Interoperability and Standards: The Way for Innovative Design in Networked Working Environments

Organised by: Cranfield UniversityIn today’s networked economy, strategic business partnerships and outsourcing has become the dominant paradigm where companies focus on core competencies and skills, as creative design, manufacturing, or selling. However, achieving seamless interoperability is an ongoing challenge these networks are facing, due to their distributed and heterogeneous nature. Part of the solution relies on adoption of standards for design and product data representation, but for sectors predominantly characterized by SMEs, such as the furniture sector, implementations need to be tailored to reduce costs. This paper recommends a set of best practices for the fast adoption of the ISO funStep standard modules and presents a framework that enables the usage of visualization data as a way to reduce costs in manufacturing and electronic catalogue design.Mori Seiki – The Machine Tool Compan

CRIOCIRURGIA NO TRATAMENTO DE CANCRO CUTÂNEO NÃO-MELANOMA PALPEBRAL E PERIOCULAR – ANÁLISE RETROSPETIVA DE 78 CASOS

Introduction: Cryosurgery is a safe and effective treatment modality for non-melanoma skin cancers of the eyelids and periocular area, with a reported 5-year overall cure rate above 95%. Aim: Retrospective characterization of patients with non-melanoma skin cancer of eyelids and periocular regions diagnosed and treated with cryosurgery at our Department, between 1988 and 2004. Material and Methods: Review of the clinical records and statistical analysis of the following variables: age, sex, occupation, skin type, tumour characteristics, treatment modalities, aesthetic and functional outcomes and follow-up. Results: We treated 78 primary malignant neoplasms, in 78 Caucasian patients, 30 men and 48 women with a mean age of 75.5 years. Seventy-six of the seventy-eight tumours (97.4%) were nodular basal cell carcinoma (BCCs) and two were (2.6%) squamous cell carcinomas. More than half of the tumours were loca- ted in the inner canthus. Fractional cryosurgery was used in 52 cases (66.7%), conventional cryosurgery in 17 (21.8%) and segmental cryosurgery in nine (11.5%). The mean follow-up was 5 years with two relapses observed. There were no functional complications and the cosmetic results were excellent. The overall cure rate was of 97.4%. Conclusions: Fractional cryosurgery was the most used procedure. We achieved excellent functional and aesthetic results and a 97% five-year cure rate.KEYWORDS – Eyelid neoplasms; Cryosurgery; Carcinoma, Basal cell; Carcinoma, Squamous cell; Skin neoplasms. Introdução: A criocirurgia é um método seguro e eficaz no tratamento do cancro cutâneo não-melanoma das pálpebras e áreas perioculares, com uma taxa de cura aos 5 anos superior a 95%. Objetivo: Caracterização retrospetiva dos casos de cancro cutâneo não-melanoma palpebrais e perioculares diagnosticados e tratados com a criocirurgia no nosso Serviço, entre 1988 e 2004. Material e Métodos: Revisão dos processos clínicos e análise esta- tística das seguintes variáveis: idade, sexo, profissão, fototipo, características do tumor, modalidades de tratamento, resultados estéticos e funcionais e seguimento. Resultados: Foram tratados 78 neoplasias malignas primárias, em 78 pacientes, sendo 30 homens e 48 mulheres, com idade média de 75,5 anos. Setenta e seis dos tumores (97,4%) eram carcinoma de basocelular e dois (2,6%) carcinomas espinocelular. Mais de metade dos tumores localizava-se no canto interno do olho. A Criocirurgia fracionada foi usada em 52 casos (66,7%), a criocirurgia convencional em 17 (21,8%) e a criocirurgia segmentada em nove (11,5%). A média de seguimento foi de 5 anos, tendo ocorrido com duas recidivas locais. Não houve complicações funcionais e os resultados estéticos foram excelentes. A taxa de cura global foi de 97,4%. Conclusões: A criocirurgia fracionada foi o procedimento mais utilizado. Obtivemos excelentes resultados estéticos e funcionais e uma taxa de cura aos 5 anos de 97% cinco anos. PALAVRAS-CHAVE – Neoplasias das pálpebras; Criocirurgia; Carcinoma basocelular; Carcinoma espinocelular.

Cardiomiopatia de Takotsubo: uma complicação rara, mas grave, de crises epilépticas

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TKC) is a reversible, yet potentially fatal, syndrome triggered by stressful conditions, including seizures, with increasing recognition in clinical practice. We report a TKC in a patient with unexplained sinus tachycardia and troponin elevation after generalized seizures

Crystallographic and magnetic properties of UFe5.8Al6.2 single crystals

Single crystals of UFe5.8Al6.2 were characterised by X-ray and neutron diffraction, 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy and magnetisation. The structure refinement by X-ray and neutron diffraction shows a ThMn12-type structure, the Fe atoms fully occupying the 8f and partially occupying the 8j positions. Mössbauer spectra confirm these occupations and further indicate a magnetic ordering below 293 K. Magnetisation measurements show a ferromagnetic behaviour below 300 K, with a and b as easy directions and a spontaneous magnetisation of 10.4 [mu]B/f.u. at 5 K, due to the Fe occupation of 8j position. These single crystal results significantly differ from those previously obtained in UFe6Al6 polycrystalline samples obtained by melting and annealing.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6TJJ-3V7WTYX-N/1/f7893080a7f27a628198f02aeb40fe2

Utilization of metabolic flux analysis for metabolome data validation of xylose-fermenting yeasts.

Made available in DSpace on 2019-12-21T00:36:11Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Metabolicfluxanalysis.pdf: 2466512 bytes, checksum: 556ba9be15e8bcd17f6197378aee60d9 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2019bitstream/item/207742/1/Metabolic-flux-analysis.pd

Porous aligned ZnSr-doped β-TCP/silk fibroin scaffolds using ice-templating method for bone tissue engineering applications

The bone is a complex and dynamic structure subjected to constant stress and remodeling. Due to the worldwide incidence of bone disorders, engineered bone tissues have emerged as solution for bone grafting, which require sophisticated scaffolding architectures while keeping high mechanical performance. However, the conjugation of bone-like scaffold architecture with efficient mechanical properties is still a critical challenge for biomedical applications.  In this sense, the present study is focused on the development of silk fibroin (SF) scaffolds crosslinked with horseradish peroxidase and mixed with zinc (Zn) and strontium (Sr)-doped β-tricalcium phosphate (ZnSr.TCP) to mimic bone structures. The ZnSr.TCP-SF hydrogels were tuned in programmable ice-templating parameters, and further freeze-dried, to obtain 3D scaffolds with controlled pore orientation. The results showed interconnected channels in the ZnSr.TCP-SF scaffolds that mimic the porous network of the native subchondral bone. The architecture of the scaffolds was characterized by microCT and showing tunable pore size according to freezing temperatures (-196 ºC: ~80.2 ± 20.5 µm; -80 ºC: ~73.1 ± 20.5 µm; -20 ºC: ~104.7 ± 33.7 µm). The swelling ratio, weight loss, and rheological properties were also assessed, revealing that the scaffolds were able to keep their integrity and morphology after aqueous immersion. Thus, the ZnSr.TCP-SF scaffolds made of aligned porous structure were developed as affordable candidates for future applications in clinical osteoregeneration and in vitro bone tissue modelling.FCT for the financial support of the Hierarchitech project (M435 ERA.NET/0001/2014) and for the distinctions attributed to S.P. (CEECIND/03673/2017) and C. 436 G. (SFRH/BPD/94277/2013). R. F. Canadas is also thankful to FCT for the doctoral scholarship 437 (SFRH/BD/92565/2013), Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER), and Programa 438 Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização (POCI) for funding the Young Researcher 439 Contract (B-Liver Project, PTDC/EMD-EMD/29139/2017

Prevalence of shigatoxigenic Escherichia coli in bovine cattle: a survey in the north region of portugal

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains are food-borne pathogens that can be transmitted to humans through many different routes, but mainly through consumption of contaminated foods. STEC strains are characterized by the production of Shiga toxins (Stx) that are encoded by two genes stx1 and/or stx2. Each toxin can be subdivided into subtypes and, currently, there are three known subtypes for stx1 (stx1a, stx1c, and stx1d) and seven for stx2 (stx2a, stx2b, stx2c, stx2d, stx2e, stx2f, and stx2g). Others virulence factors, such the production of intimin protein, encoded by eae gene, are associated with severe outcomes of STEC-associated diseases. The most common STEC serotype implicated worldwide is E. coli O157:H7, but many other STEC strains are associated with severe human diseases. Ruminants, especially cattle, are a major reservoir for O157 and non-O157 STEC. Information on STEC prevalence in Portuguese dairy cattle is limited, so we analysed for the presence of STEC 329 faecal specimens collected from the rectum of healthy dairy cattle. The samples were collected from adults lactating cows (n=194) and from heifers (n=135) with ages among 6 to 18 months, between March and June 2019, at milk farms (n=17) in the North region of Portugal. After enrichment, in modified TSB with novobiocin, samples were analysed by real time PCR to detect the presence of stx1, stx2 and eae in accordance to ISO/TS 13136:2012(E). In addition, conventional PCR for the detection of sxt1 and stx2 gene subtypes was performed according to the guidelines of the VTEC European Union Reference Laboratory. A total of 139 isolates were recovered from 108 positive animals (dairy cows and heifers). The STEC prevalence was significantly higher in heifers (68/135; 50.4%) than in adult cows (40/194; 20.6%) (p < 0.05, Fisher exact test statistic value is <0.00001). STEC harbouring only stx2 (67/139; 48.2%) were the most common strains, followed by both genes stx1 and stx2 (40/139, 28.8%) and stx1 (32/139, 23%). Of the 139 STEC isolates, 35.3% have also the eae gene. Subtyping of stx1 (72) showed that stx1a was the most prevalent (100%), followed by stx1c (88.9%) and stx1d (6.9%). Stx1a and stx1c subtypes occurred alone or combination with other subtypes. However, subtype stx1d was only found in combination with subtype stx1a and or stx1c. Concerning strains with stx2 (107), the stx2a subtype was the most common and was found in 84.1% of the isolates, followed by stx2d (76.6%), stx2c (74.8%), stx2g (23.4%), stx2b (4.7%), stx2e (3.7%) and stx2f (0.9%). No strains carried stx2b or stx2f alone. For isolates carrying stx1 and stx2 simultaneously, combinations of subtypes stx1a, stx1c, stx2a, stx2c and stx2d were the most common. Furthermore, in 42 isolates (30.2%) 4 or more stx subtypes were detected simultaneously. These results show that STEC prevalence in dairy cattle is high, and that most isolates present a diverse combination of Shiga-toxin genes. Future strategies are needed to mitigate the presence of STEC in cattle and then reduce the possible contamination of food and, thus, humans.Project PhageSTEC (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-029628) funded by FEDER through COMPETE2020 (Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização) and by National Funds thought FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Caracterização morfobiológica, morfométrica e ultraestrutural de isolados silvestres de Trypanosoma cruzi do estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

Triatoma vitticeps is a triatomine with geographic distribution restrict to Brazil, which exhibits high prevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi natural infection. Of special epidemiologic concern, this species often invades households in the states of Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo. The objective of this study was to evaluate morphological and ultrastructural parameters on three T. cruzi isolates obtained from wild T. vitticeps specimens. The growth and cell differentiation of the parasite was evaluated through epimastigote and trypomastigote forms obtained in the growth curves for three distinct isolates. The maximum growth showed differences at the 20th day of the curve. Our in vitro results show a heterogeneity, regarding these features for samples cultivated under the same conditions. Morphometric analyzes based on the shape of epimastigotes and trypomastigotes corroborated such differentiation. These results highlight the need of better understanding the meaning of this diversity under an eco-epidemiological perspective.Fil: Da Silva, C. Santos. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz; Brasil. Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Carbajal de la Fuente, Ana Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Almeida, C.E.. Universidade Estadual de Campinas; BrasilFil: Gonçalves, T.C.M.. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz; BrasilFil: Dos Santos Mallet, J. Reis. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz; Brasi