Influence of initial chemical composition and characteristics of pulps on the production and properties of lignocellulosic nanofibers

This work aimed to study the influence of the initial chemical composition (glucans, lignin, xylan, and mannans), intrinsic viscosity, and carboxylate groups of pulps on the production process and final properties of lignocellulosic nanofibers (LCNF). Pulps of pine sawdust, eucalyptus sawdust, and sugarcane bagasse subjected to conventional pulping and highly oxidized processes were the starting materials. The LCNF were obtained by TEMPO mediated oxidation and mechanical fibrillation with a colloidal grinder. The nanofibrillation degree, chemical charge content, rheology, laser profilometry, cristallinity and atomic force microscopy were used to characterize the LCNF. The carboxylate groups, hemicelluloses and lignin of the initial pulps were important factors that affected the production process of LCNF. The results revealed that intrinsic viscosity and carboxylate groups of the initial pulps affected LCNF production process, whereas lignin and hemicelluloses influenced the viscosity of LCNF aqueous suspensions, the roughness of LCNF films, and the carboxylate groups content of LCNF.Fil: Ehman, Nanci Vanesa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Materiales de Misiones. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Químicas y Naturales. Instituto de Materiales de Misiones; ArgentinaFil: Lourenço, Ana Filipa. Universidad de Coimbra; PortugalFil: McDonagh, Birgitte Hjelmeland. Rise, Paper And Fibre Research; NoruegaFil: Vallejos, María Evangelina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Materiales de Misiones. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Químicas y Naturales. Instituto de Materiales de Misiones; ArgentinaFil: Felissia, Fernando Esteban. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Materiales de Misiones. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Químicas y Naturales. Instituto de Materiales de Misiones; ArgentinaFil: Ferreira, Paulo Jorge Tavares. Universidad de Coimbra; PortugalFil: Chinga Carrasco, Gary. Rise, Paper And Fibre Research; NoruegaFil: Area, Maria Cristina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Materiales de Misiones. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Químicas y Naturales. Instituto de Materiales de Misiones; Argentin

Sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors in the failing heart : a growing potential

© The Author(s) 2020Sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) are a new drug class designed to treat patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, cardiovascular outcome trials showed that SGLT2i also offer protection against heart failure (HF)–related events and cardiovascular mortality. These benefits appear to be independent of glycaemic control and have recently been demonstrated in the HF population with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), with or without T2D. This comprehensive, evidence-based review focuses on the published studies concerning HF outcomes with SGLT2i, discussing issues that may underlie the different results, along with the impact of these new drugs in clinical practice. The potential translational mechanisms behind SGLT2i cardio-renal benefits and the information that ongoing studies may add to the already existing body of evidence are also reviewed. Finally, we focus on practical management issues regarding SGLT2i use in association with other T2D and HFrEF common pharmacological therapies. Safety considerations are also highlighted. Considering the paradigm shift in T2D management, from a focus on glycaemic control to a broader approach on cardiovascular protection and event reduction, including the potential for wide SGLT2i implementation in HF patients, with or without T2D, we are facing a promising time for major changes in the global management of cardiovascular disease.This paper had a non-restrictive financial support of Boehringer Ingelheim and Lilly Portugal.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Dermatologists' attitude towards psoriasis treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic

Publisher Copyright: Copyright © 2021 Torres T, Pereira M, Paiva Lopes MJ, Rebelo C, Pedro Andrade P, Henrique M, Oliveira H, Ferreira P, Marques Pinto G, Menezes Brandão F, Rozeira J, Filipe P, Tavares Bello R. Copyright: Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.Background: The COVID-19 pandemic introduced new challenges in several dimensions in healthcare services. Herein, we describe the real-life strategies and therapeutic options adopted by dermatologists regarding their patients with psoriasis being treated with or with an indication for systemic therapy during the first COVID-19 lockdown period in Portugal. Methods: The study involves a web-based survey on the clinical management of systemic therapy for psoriasis during the COVID-19 pandemic administered to Portuguese dermatologists. The survey consisted of 55 questions (4 openended questions; 51 closed-ended questions), grouped into 6 sections. Results: A total of 60 dermatologists voluntarily participated in this survey. Nearly 63% of the participants opted for suspending biologics during the COVID-19 lockdown period and 23.3% increased the time between drug administrations. Eighty percent of the participants agreed that biologics did not change the probability of acquiring COVID-19 and 58.4% believed that these drugs decreased or did not change the severity of the disease. Approximately one-third of the participants opted not to prescribe a biological agent in patients despite clinical indication over the duration of the pandemic. Nearly 25% of the participants opted for suspending traditional immunosuppressant administration. Virtual appointments were an option for 93.3% of the participants. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected the management of patients with psoriasis being treated with or with an indication for systemic therapy. Some of the decisions made during the first lockdown period were contrary to what we know today. These decisions might have had a significant impact on patients' quality of life and on future therapeutic success. An adequate interpretation and analysis of the available data will be extremely important to an insightful adaptation of the clinical practice in future confinement or restrictive scenarios.publishersversionpublishe

Parâmetros de raiz e atributos físicos do solo com cultivo de forrageiras dos gêneros panicum e urochloa

As gramíneas do gênero Panicum e Urochloa são importantes espécies vegetais que melhoram a qualidade física do solo, devido seu sistema radicular agressivo e rápido estabelecimento. Baseado nisso, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de diferentes espécies de forrageiras do gênero Panicum e Urochloa na qualidade física do solo por dois anos agrícolas. Para isso, foram plantadas 11 cultivares de forrageiras, organizadas em delineamento experimental com blocos ao acaso, contendo 3 blocos e 33 parcelas experimentais, com dimensão de 4 x 4 m cada parcela. O experimento foi implantado em 23 de novembro de 2019 e o período experimental foi de 20 de fevereiro de 2020 a 12 de maio de 2021. A semeadura foi de forma manual a lanço, para garantir o rápido estabelecimento e ideal estande de plantas. Em 2020 foram avaliados atributo de raíz (densidade de touceira) e de física do solo (umidade, resistência à penetração, micro e macroporosidade e densidade do solo). Em 2021, foram repetidas as mesmas avaliações, acrescidas de massa seca de raíz, agregados (diâmetro médio monderado - DMP e geométrico - DMG, porcentagem de agregados > 2 mm -AGRI e agregados > 1 mm.), matéria orgânica e diagnóstico rápido da estrutura do solo. Foi utilizada análise de componentes principais para interpretação dos dados. As espécies capim zuri e sabiá foram as que mais explicaram as variações da densidade de touceira e umidade do solo. Muitas variáveis foram mais expressivas no ambiente com capim zuri, indicando o potencial da espécie mediante as demais

Preliminary in vitro evaluation of N '-(benzofuroxan-5-yl)methylene benzohydrazide derivatives as potential anti-Trypanosoma cruzi agents

A set of benzofuroxan derivatives was tested in vitro against Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigote forms. The influence of physicochemical properties on these benzofuroxan derivatives' activity was observed, and the presence of electron-withdrawing and hydrophobic groups attached to the benzene ring seems to make a favorable contribution at lower concentrations.CNPqCNPqCAPESCAPESFAPESPFAPES

Viral genetic clustering and transmission dynamics of the 2022 mpox outbreak in Portugal

Pathogen genome sequencing during epidemics enhances our ability to identify and understand suspected clusters and investigate their relationships. Here, we combine genomic and epidemiological data of the 2022 mpox outbreak to better understand early viral spread, diversification and transmission dynamics. By sequencing 52% of the confirmed cases in Portugal, we identified the mpox virus sublineages with the highest impact on case numbers and fitted them into a global context, finding evidence that several international sublineages probably emerged or spread early in Portugal. We estimated a 62% infection reporting rate and that 1.3% of the population of men who have sex with men in Portugal were infected. We infer the critical role played by sexual networks and superspreader gatherings, such as sauna attendance, in the dissemination of mpox virus. Overall, our findings highlight genomic epidemiology as a tool for the real-time monitoring and control of mpox epidemics, and can guide future vaccine policy in a highly susceptible population.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear un derstanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5–7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8–11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world’s most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepre sented in biodiversity databases.13–15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may elim inate pieces of the Amazon’s biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological com munities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple or ganism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region’s vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most ne glected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lostinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio