Análise do ciclo de vida da produção do butanol

Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar e comparar os impactes ambientais da produção do butanol considerando três processos produtivos: um que usa fontes fósseis e dois que usam fontes renováveis, nomeadamente palha de trigo e milho. Para o primeiro caso considerouse o processo oxo e os restantes usaram o processo de produção ABE (acetona, butanol e etanol). Na primeira etapa estudaram-se e descreveram-se os diferentes processos referidos. A análise do ciclo de vida foi depois aplicada efetuando as quatro fases nomeadamente definição do âmbito e objetivo, inventário, avaliação de impactes e interpretação dos resultados obtidos. O inventário foi efetuado tendo em conta a bibliografia existente sobre estes processos e com o auxílio da base de dados Ecoinvent Versão3 Database™. Na avaliação de impactes utilizou-se o método Impact 2002 + (Endpoint). Concluiu-se que a produção do butanol pelo processo ABE utilizando o milho é a que apresenta maior impacte ambiental e a que produção do butanol pelo processo ABE usando a palha de trigo é a que apresenta um menor impacte ambiental, quando o processo de alocação foi efetuado tendo em conta as massas de todos os produtos produzidos em cada processo. Foi efetuada uma análise de sensibilidade para a produção de butanol usando palha de trigo e milho relativa aos dados de menor qualidade. No processo da palha de trigo fez-se variar a quantidade de material enviado para a digestão anaeróbia e a quantidade de efluente produzida. No processo relativo ao milho apenas se fez variar a quantidade de efluente produzida. As variações tiveram um efeito pouco significativo (<1,3%) no impacte global. Por fim, efetuou-se o cálculo dos impactes considerando uma alocação económica que foi executada tendo em conta os preços de venda para o ano 2013 na Europa, para os produtos produzidos pelos diferentes processos. Considerando o valor económico verificou-se um aumento do peso relativo ao butanol, o que fez aumentar significativamente o impacte ambiental. Isto deve-se em grande parte ao baixo valor económico dos gases formados nos processos de fermentação. Se na alocação por massa for retirada a massa destes gases os resultados obtidos são similares nos dois tipos de alocação.The goal of this work was to analyse and compare the environmental impact of three production methods of butanol. One of them using fossil fuels and the other two using renewable sources such as wheat straw and corn. The first one uses the oxo synthesis and the others use ABE (acetone, butanol and ethanol) fermentation. First of all, the mentioned processes were studied and described. Then, the life cycle analysis was applied involving four steps: goal and scope definition, inventory analysis, impact assessment and interpretation. The inventory analysis was executed attending to existing studies regarding each process and the Ecoinvent version3 Database. To assess the impacts it was used the Impact 2002+ (endpoint) method. It was possible to conclude that the ABE fermentation using corn presents the highest environmental impactand the ABE fermentation using wheat straw is the one that presents the lowest environmental impact, when the allocation method was based on mass. A sensitivity analysis was performed for the production of butanol using wheat straw and corn for the lower quality data. In the process using wheat straw it was analysed the variation of the material's amount sent for the anaerobic digestion and the amount of wastewater produced. In the process using corn it was analysed the variation of the amount of wastewater produced. The variations had no meaningful effect in the global impact (<1,3%). Finally the impacts were assessed using an allocation method based on the economic value of the products considering the selling prices for 2013 in Europe, for the products produced in the different processes. Considering the economic value, the relative weight of butanol raised which increased considerably the environmental impact value. This is due to the low economic value of the gases formed in the fermentation process. If the mass of these gases is not considered in the mass allocation method, the results obtained are similar in the two types of allocation

O sono e as funções executivas : o funcionamento executivo em sujeitos em privação crónica de sono após descanso e após um turno noturno

A privação crónica de sono (PCS), produto do trabalho por turnos e noturno, afeta de forma global o funcionamento cognitivo humano e especificamente o funcionamento executivo, culminado na diminuição da capacidade de adaptação e adequação da conduta humana. O presente trabalho tem por objetivo analisar as diferenças de desempenho em provas de cariz executivo (i.e. memória de trabalho, controlo atencional, planeamento, flexibilidade cognitiva e tomada de decisão), em sujeitos em PCS, após um período de descanso (D) e após um turno noturno de trabalho (TN). Recrutaram-se 60 enfermeiros (22 ≥ idade ≤ 37) a trabalhar por turnos, incluindo o noturno, divididos aleatoriamente em 2 grupos e submetidos a dois momentos de avaliação distintos. A sequência dos momentos de avaliação para o Grupo 1 (n=30) foi D – TN e para o Grupo 2 (n=30) foi TN – D. O protocolo experimental foi composto pela: Frontal Assessment Batery, o Índice de Qualidade de Sono de Pittsburg e para avaliação das componentes executivas acima referidas foi utilizado: o Sub-teste de Sequência de Letras e Números de WAIS-III, o Teste Stroop, os Labirintos de Porteus, o Wisconsin Card Sorting Test e o Iowa Gambling Task, respectivamente. Para análise dos resultados utilizou-se o programa estatístico SPSS 20. Foram identificadas diferenças estatisticamente significativas entre os momentos de avaliação para o número de palavras lidas no teste Stroop (situação incongruente) (p = 0,011) e o número de erros perseverativos no Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (p= 0,045). Foi ainda possível identificar a influência do fator número de anos a trabalhar nos desempenhos apresentados (p= 0,027). Concluindo, foi possível constatar a variação da performance cognitiva consoante a fase da jornada de trabalho, podendo a vulnerabilidade específica de cada componente executiva avaliada ser explicada pela influência de outros fatores tanto de ordem intrínseca como extrínseca ao sujeito.The chronic sleep deprivation as a result of shift work affects as a whole the human cognition, but specifically the executive functioning resulting in a decrease on the ability to adapt and improve the human conduct. The present paper has as a goal to describe the performance differences in executive tasks (i.e. working memory, attention, planning, cognitive flexibility and decision making) after a rest period and after a night shift. Sixty nurses (22 ≥ age ≤ 37) currently working by shifts including the night shift were recruited and divided into two experimental groups with each group undergoing two moments of trial evaluation. The group 1 (n=30) was first evaluated after a rest period and then after a night shift. The group 2 was first evaluated after a night shift and then after a rest period. The experimental protocol is composed of: Frontal Assessment Battery, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and to evaluate each of the above components we used: Sequence of letters and numbers of the WAIS-III, Stroop Test, Porteus Maze Test, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test and Iowa Gambling Task, respectively. For the statistical analysis we used the SPSS 20. It was possible to identify statistically significant differences (p= 0,011) on the number of words read (incongruent situation) in the Stoop Test and the number of perseverative errors committed on Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (p=0,045), between the two moments of evaluation. It was also possible to identify the influence of factor number of years working on the performances assessed (p=0,0027). In conclusion, it was possible to identify cognitive performance differences depending on the phase of the work journey, with each executive component showing a specific degree of vulnerability to the effects of chronic sleep deprivation, which are determined by intrinsic as well as extrinsic nature to the subjec

High fecal contamination and high levels of antibiotic-resistant enterobacteriaceae in water consumed in the city of Maputo, Mozambique

In the city of Maputo, Mozambique, food and water are often sold on the streets. Street water is packaged, distributed, and sold not paying attention to good hygienic practices, and its consumption is often associated with the occurrence of diarrheal diseases. Coincidentally, the increase of diarrheal diseases promotes the inappropriate use of antibiotics that might cause the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains. In this context, the present study aimed to assess the microbiological quality of water sold on the streets of Maputo, as well as the antibiotic resistance profile of selected Enterobacteriaceae isolates. The 118 water samples analyzed were from street home-bottled water (n = 81), municipal water distribution systems (tap water) (n = 25), and selected supply wells in several neighborhoods (n = 12). The samples were analyzed for total mesophilic microorganisms, fecal enterococci, fecal coliforms, Escherichia coli, and Vibrio spp. The results showed a high level of fecal contamination in all types of water samples. In home-bottled water, fecal coliforms were found in 88% of the samples, and E. coli in 66% of the samples. In tap water, fecal coliforms were found in 64%, and E. coli in 28% of the samples. In water from supply wells, fecal coliforms and E. coli were found in 83% of the samples. From 33 presumptive Vibrio spp. colonies, only three were identified as V. fluvialis. The remaining isolates belonged to Aeromonas spp. (n = 14) and Klebsiella spp. (n = 16). Of 44 selected Enterobacteriaceae isolates from water samples (28 isolates of E. coli and 16 isolates of Klebsiella spp.), 45.5% were not susceptible to the beta-lactams ampicillin and imipenem, 43.2% to amoxicillin, and 31.8% to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid. Regarding non-betalactam antibiotics, there was a high percentage of isolates with tolerance to tetracycline (52.3%) and azithromycin (31.8%). In conclusion, water in Maputo represents a risk for human health due to its high fecal contamination. This situation is made more serious by the fact that a relatively high percentage of isolates with multidrug resistance (40%) were found among Enterobacteriaceae. The dissemination of these results can raise awareness of the urgent need to reduce water contamination in Maputo and other cities in Mozambiqueinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Diabetes Mellitus - Estudo de AEQ dos Parâmetros Glicose e HbA1c (2008-2012)

Segundo o Internacional Diabetes Federation (IDF) (2012), a Diabetes atinge 371 milhões de pessoas em todo o mundo, correspondendo a 8,3% da população mundial. Estima-se que em cerca de 50% dessas pessoas a diabetes ainda não foi diagnosticada. Em 2012 morreram devido à diabetes 4,8 milhões de pessoas, sendo que metade tinha idade inferior a 60 anos. Segundo a IDF, Portugal posiciona-se entre os países europeus com maior taxa de prevalência de diabetes. A prevalência de diabéticos em Portugal em 2011, numa população entre os 20 e 79 anos foi de 12.7%, sendo que 7,2% diziam respeito a prevalência de diabetes diagnosticada e 5,5% a diabetes não diagnosticada. Em 2009, a percentagem de diabéticos em Portugal rondava os 11,7% e em 2010 os 12,4%. Dado a incidência a nível mundial da Diabetes Mellitus, torna-se de elevada importância avaliar toda a sua envolvência e estudar bem quais os critérios a ter em consideração. Propusemo-nos estudar os parâmetros bioquímicos relacionados com esta patologia - Glicose e Hemoglobina Glicada A1c (HbA1c), recorrendo à análise dos resultados dos últimos cinco anos (2008-2012) dos ensaios interlaboratoriais e metodologias utilizadas do Programa Nacional de Avaliação Externa da Qualidade, do Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge (PNAEQ-INSA), Lisboa, Portugal

Photo-realistic interactive virtual environments for neurorehabilitation in mild cognitive impairment (NeuroVRehab.PT) : a participatory design and proof-of-concept study

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is characterized by cognitive, psychological, and functional impairments. Digital interventions typically focus on cognitive deficits, neglecting the difficulties that patients experience in instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). The global conjecture created by COVID-19 has highlighted the seminal importance of digital interventions for the provision of healthcare services. Here, we investigated the feasibility and rehabilitation potential of a new design approach for creating highly realistic interactive virtual environments for MCI patients' neurorehabilitation. Through a participatory design protocol, a neurorehabilitation digital platform was developed using images captured from a Portuguese supermarket (NeuroVRehab.PT). NeuroVRehab.PT's main features (e.g., medium-sized supermarket, the use of shopping lists) were established according to a shopping behavior questionnaire filled in by 110 older adults. Seven health professionals used the platform and assessed its rehabilitation potential, clinical applicability, and user experience. Interviews were conducted using the think-aloud method and semi-structured scripts, and four main themes were derived from an inductive semantic thematic analysis. Our findings support NeuroVRehab.PT as an ecologically valid instrument with clinical applicability in MCI neurorehabilitation. Our design approach, together with a comprehensive analysis of the patients' past experiences with IADL, is a promising technique to develop effective digital interventions to promote real-world functioning.TThis research was carried out as part of the doctoral studies of the first author (Ref: PDE/BDE/127784/2016) and for which she received scholarships from the following entities: Nippon Gases Portugal and Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia through the European Social Fund and Human Capital Operational Programme, co-financed by Portugal 2020 and European Union. The work was partially supported by LASIGE Research Unit, ref. UIDB/00408/2020 and ref. UIDP/00408/2020.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Molecular characterization of Giardia lamblia in children less than 5 years of age with diarrhoea attending the Bengo General Hospital, Angola

Introduction - Giardia lamblia is a pathogenic intestinal protozoan with high prevalence in developing countries, especially among children. Molecular characterization has revealed the existence of eight assemblages, with A and B being more commonly described in human infections. Despite its importance, to our knowledge, this is the first published molecular analysis of G. lamblia assemblages in Angola. Methods - The present study aimed to identify the assemblages of G. lamblia in children with acute diarrhoea presenting at the Bengo General Hospital, Angola. A stool sample was collected and microscopy and immunochromatographic tests were used. DNA was extracted and assemblage determination was performed through amplification of the gene fragment ssu-rRNA (175 bp) and β-giardin (511 bp) through polymerase chain reaction and DNA sequencing. Results - Of the 16 stool samples screened, 12 were successfully sequenced. Eleven isolates were assigned to assemblage B and one to assemblage A. Subassemblage determination was not possible for assemblage B, while the single isolate assigned to assemblage A was identified as belonging to subassemblage A3. Conclusion - This study provides information about G. lamblia assemblages in Bengo Province, Angola and may contribute as a first step in understanding the molecular epidemiology of this protozoan in the country. GenBank accession numbers for the ssur-RNA gene: MF479750, MF479751, MF479752, MF479753, MF479754, MF479755, MF479756, MF479757, MF479758, MF479759, MF479760, MF479761. GenBank accession numbers for the β-giardin gene: MF565378, MF565379, MF565380, MF565381.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Cordycepin activates autophagy through AMPK phosphorylation to reduce abnormalities in Machado-Joseph disease models

Machado-Joseph disease (MJD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by an abnormal expansion of citosine-adenine-guanine trinucleotide repeats in the disease-causing gene. This mutation leads to an abnormal polyglutamine tract in the protein ataxin-3 (Atx3), resulting in formation of mutant Atx3 aggregates. Despite several attempts to develop a therapeutic option for MJD, currently there are no available therapies capable of delaying or stopping disease progression. Recently, our group reported that reducing the expression levels of mutant Atx3 lead to a mitigation of several MJD-related behavior and neuropathological abnormalities. Aiming a more rapid translation to the human clinics, in this study we investigate a pharmacological inhibitor of translation-cordycepin-in several preclinical models. We found that cordycepin treatment significantly reduced (i) the levels of mutant Atx3, (ii) the neuropathological abnormalities in a lentiviral mouse model, (iii) the motor and neuropathological deficits in a transgenic mouse model and (iv) the number of ubiquitin aggregates in a human neural model. We hypothesize that the effect of cordycepin is mediated by the increase of phosphorylated adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) levels, which is accompanied by a reduction in the global translation levels and by a significant activation of the autophagy pathway. Overall, this study suggests that cordycepin might constitute an effective and safe therapeutic approach for MJD, and probably for the other polyglutamine diseases.European Union through the European social fund, funds Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional through the Competitive Factors Operational Program-COMPETE, POPH and QRENFrench Muscular Dystrophy Association (AFM-Telethon) [18776]Ataxia UKFundacao para a Ciencia e TecnologiaPortuguese Foundation for Science and Technology [SFRH/BD/133192/2017]FCT - Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia, I.P. [UID/BIM/04773/2013 CBMR

Results from a population-based cohort study

Funding Information: We have read the journal's policy and the authors of this manuscript have the following competing interests: ARF reports travel grants from Roche and advisory board fees from Daiichi Sankyo, Gilead, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Novartis and Roche, outside the submitted work. DMB reports travel grants from LEO Farmacêuticos, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Ipsen, Janssen, Roche, and Novartis, advisory board fees from Janssen, Pfizer, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Angelini, AstraZeneca, and Novartis, and institutional grants from F. Hoffmann-La Roche, outside the submitted work. The other authors have declared that no competing interests exist. Funding Information: The authors acknowledge the RON network that cooperated in providing up-to-date information on cases diagnosed and treated with the drug of interest (participating institutions: Centro Hospitalar Universit?rio de S?o Jo?o, Centro Hospitalar Universit?rio Lisboa Norte, Centro Hospitalar Universit?rio do Algarve, Hospital de Braga, Centro Hospitalar e Universit?rio de Coimbra, Centro Hospitalar de Tr?s-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Hospital Central do Funchal, Centro Hospitalar de Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho, Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Ocidental, Hospital Garcia de Orta, Centro Hospitalar Universit?rio Lisboa Central, Hospital Distrital de Santar?m, Centro Hospitalar de Entre o Douro e Vouga, Hospital da Senhora da Oliveira Guimar?es, Centro Hospitalar de Set?bal, Centro Hospitalar e Universit?rio do Porto, Centro Hospitalar Tondela Viseu, Hospital do Esp?rito Santo de ?vora, Centro Hospitalar Barreiro Montijo, Hospital Beatriz ?ngelo, Hospital do Santo Esp?rito da Ilha Terceira, Hospital do Divino Esp?rito Santo de Ponta Delgada, Hospital Pedro Hispano ? ULS Matosinhos, Hospital do Litoral Alentejano ? Santiago do Cac?m ? ULS Litoral Alentejano, Centro Hospitalar do Oeste, Centro Hospitalar M?dio Tejo, Hospital Jos? Joaquim Fernandes ? Beja ? ULS Baixo Alentejo, Centro Hospitalar Universit?rio da Cova da Beira, Centro Cl?nico Champalimaud, Hospitais CUF, Hospitais da Luz, Hospitais dos Lus?adas, Hospital Particular do Algarve). Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The AuthorsBackground: Real-world (RW) data may provide valuable information on the effectiveness and safety of medicines, which is particularly relevant for clinicians, patients and third-party payers. Evidence on the effectiveness of palbociclib plus fulvestrant is scarce, which highlights the need of additional studies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of palbociclib plus fulvestrant in advanced breast cancer (ABC). Materials and methods: We conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study and cases of interest were identified through the Portuguese National Cancer Registry database and additional data sources. Patients aged≥18 years, diagnosed with ABC and exposed to palbociclib plus fulvestrant between May 31, 2017 and March 31, 2019 were included. Patients were followed-up until death or cut-off date (February 28, 2021). Primary outcome was rw-progression-free survival (rwPFS). Secondary outcomes were rw-overall survival (rwOS), rw-time to palbociclib failure (rwTPF) and rw-time to next treatment (rwTTNT). Results: A total of 210 patients were included. Median age was 58 years (range 29–83) and 99.05% were female. Median follow-up time was 23.22 months and, at cut-off date, treatment had been discontinued in 189 patients, mainly due to disease progression (n = 152). Median rwPFS was 7.43 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 6.28–9.05) and 2-year rwPFS was 16.65% (95%CI 11.97–22.00). Median rwOS was 24.70 months (95%CI 21.58–29.27), median rwTPF was 7.5 months (95%CI 6.51–9.08) and median rwTTNT was 11.74 months (95%CI 10.33–14.08). Conclusion: Palbociclib plus fulvestrant seems an effective treatment for ABC in real-world context. Compared to registrations studies, rwPFS and rwOS were shorter in real-life setting.publishersversionpublishe

Avaliação Externa da Qualidade em Microbiologia de Areias de Praias - Estudo Piloto

As areias das praias contêm por vezes microrganismos nocivos para a saúde humana, frequentemente em superiores às que existem na água. Atualmente (Brandão et al. 2002; Sabino et al. 2012; Solo-Gabriele et al. 2015) não existe regulamentação para a amostragem, análise e apreciação da qualidade microbiológica de areias. O Programa Nacional de Avaliação Externa da Qualidade (PNAEQ), inserido no Departamento de Epidemiologia do Instituto Nacional de Saúde Dr. Ricardo Jorge, Portugal, implementou em 2015 um ensaio piloto no âmbito da avaliação externa da qualidade microbiológica de areias. Um dos principais objetivos é a harmonização da metodologia utilizada nos laboratórios, para avaliar a quantificação e identificação de microrganismos indicadores, quer bacterianos quer fúngicos, nas areias de praias, através da avaliação do desempenho dos resultados interlaboratoriais

Meglumine antimoniate and miltefosine combined with allopurinol sustain pro-inflammatory immune environments during canine leishmaniosis treatment

Research Areas: Veterinary SciencesCanine leishmaniosis (CanL) caused by Leishmania infantum is a zoonotic disease of global concern. Antileishmanial drug therapies commonly used to treat sick dogs improve their clinical condition, although when discontinued relapses can occur. Thus, the current study aims to evaluate the effect of CanL treatments in peripheral blood, lymph node, and bone marrow cytokine profile associated with clinical recovery. Two groups of six dogs diagnosed with CanL were treated with miltefosine combined with allopurinol and meglumine antimoniate combined with allopurinol (MT+A and MG+A), respectively. At diagnosis and after treatment, during a 3-month follow-up, clinical signs, hematological and biochemical parameters, urinalysis results and antileishmanial antibody titers were registered. Furthermore, peripheral blood, popliteal lymph node, and bone marrow samples were collected to assess the gene expression of IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, IL-12, TNF-alpha, TGF-beta, and IFN-gamma by qPCR. In parallel, were also evaluated samples obtained from five healthy dogs. Both treatment protocols promoted the remission of clinical signs as well as normalization of hematological and biochemical parameters and urinalysis values. Antileishmanial antibodies returned to non-significant titers in all dogs. Sick dogs showed a generalized upregulation of IFN-gamma and downregulation of IL-2, IL-4, and TGF-beta, while gene expression of IL-12, TNF-alpha, IL-5, and IL-10 varied between groups and according to evaluated tissue. A trend to the normalization of cytokine gene expression was induced by both miltefosine and meglumine antimoniate combined therapies. However, IFN-gamma gene expression was still up-regulated in the three evaluated tissues. Furthermore, the effect of treatment in the gene expression of cytokines that were not significantly changed by infection, indicates that miltefosine and meglumine antimoniate combined therapy directly affects cytokine generation. Both combined therapies are effective in CanL treatment, leading to sustained pro-inflammatory immune environments that can compromise parasite survival and favor dogs' clinical cure. In the current study, anti-inflammatory and regulatory cytokines do not seem to play a prominent role in CanL or during clinical recovery.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio