Sand bypass and updrift beach evolution after jetty construction at an ebb-tidal delta

The evolution of an ebb-tidal delta (Guadiana, South Portugal) and its updrift beach after jetty construction (in 1972e1974) is analysed based on 24 ortho-rectified aerial photographs (1940e2012) and 13 bathymetric maps (1969e2014). The objectives are to evaluate the re-establishment of the sand bypassing process and if the disruption of the historical delta may affect the updrift beach evolution. Post-jetty progradation of the updrift beach resulted from two large accretion events. The second (largest) event (110 m progradation in 1985e1994) was due to beach attachment of a shoal produced by the erosion of a broad shallow area relict of the historical delta. The reworking of sand from this relict area also enables the individualisation of a lateral updrift bar simultaneously with the new ebb shoal proper formation. Both morphological features were close to (volume) equilibrium in 1995, indicating that most of the sand was transported towards the downdrift side of the inlet at that time. This study shows that erosion of the historical delta may enhance significantly the updrift shoreline progradation and may promote the re-establishment of sand bypassing after jetty construction.The following institutions in Portugal are acknowledged for providing some of the bathymetric maps used in this study: Ministry of Public Works, Transport and Communications (MOPTC); Hydrographic Institute (IH); and, Port and Maritime Transport Institute (IPTM).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Project management in Portugal: results of the 2022 pilot study by the Portuguese Project Management Observatory

The Portuguese Project Management Observatory (PPMO), an initiative of the Portuguese Association of Project Management (APOGEP), is being developed by the University of Minho in partnership with other Higher Education institutions. The main objective of this research was to study the status of project management in Portugal, namely which tools and techniques are most and least used by organizations, the profile of Portuguese project managers, the methodologies used, accomplishment of project indicators and sustainability practices. It was also an objective to compare the results found with a similar study done a year before. The method selected for this study was a survey applied through an online questionnaire directed to Portuguese organizations. The results show that the most used tools and techniques are Activity List, Kick-off Meeting and Gantt Chart; and the least used are Decision Tree, Value Chain and Cost Life Cycle Analysis. As expected, significant differences were found in the income of project managers, when considering variables such as gender, age, current position, education level, and activity sector. Hybrid methodologies are used in a large part of the respondents' organizations. Although some changes were verified between 2021 and 2022, there are no significant changes reported.This work has been supported by FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia within the R&D Units Project Scope: UIDB/00319/2020

The Portuguese Severe Asthma Registry: Development, Features, and Data Sharing Policies

The Portuguese Severe Asthma Registry (Registo de Asma Grave Portugal, RAG) was developed by an open collaborative network of asthma specialists. RAG collects data from adults and pediatric severe asthma patients that despite treatment optimization and adequate management of comorbidities require step 4/5 treatment according to GINA recommendations. In this paper, we describe the development and implementation of RAG, its features, and data sharing policies. The contents and structure of RAG were defined in a multistep consensus process. A pilot version was pretested and iteratively improved. The selection of data elements for RAG considered other severe asthma registries, aiming at characterizing the patient's clinical status whilst avoiding overloading the standard workflow of the clinical appointment. Features of RAG include automatic assessment of eligibility, easy data input, and exportable data in natural language that can be pasted directly in patients' electronic health record and security features to enable data sharing (among researchers and with other international databases) without compromising patients' confidentiality. RAG is a national web-based disease registry of severe asthma patients, available at asmagrave.pt. It allows prospective clinical data collection, promotes standardized care and collaborative clinical research, and may contribute to inform evidence-based healthcare policies for severe asthma.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Movements of hatchery-reared dusky groupers released in a Northeast Atlantic Coastal Marine Protected Area.

No-take areas are key instruments to promote the effectiveness of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), particularly concerning the protection of endangered species such as the dusky grouper (Epinephelus marginatus). However, despite the establishment of no-take areas and the prohibition of catching this species in a southwestern Portuguese MPA (SACVMP—‘Sudoeste Alentejano’ and ‘Costa Vicentina’ Marine Park) since 2011, there is still no evidence of population recovery. By using acoustic biotelemetry, this work aimed to evaluate the feasibility of restocking hatchery-reared adult dusky groupers in two no-take areas within the SACVMP. In 2019 and 2021, thirty groupers were tagged with acoustic transmitters and the site attachment and movements of the groupers were assessed in the releasing sites (no-take areas). None of the tagged fish settled down in either of the areas, leaving the no-take areas mainly at dusk and night. Some individuals displayed extended movements of more than a hundred kilometers along the Portuguese coast which was rarely reported for this species. At least in some coastal stretches, those movements were performed close to the shore, which may evidence the importance of coastal MPAs to protect and promote the connectivity of species more associated with rocky reef habitats. Following studies should focus on the conditions that promote site attachment and fidelity by hatchery-reared dusky groupers so that future large-scale restocking programs can be successful in MPAs with appropriate habitats

SALO, a novel classical pathway complement inhibitor from saliva of the sand fly Lutzomyia longipalpis.

Blood-feeding insects inject potent salivary components including complement inhibitors into their host's skin to acquire a blood meal. Sand fly saliva was shown to inhibit the classical pathway of complement; however, the molecular identity of the inhibitor remains unknown. Here, we identified SALO as the classical pathway complement inhibitor. SALO, an 11 kDa protein, has no homology to proteins of any other organism apart from New World sand flies. rSALO anti-complement activity has the same chromatographic properties as the Lu. longipalpis salivary gland homogenate (SGH)counterparts and anti-rSALO antibodies blocked the classical pathway complement activity of rSALO and SGH. Both rSALO and SGH inhibited C4b deposition and cleavage of C4. rSALO, however, did not inhibit the protease activity of C1s nor the enzymatic activity of factor Xa, uPA, thrombin, kallikrein, trypsin and plasmin. Importantly, rSALO did not inhibit the alternative or the lectin pathway of complement. In conclusion our data shows that SALO is a specific classical pathway complement inhibitor present in the saliva of Lu. longipalpis. Importantly, due to its small size and specificity, SALO may offer a therapeutic alternative for complement classical pathway-mediated pathogenic effects in human diseases

Manipulation of follicle development to ensure optimal oocyte quality and conception rates in cattle

Over the last several decades, a number of therapies have been developed that manipulate ovarian follicle growth to improve oocyte quality and conception rates in cattle. Various strategies have been proposed to improve the responses to reproductive biotechnologies following timed artificial insemination (TAI), superovulation (SOV) or ovum pickup (OPU) programmes. During TAI protocols, final follicular growth and size of the ovulatory follicle are key factors that may significantly influence oocyte quality, ovulation, the uterine environment and consequently pregnancy outcomes. Progesterone concentrations during SOV protocols influence follicular growth, oocyte quality and embryo quality; therefore, several adjustments to SOV protocols have been proposed depending on the animal category and breed. In addition, the success of in vitro embryo production is directly related to the number and quality of cumulus oocyte complexes harvested by OPU. Control of follicle development has a significant impact on the OPU outcome. This article discusses a number of key points related to the manipulation of ovarian follicular growth to maximize oocyte quality and improve conception rates following TAI and embryo transfer of in vivo-and in vitro-derived embryos in cattle.FAPESPCNPqCAPE

Coronary computed tomography angiography-adapted Leaman score as a tool to noninvasively quantify total coronary atherosclerotic burden

To describe a coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA)-adapted Leaman score (CT-LeSc) as a tool to quantify total coronary atherosclerotic burden with information regarding localization, type of plaque and degree of stenosis and to identify clinical predictors of a high coronary atherosclerotic burden as assessed by the CT-LeSc. Single center prospective registry including a total of 772 consecutive patients undergoing CCTA (Dual-source CT) from April 2011 to March 2012. For the purpose of this study, 581 stable patients referred for suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) without previous myocardial infarction or revascularization procedures were included. Pre-test CAD probability was determined using both the Diamond-Forrester extended CAD consortium method (DF-CAD consortium model) and the Morise score. Cardiovascular risk was assessed with the HeartScore. The cut-off for the 3rd tercile (CT-LeSc ≥8.3) was used to define a population with a high coronary atherosclerotic burden. The median CT-LeSc in this population (n = 581, 8,136 coronary segments evaluated; mean age 57.6 ± 11.1; 55.8 % males; 14.6 % with diabetes) was 2.2 (IQR 0-6.8). In patients with CAD (n = 341), the median CT-LeSc was 5.8 (IQR 3.2-9.6). Among patients with nonobstructive CAD, most were classified in the lowest terciles (T1, 43.0 %; T2, 36.1 %), but 20.9 % were in the highest tercile (T3). The majority of the patients with obstructive CAD were classified in T3 (78.2 %), but 21.8 % had a CT-LeSc in lower terciles (T1 or T2). The independent predictors of a high CT-LeSc were: Male sex (OR 1.73; 95 % CI 1.04-2.90) diabetes (OR 2.91; 95 % CI 1.61-5.23), hypertension (OR 2.54; 95 % CI 1.40-4.63), Morise score ≥16 (OR 1.97; 95 % CI 1.06-3.67) and HeartScore ≥5 (OR 2.42; 95 % CI 1.41-4.14). We described a cardiac CT adapted Leaman score as a tool to quantify total (obstructive and nonobstructive) coronary atherosclerotic burden, reflecting the comprehensive information about localization, degree of stenosis and type of plaque provided by CCTA. Male sex, hypertension, diabetes, a HeartScore ≥5 % and a Morise score ≥16 were associated with a high coronary atherosclerotic burden, as assessed by the CT-LeSc. About one fifth of the patients with nonobstructive CAD had a CT-LeSc in the highest tercile, and this could potentially lead to a reclass

A Patient Perception as a Nursing Care in Emergency Sector

The work process by nurses in the emergency sector is comprised of two complementary dimensions, managing and caring. Therefore,the aim of this study was Know the perception of patients to the support of the nursing assistance in Emergency sector. This is a field research, exploratory, descriptive qualitative approach. The survey was conducted in Dr. Luiz Milton Arêa Leão Hospital - Satélite, located in the city of Teresina - PI, Brazil, which caters exclusively by the Unified Health System, and reference in its coverage area.We interviewed thirteen (13) patients who remained in observation in the emergency sector in that hospital. For this study was used as a criterion for inclusion of service users who entered the emergency sector in the periodMarch-April 2014 and who remained in the sector at the time of the interview.  A pilot test was conducted with the instrument to validate and suitability for the target audience, which is excluded from the sample. Ethical aspects were respected, as provided for in Resolution 466/2012 of the National Health Council, Brazil (2013). In this sense, we observed through the reports of the participants carrying out a qualified nursing care, where it identified a good conduct of professionals to provide the necessary assistance. A nursing care and systematic termination  during the stay of patients in hospital was evidenced. It is perceived  that there is a satisfaction from patients and the care of thenursing team, which is performed through actions inherent to these professionals, such as goodwill, the act of providing a welcoming atmosphere, with technical scientific background, and ability in dealing with conflict situations and ethical

Prevalence and predictors of coronary artery disease in patients with a calcium score of zero

The absence of coronary calcification is associated with an excellent prognosis. However, a calcium score of zero does not exclude the presence of coronary artery disease (CAD) or the possibility of future cardiovascular events. Our aim was to study the prevalence and predictors of coronary artery disease in patients with a calcium score of zero. Prospective registry consisted of 3,012 consecutive patients that underwent cardiac CT (dual source CT). Stable patients referred for evaluation of possible CAD that had a calcium score of zero (n = 864) were selected for this analysis. The variables that were statistically significant were included in a multivariable logistic regression model. From 864 patients with a calcium score of zero, 107 (12.4 %) had coronary plaques on the contrast CT (10.8 %, n = 93 with nonobstructive CAD and 1.6 %, n = 14 with obstructive CAD). By logistic regression analysis, the independent predictors of CAD in this population were age >55 years [odds ratio (OR) 1.63 (1.05-2.52)], hypertension [OR 1.64 (1.05-2.56)] and dyslipidemia [OR 1.54 (1.00-2.36)]. In the presence of these 3 variables, the probability of having coronary plaques was 21 %. The absence of coronary artery calcification does not exclude the presence of coron