes manejos. Os índices utilizados foram influenciados pelo manejo, sendo que se observou a seguinte ordem de qualidade do solo em relação a mata: Pousio > Pasto > Banana > Mandioca > Horta > Batata

Non-AIDS-related comorbidities in people living with HIV-1 aged 50 years and older: The AGING POSITIVE study

Objective: To characterize the profile of non-AIDS-related comorbidities (NARC) in the older HIV-1-infected population and to explore the factors associated with multiple NARC. Methods: This was a multicentre, cross-sectional study including HIV-1-infected patients aged ≥50 years, who were virologically suppressed and had been on a stable antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimen for at least 6 months. A multiple regression model explored the association between demographic and clinical variables and the number of NARC. Results: Overall, 401 patients were enrolled. The mean age of the patients was 59.3 years and 72.6% were male. The mean duration of HIV-1 infection was 12.0 years and the median exposure to ART was 10.0 years. The mean number of NARC was 2.1, and 34.7% of patients had three or more NARC. Hypercholesterolemia was the most frequent NARC (60.8%), followed by arterial hypertension (39.7%) and chronic depression/anxiety (23.9%). Arterial hypertension and diabetes mellitus were the most frequently treated NARC (95.6% and 92.6% of cases, respectively). The linear regression analysis showed a positive relationship between age and NARC (B=0.032, 95% confidence interval 0.015-0.049; p=0.0003) and between the duration of HIV-1 infection and NARC (B=0.039, 95% confidence interval 0.017-0.059; p=0.0005). Conclusions: A high prevalence of NARC was found, the most common being metabolic, cardiovascular, and psychological conditions. NARC rates were similar to those reported for the general population, suggesting a larger societal problem beyond HIV infection. A multidisciplinary approach is essential to reduce the burden of complex multi-morbid conditions in the HIV-1-infected population.Merck Sharp & Dohme, Lda, Portugal provided financial support for the non-interventional study (Protocol Nr. MK0518-826 ).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Growth And Mineral Nutrition Of Neem ( Azadirachta indica A. Juss.) And Chinaberry Tree (Melia azedarach Linn.) Submitted To Salinity

Este trabalho teve como objetivo verificar os efeitos da salinidade do solo no crescimento e no ac\ufamulo de macronutrientes e de s\uf3dio em nim (Azadirachta indica) e cinamomo ( Melia azedarach ). O experimento foi disposto em delineamento experimental inteiramente casualizado em arranjo fatorial 2 x 4, sendo duas esp\ue9cies (nim e cinamomo) e quatro n\uedveis de salinidade (Condutividade el\ue9trica (C.E.) 0,49 (solo n\ue3o salino); 4,15; 6,33 e 10,45 dS m-1), com 4 repeti\ue7\uf5es. As plantas cresceram inicialmente em tubetes e, 60 dias ap\uf3s a emerg\ueancia, foram transferidas para vasos contendo 3 kg de substrato [solo + esterco (2:1)], de acordo com o tratamento de salinidade. Ap\uf3s 45 dias foram avaliadas altura das plantas, mat\ue9ria seca (folhas, caule, parte a\ue9rea (caule + folhas), ra\uedzes e total) e ac\ufamulo de N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S e Na+ na parte a\ue9rea. A salinidade reduziu a altura das plantas em ambas as esp\ue9cies, mas o efeito foi mais pronunciado no nim. Eleva\ue7\ue3o na salinidade dos solos causou aumento no ac\ufamulo de Na+ e redu\ue7\ue3o no ac\ufamulo de macronutrientes na parte a\ue9rea em ambas as esp\ue9cies, principalmente no nim. O cinamomo foi mais tolerante aos n\uedveis de salinidade dos solos do que o nim.The objective of this study was to verify the effects of soil salinity on growth and nutrient and sodium accumulation in neem (Azadirachta indica) and cinnamomum ( Melia azedarach ). The experimental delineation was completely randomized in a 2 x 4 factorial arrangement, with two species (neem and cinnamomum), four salinity levels (electrical conductivity 0.49 (non saline soil), 4.15, 6.33 and 10.45 dS m-1) and four replications. Initially, plants were grown in tubes, and 60 days after emergence, they were transferred to pots containing 3 kg of substrate [soil + manure (2:1)], according to the saline treatment. After 45 days, plant height, dry matter (leaves, stem, shoot (stem + leaves), roots and total) and N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S and Na+ shoot accumulation were evaluated. Salinity reduced the plant height in both species, but the effect was more pronounced in neem. Increases in soil salinity caused an increase in the accumulation of Na+ and reduced the accumulation of nutrients in shoots of both species, especially in neem. The cinnamomum was more tolerant to salinity levels of soils than neem

Development of a Cyclic Voltammetry-Based Method for the Detection of Antigens and Antibodies as a Novel Strategy for Syphilis Diagnosis

54/2017). Publisher Copyright: © 2022 by the authors.The improvement of laboratory diagnosis is a critical step for the reduction of syphilis cases around the world. In this paper, we present the development of an impedance-based method for detecting T. pallidum antigens and antibodies as an auxiliary tool for syphilis laboratory diagnosis. We evaluate the voltammetric signal obtained after incubation in carbon or gold nanoparticle-modified carbon electrodes in the presence or absence of Poly-L-Lysine. Our results indicate that the signal obtained from the electrodes was sufficient to distinguish between infected and non-infected samples immediately (T0′) or 15 min (T15′) after incubation, indicating its potential use as a point-of-care method as a screening strategy.publishersversionpublishe