Ultra light vertical array remote data acquisition system

SiPLAB Report 03/05, FCT, University of Algarve,2005.In the framework of the ATOMS project, a project devoted to study uppwelling processes off the S. Vicente Cape, Portugal, by oceanographic and acoustic means, it was requested to adapt an existent underwater acoustic acquisition system named Ultra Light Vertical Array (ULVA) to fulfil the project requirements. The ULVA system was a vertical instrumented with up to 16 hydrophones and various non-acoustic sensors (thermistors, tiltmeters and pressure gauges). The ULVA system was used during the INTIFANTE project sea trial, where the acquired data were transmitted through a radio link to a remote PC station located in a vessel for storage, monitoring and online processing. In order to overcome data loses due to radio link fails, identified during the INTIFANTE sea trial, and improve the mobility of the vessel where the PC station is located, a must for the ATOMS project, it was decided to transform the ULVA system into an autonomous acquisition system with local storage facilities, lower power consumption, capability of on line remote quality control of the acquired data and positioning information. The first version of this new system, named Ultra Light Vertical Array/Remote Data Acquisition System (ULVA/RDAS), was described in the report. During the sea trial MREA'04 it was found that an auxiliary UHF radio link used to send some commands to the ULVA, like switch on/off the power or switch on/off the array electronics, remains a source of problems in the ULVA/RDAS. Thus, it was decided to remove the UHF link from the system, emulating its facilities by new developed hardware. In this new version (second) of the ULVA/RDAS system, it was also introduced a new monitoring software, in order to improve its robustness and share a common user interface with other SiPLAB acquisition systems. This report describes the actual ULVA/RDAS system (version 2) and is intended as a system reference and user guide.FC

Assessing outcomes in a lupus nephritis cohort over a 40-year period

OBJECTIVES: To characterize a LN cohort over 40 years, assessing its evolution, analysing two major outcomes: the development of end-stage renal disease and mortality rates in the first 5 years after LN diagnosis. METHODS: An observational retrospective study of patients with LN, followed up from 1975 at University College Hospital. Patients were divided into four groups, depending on the decade of LN diagnosis: 1975-1985 (D1), 1986-1995 (D2), 1996-2005 (D3) and 2006-2015 (D4). Comparison between groups was performed with respect to demographic, clinical, serological and histological characteristics and outcome. RESULTS: Two hundred and nineteen patients with LN were studied. There was a change in ethnic distribution, with a decreasing proportion of Caucasians (58.6% in D1 to 31.3% in D4, P = 0.018) and increase in African-ancestry (17.2% in D1 to 39.6% in D4, P = 0.040). Serological and histological patterns changed throughout time, with a reduction in class IV nephritis (51.7% in D1 to 27.1% in D4, P = 0.035), and increase in class II nephritis (10% in D2 to 18.8% in D4, P = 0.01) and anti-extractable nuclear antigen antibody positivity (17.2% in D1 to 83.3% in D4, P = 0.0001). The 5-year mortality rates decreased from D1 (24.1%) to D2 (4%), stabilizing for the next 30 years. The 5-year progression to end-stage renal disease remained stable over the decades. CONCLUSION: Despite the changes in treatment of LN in the past 20 years, we have reached a plateau in 5-year mortality and progression to end-stage renal disease rates, suggesting that new therapeutic and management approaches, and strategies to enhance adherence, are needed to improve outcomes further in LN patients

VGCM3D - a 3D rigid particle model for rock fracture following the voronoi tessellation of the grain structure: formulation and validation

Detailed particle models by taking into account the material grain structure explicitly consider the material randomness, including a size limiter for damage localization. A VGMC3D contact model is presented that considers the polyhedral particle shape in an approximate way. The VGCM3D flexible contact model is validated against known experimental data on a granite rock, namely triaxial tests and Brazilian tests

Regulatory crosstalk by protein kinases on CFTR trafficking and activity

Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) is a member of the ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporter superfamily that functions as a cAMP-activated chloride ion channel in fluid-transporting epithelia. There is abundant evidence that CFTR activity (i.e., channel opening and closing) is regulated by protein kinases and phosphatases via phosphorylation and dephosphorylation. Here, we review recent evidence for the role of protein kinases in regulation of CFTR delivery to and retention in the plasma membrane. We review this information in a broader context of regulation of other transporters by protein kinases because the overall functional output of transporters involves the integrated control of both their number at the plasma membrane and their specific activity. While many details of the regulation of intracellular distribution of CFTR and other transporters remain to be elucidated, we hope that this review will motivate research providing new insights into how protein kinases control membrane transport to impact health and disease.Work supported by the Portuguese Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (fellowship grant SFRH/BSAB/105741/2014—to CF, grant PTDC/SAU-ORG/119782/2010—to PJ, and centre grant UID/MULTI/04046/2013—to BioISI); Gilead Génese PGG/039/2014 and ERS Romain Pauwels 2012 (to CF); CFF SWIATE14P0 (to AS); NIH NIDDK P30 072506 Basic and Translational Studies of Cystic Fibrosis (P&F to AS)

Analysing sulphate and chloride in mineral drinking water by flow injection analysis with a single acoustic wave sensor

Sulphate is a very hydrophilic anion, and, therefore, difficult to be selectively determined in aqueous solution with a coated sensor. Zinc(II) 2,3,9,10,16,17,23,24-Octatosylaminophthalocyanine was used for the first time as a sensitive coating. Selectivity to sulphate regarding chloride was not enough to ignore its contribution in mineral waters, and, therefore, an analytical protocol was carefully designed to allow the determination of both anions with this sensor. Results displayed on the label of eight commercial bottles of mineral waters are within the confidence interval of the values obtained with the FIA-sensor system, both for chloride and sulphate. However, results for chloride obtained by titrimetry are, in half of the cases, statistically different from the ones obtained by the sensor, and in 7 out of 8 of them more precise. There is an evidence of a systematic error in the chloride titrimetric analysis, consistent with a small overtaking of the equivalence point. Precision of the results obtained by the titrimetric analysis of sulphate were in 6 out of 8 of the analysis less precise than with the sensor, probably due to losses of the barium sulphate precipitate, which is consistent with the occurrence of lower values.publishe

Range-wide assessment of livestock grazing across the sagebrush biome

Domestic livestock grazing occurs in virtually all sagebrush habitats and is a prominent disturbance factor. By affecting habitat condition and trend, grazing influences the resources required by, and thus, the distribution and abundance of sagebrush-obligate wildlife species (for example, sage-grouse Centrocercus spp.). Yet, the risks that livestock grazing may pose to these species and their habitats are not always clear. Although livestock grazing intensity and associated habitat condition may be known in many places at the local level, we have not yet been able to answer questions about use, condition, and trend at the landscape scale or at the range-wide scale for wildlife species. A great deal of information about grazing use, management regimes, and ecological condition exists at the local level (for individual livestock management units) under the oversight of organizations such as the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). However, the extent, quality, and types of existing data are unknown, which hinders the compilation, mapping, or analysis of these data. Once compiled, these data may be helpful for drawing conclusions about rangeland status, and we may be able to identify relationships between those data and wildlife habitat at the landscape scale

Cross-coupling of [11C]methyllithium for 11C-labelled PET tracer synthesis

The cross-coupling of aryl bromides with [11C]CH3Li for the labelling of a variety of tracers for positron emission tomography (PET) is presented. The radiolabelled products were obtained in excellent yields, at rt and after short reaction times (3-5 min) compatible with the half-life of 11C (20.4 min). The automation of the protocol on a synthesis module is investigated, representing an important step towards a fast method for the synthesis of 11C-labelled compounds for PET imaging

Selection Criteria for Pressurized Intraperitoneal Aerosol Chemotherapy (PIPAC) Treatment in Patients with Peritoneal Metastases.

The standard treatment protocol for PIPAC consists of three procedures. Completion of treatment has been shown to be prognostic of improved survival. The aim of this study was to identify predictors for completion of treatment. Retrospective multicentric cohort study of patients with peritoneal metastases undergoing PIPAC in three PIPAC expert centers. Per protocol (PP) treatment was defined as patients receiving ≥3 PIPACs and was compared to patients receiving <3. Overall, 183 patients had 517 PIPACs. The main reasons for stopping PIPAC were disease progression in 50% patients, bowel obstruction in 15%, patient's refusal to pursue in 10%, conversion to cytoreductive surgery in 7%, and medical reasons in 8%. Overall, 95 patients (52%) had PP treatment. The PP median OS was 17 vs. 7 months, p = 0.001. PP patients had r ascites (410 ± 100 mL vs. 960 ± 188 mL, p = 0.001), no prior history of bowel obstruction (12% vs. 24%, p = 0.028), and more bimodal treatment (39% vs. 13%, p < 0.001). After multiple regression, bimodal treatment was found as an independent predictive factor for completing PP (OR = 4.202, 95%CI [1.813, 10.630], p < 0.001), along with prior bowel obstruction (OR = 0.389, 95%CI [0.153, 0.920], p = 0.037). The absence of ascites and prior bowel obstruction can help to select patients suitable for PIPAC. Best results seem to be achieved when PIPAC is combined with systemic chemotherapy

The role of cytology in patients undergoing pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy (PIPAC) treatment for peritoneal carcinomatosis.

Cytology of ascites or peritoneal washing is a routine part of staging of peritoneal metastases (PM). We aim to determine value of cytology in patients undergoing pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy (PIPAC). Single-center retrospective cohort study included consecutive patients having PIPAC for PM of different primary between January 2015 and January 2020. A total of 75 patients (median 63 years (IQR 51-70), 67 % female) underwent a total of 144 PIPAC. At PIPAC 1 59 % patients had positive and 41 % patients had negative cytology. Patients with negative and positive cytology only differed in terms of symptoms of ascites (16% vs. 39 % respectively, p=0.04), median ascites volume (100 vs. 0 mL, p=0.01) and median PCI (9 vs. 19, p<0.01). Among 20 patients who completed 3 PIPACs (per protocol), cytology changed in one from positive to negative, and in two from negative to positive. Median overall survival was 30.9 months in the per protocol group and 12.9 months in patients having <3 PIPACs (=0.519). Positive cytology under PIPAC treatment is more frequently encountered in patients with higher PCI and symptomatic ascites. Cytoversion was rarely observed and cytology status had no impact on treatment decisions in this cohort

Risco Cardiovascular do Metilfenidato Como prevenir, e como agir perante a sobredosagem

O metilfenidato, único psicoestimulante aprovado em Portugal, é terapêutica farmacológica de primeira linha da PHDA, a perturbação neurocomportamental mais frequente na infância. Há também relatos de automedicação e uso recreativo de metilfenidato. Embora seja habitualmente bem tolerado, os efeitos adversos cardiovasculares devem ser encarados com prudência, dada a sua potencial gravidade.N/