Dataset of the preparation and characterization of an artificial sludge for ecotoxicological purposes

This work describes the protocol developed for preparing an artificial digested sludge to be used for the ecotoxicological evaluation and risk assessment of chemical substances that are previewed to attain the soil through sewage sludge applications for fertilization (e.g. pharmaceutical compounds). Such evaluations have been made with standard protocols for ecotoxicological tests with terrestrial species in which the chemical substances are directly spiked to the test soil. This procedure lacks ecological relevance in terms of the role the sludge organic matter plays on the bioavailability and fate of chemical substances. Here we describe the protocol and the composition for obtaining the artificial sludge, prepared with commercial pet food and eggs white to mimic the composition of domestic sewage sludge in terms of proteins, carbon hydrates, fat and fibers content. Further, the conditions ascertained for the anaerobic digestion of the organic mixture are described, and the final properties of the sludge are presented, after repeating the procedure twice.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Pelo olhar de quem não sente a diferença : comparação dos Cores Sets da Classificação Internacional de Funcionalidade, Incapacidade e Saúde (CIF) para a Paralisia Cerebral com a perspetiva de crianças/ jovens e cuidadores, de Portugal

Introdução: A CIF foi considerada, por alguns clínicos, como não sendo totalmente viável para a aplicação na rotina clínica, já que este sistema de classificação contém mais de 1400 categorias. Posto isto, o processo de desenvolvimento de Core Sets da CIF tem sido priorizado pela OMS, tornando a CIF acessível para a avaliação das cs específicas. Estes pretendem orientar uma avaliação multidisciplinar abrangente, incluindo as categorias da CIF para descrever, de uma forma suficiente, a funcionalidade e incapacidade dos indivíduos. Contudo, podem existir divergências entre a perspetiva de crianças e jovens portugueses com PC e cuidadores sobre a sua cs e os core sets da CIF estabelecidos para a mesma. Objetivo: Identificar os problemas percecionados pelas crianças e jovens com paralisia cerebral e pelos cuidadores em Portugal e analisar em que medida estes aspetos são representados pela versão atual do Comprehensive Core Set da CIF para esta cs. Metodologia: Este estudo é qualitativo, tendo-se utilizado uma amostra conveniente de crianças/jovens com PC e cuidadores. Todos os dados foram recolhidos por meio de entrevistas e posteriormente analisados segundo o protocolo de Coenen. Foi efetuado o linking dos conceitos obtidos das entrevistas para as categorias da CIF, tendo sido comparadas com os Core Sets da CIF para esta condição. Resultados: Este estudo tem uma amostra de 48 indivíduos, sendo que 28 eram crianças e jovens com PC e os restantes 20 eram cuidadores. A média de idades das crianças/jovens incluídos foi 13,04 (±3,26), sendo que a idade mínima incluída foi 8 anos e a idade máxima, 18 anos. A média de idades dos cuidadores incluídos foi de 35,20 (±8,01) anos, sendo que a idade mínima incluída foi 22 anos e a idade máxima 55 anos. Das 256 categorias identificadas, 101 estão contempladas nas categorias dos Comprehensive Core Set da CIF. Estas encontram-se presentes em 58 categorias de 2º nível dos Comprehensive Core Set de um total de 135, correspondendo a 43% dos mesmos. Conclusões: Tendo em conta os resultados obtidos, podemos concluir que os Comprehensive Core Set da CIF para a PC contemplam a grande maioria dos problemas percecionados pela população-alvo, ainda que integre várias categorias que não foram relevantes para esta população em estudo

Effective cytocompatible nanovectors based on serine-derived gemini surfactants and monoolein for small interfering RNA delivery

Supplementary data to this article can be found online athttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcis.2020.09.077.Non-viral gene therapy based on gene silencing with small interfering RNA (siRNA) has attracted great interest over recent years. Among various types of cationic complexation agents, amino acid-based surfactants have been recently explored for nucleic acid delivery due to their low toxicity and high biocompatibility. Monoolein (MO), in turn, has been used as helper lipid in liposomal systems due to its ability to form inverted nonbilayer structures that enhance fusogenicity, thus contributing to higher transfection efficiency. In this work, we focused on the development of nanovectors for siRNA delivery based on three gemini amino acid-based surfactants derived from serine (12Ser)2N12, amine derivative; (12Ser)2COO12, ester derivative; and (12Ser)2CON12, amide derivative individually combined with MO as helper lipid. The inclusion of MO in the cationic surfactant system influences the morphology and size of the mixed aggregates. Furthermore, the gemini surfactant:MO systems showed the ability to efficiently complex siRNA, forming stable lipoplexes, in some cases clearly depending on the MO content, without inducing significant levels of cytotoxicity. High levels of gene silencing were achieved in comparison with a commercially available standard indicating that these gemini:MO systems are promising candidates as lipofection vectors for RNA interference (RNAi)-based therapies.The authors acknowledge Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnolo-gia (FCT) for financial support through projects UIDB/00081/2020 and UIDB/50006/2020. This work was supported by the‘‘Contrato-Programa” UIDB/04050/2020 funded by national fundsthrough the FCT I.P. Dr. Marisa Passos is gratefully acknowledged for help with the statistical analysis of cytotoxicity data. Fundingby the CCDR-N/NORTE2020/Portugal2020 through project DESign-BIOtechHealth (ref. Norte-01-0145-FEDER-000024) is also acknowledged. I. S. Oliveira and S.G. Silva also acknowledge finan-cial support from FCT through PhD grant SFRH/BD/108629/2015 and Individual Call to Scientific Employment Stimulus - CEEC Indi-vidual grant CEECIND/01932/2017, respectivelyinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Unrevealing the interactive effects of climate change and oil contamination on lab-simulated estuarine benthic communities

There is growing concern that modifications to the global environment such as ocean acidification and increased ultraviolet radiation may interact with anthropogenic pollutants to adversely affect the future marine environment. Despite this, little is known about the nature of the potential risks posed by such interactions. Here, we performed a multifactorial microcosm experiment to assess the impact of ocean acidification, ultraviolet radiation B (UV-B) and oil hydrocarbon contamination on sediment chemistry, the microbial community (composition and function) and biochemical marker response of selected indicator species. We found that increased ocean acidification and oil contamination in the absence of UV-B will significantly alter bacterial composition by, among other changes, greatly reducing the relative abundance of Desulfobacterales, known to be important oil hydrocarbon degraders. Along with changes in bacterial composition, we identified concomitant shifts in the composition of aromatic hydrocarbons in the sediment and an increase in oxidative stress effects on our indicator species. Interestingly, our study identifies UV-B as a critical component in the interaction between these factors, since its presence alleviates harmful effects caused by the combination of reduced pH and oil pollution. The model system used here shows that the interactive effect of reduced pH and oil contamination can adversely affect the structure and functioning of sediment benthic communities, with the potential to exacerbate the toxicity of oil hydrocarbons in marine ecosystems

Investigating the role of symptom valorisation in tuberculosis patient delay in urban areas in Portugal

URBANTB group: Patrícia Soares (Representative of the consortium), Mário Carreira, Sofia Pereira, Catarina Alves, Filipe Alves, Ana Rodrigues, Ana Moreira, Márcia Cardoso, Sandra Mota, Ana Gomes, Liliana Ferreira, Marta Lopes, Isabel Correia, Juan Rachadell, Maria Gameiro, Ângela Dias, Manuel Pereira, Jorge Gonçalves, Maria Gonçalves, Adriana Taveira, Celene Neves, Lucinda Silva, Maria Mendes, Maria Teixeira, Maria Pereira, Milena Piedade, Antónia Teixeira & Carlos Carvalho.Background: Diagnosis delay contributes to increased tuberculosis (TB) transmission and morbimortality. TB incidence has been decreasing in Portugal, but median patient delay (PD) has risen. Symptom valorisation may determine PD by influencing help-seeking behaviour. We aimed to analyse the association between symptom valorisation and PD, while characterising individuals who disregarded their symptoms. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among TB patients in Lisbon and Oporto in 2019 - 2021. Subjects who delayed seeking care because they did not value their symptoms or thought these would go away on their own were considered to have disregarded their symptoms. PD was categorised using a 21-day cut-off, and a 30-day cut-off for sensitivity analysis. We estimated the effect of symptom valorisation on PD through a directed acyclic graph. Then, a multivariable regression analysis characterised patients that disregarded their symptoms, adjusting for relevant variables. We fitted Poisson regression models to estimate crude and adjusted prevalence ratios (PR). Results: The study included 75 patients. Median PD was 25 days (IQR 11.5-63.5), and 56.0% of participants had PD exceeding 21 days. Symptom disregard was reported by 38.7% of patients. Patients who did not value their symptoms had higher prevalence of PD exceeding 21 days compared to those who valued their symptoms [PR 1.59 (95% CI 1.05-2.42)]. The sensitivity analysis showed consistent point estimates but wider confidence intervals [PR 1.39 (95% CI 0.77-2.55)]. Being a smoker was a risk factor for symptom disregard [PR 2.35 (95% CI 1.14-4.82)], while living in Oporto [PR 0.35 (95% CI 0.16-0.75)] and having higher household incomes [PR 0.39 (95% CI 0.17-0.94)] were protective factors. Conclusions: These findings emphasise the importance of symptom valorisation in timely TB diagnosis. Patients who did not value their symptoms had longer PD, indicating a need for interventions to improve symptom recognition. Our findings also corroborate the importance of the socioeconomic determinants of health, highlighting tobacco as a risk factor both for TB and for PD.This work was supported by the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal) [Grant: PTDC/SAU-PUB/31346/2017]. The present publication was funded by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal) national support through Comprehensive Health Research Centre (CHRC) [UIDP/04923/2020].info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Glycosyltransferases EXTL2 and EXTL3 cellular balance dictates Heparan Sulfate biosynthesis and shapes gastric cancer cell motility and invasion

International audienc

Synergies of metallic catalysts in the Fenton and photo-Fenton processes applied to the treatment of pulp bleaching wastewater

This work studied the incorporation of Co2+, Cu2+, and Mn2+ as Fenton co-catalysts, seeking synergetic effect that could allow for overall reduction of chemical demand. Focus was on removing recalcitrant pollutants AOX from pulp bleaching wastewater, but side effect on wastewater COD and colour was also assessed, and operating cost of treatment was quantified. Optimal operating condition of Fe-catalysed (photo-)Fenton processes was found by response surface methodology, and then the incorporation of Cu2+, Co2+, and Mn2+ as (co)catalysts was studied – the optimal dose of catalyst was kept but supplied as a combination of iron with the aforementioned metals, under increasing molar ratios. Although Fe2+ showed the highest catalytic activity, up to 25% of Co2+, Cu2+, or Mn2+ were successfully included in the catalyst combination, with similar performance and operating cost, particularly using Cu2+ and Mn2+. Regardless of the catalyst combination, Fenton process yielded higher AOX and COD removal than photo-Fenton, highlighting the lower photoactivity of Co2+, Cu2+ and Mn2+, compared with Fe2+. Colour removal was highly favoured by the substitution of iron by other transition metals. Synergy between metals is challenged by complex wastewaters, therefore some discussion was left on the viability of full-scale incorporation of such catalyst solution.publishe

Fatores de risco para mortalidade hospitalar na endocardite infecciosa

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.Background: Infective endocarditis (IE) is associated with severe complications and high mortality. The assessment of mortality rates and predictors for fatal events is important to identify modifiable factors related to the pattern of treatment, in order to improve outcomes. Objectives: We sought to evaluate clinical outcomes of patients with IE and to determine predictors of in-hospital mortality. Methods: Retrospective single-center study including patients with IE admitted during a 10-year period (2006-2015). Data on comorbidities, clinical presentation, microbiology and clinical outcomes during hospitalization were evaluated. Risk factors of in-hospital death were analyzed. A p-value < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: A total of 134 cases were included (73% males, mean age of 61 ± 16 years-old). Half of them had previous valvular heart disease. Healthcare-associated IE and negative blood-cultures occurred in 22% and prosthetic IE in 25%. The aortic valve was the one most often affected by infection. Staphylococcus aureus was the most commonly isolated microorganism. Forty-four (32.8%) patients underwent cardiac surgery. The in-hospital mortality rate was 31.3% (42 patients). The identified risk factors for in-hospital mortality were Staphylococcus aureus etiology (OR 6.47; 95% CI: 1.07-39.01; p = 0.042), negative blood-cultures (OR 9.14; 95% CI: 1.42-58.77; p = 0.02), evidence of valve obstruction in echocardiography (OR 8.57; 95% CI: 1.11-66.25; p = 0.039), clinical evolution with heart failure (OR 4.98; 95%CI: 1.31-18.92; p = 0.018) or septic shock (OR 20.26; 95% CI: 4.04-101.74; p < 0.001). Cardiac surgery was a protective factor of mortality (OR 0.14; 95% CI 0.03-0.65; p = 0.012). Conclusion: The risk factors for in-hospital mortality were clinical (heart failure, septic shock), evidence of valve obstruction in echocardiography, Staphylococcus aureus etiology or negative blood cultures. Invasive treatment by surgery significantly decreased the mortality risk.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Cul p-type thin films for highly transparent thermoelectric p-n modules

| openaire: EC/H2020/645241/EU//TransFlexTegDevelopments in thermoelectric (TE) transparent p-type materials are scarce and do not follow the trend of the corresponding n-type materials - a limitation of the current transparent thermoelectric devices. P-type thermoelectric thin films of Cul have been developed by three different methods in order to maximise optical transparency (>70% in the visible range), electrical (sigma = 1.1 x 10(4) Sm-1) and thermoelectric properties (ZT= 0.22 at 300 K). These have been applied in the first planar fully transparent p-n type TE modules where gallium-doped zinc oxide (GZO) thin films were used as the n-type element and indium thin oxide (ITO) thin films as electrodes. A thorough study of power output in single elements and p-n modules electrically connected in series and thermally connected in parallel is inclosed. This configuration allows for a whole range of highly transparent thermoelectric applications.Peer reviewe