Despojos alimentares encontrados em abrigos de polvo comum (Octopus vulgaris) (Mollusca: Cephalopoda) do Faial (Açores) : dados preliminares.

VIII Expedição Científica do Departamento de Biologia – Ilha do Faial - 1993.The prey remains found around the dens of 6 octopus (Octopus vulgaris) were collected during the "Expedition Faial-93" (28 June to 3 July 1993) in "Reserva do Monte da Guia" by SCUBA diving (total of 4 dives). Based on this very preliminary work, the small crabs (Xantho spp.), bivalves (Limaria hians), and ormers (Haliotis tuberculata), seems to be the most important food items in the octopus feeding regime. Drill holes made by the octopus were observed on crab carapaces and chelipeds, but were not found on molluscan shells. The drill holes on the chelipeds or crabs are reported for the first time

Recycling of Reinforced Glass Fibers Waste: Current Status

UID/00667/2020In this paper, a review of the current status and future perspectives for reinforced glass fiber waste is undertaken, as well as an evaluation of the management hierarchy for these end-of-life materials. Waste levels are expected to increase in the coming years, but an improvement of collection routes is still necessary. The recycling processes for these materials are presented. The associated advantages and disadvantages, as well as the corresponding mechanical characteristics, are described. Although mechanical shredding is currently the most used process, there is a potential for thermal processes to be more competitive than others due to the fiber quality after the recycling process. However, the energy requirements of each of the processes are not yet well explained, which compromises the determination of the economic value of the recycled fibers when included in other products, as well as the process feasibility. Nevertheless, the work of some authors that successfully integrated recycled glass fibers into other elements with increased mechanical properties is evaluated. Future recommendations for the recycling of glass fiber and its commercialization are made.publishersversionpublishe

On the nature of the (de)coupling of the magnetostructural transition in Er5_5Si4_4

In this report, a successful thermodynamical model was employed to understand the structural transition in Er$_5$Si$_4$, able to explain the decoupling of the magnetic and structural transition. This was achieved by the DFT calculations which were used to determine the energy differences at 0 K, using a LSDA+U approximation. It was found that the M structure as the stable phase at low temperatures as verified experimentally with a $\Delta F_0 = -$0.262 eV. Finally, it was achieved a variation of Seebeck coefficient ($\sim$ 6 $\mu$V) at the structural transition which allow to conclude that the electronic entropy variation is negligible in the transition.Comment: 17 pages, 3 figures, 1 tabl

Real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging in obsessive-compulsive disorder

The current literature provides substantial evidence of brain alterations associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms (eg, checking, cleaning/decontamination, counting compulsions; harm or sexual, symmetry/exactness obsessions), and emotional problems (eg, defensive/appetitive emotional imbalance, disgust, guilt, shame, and fear learning/extinction) and cognitive impairments associated with this disorder (eg, inhibitory control, working memory, cognitive flexibility). Building on this evidence, new clinical trials can now target specific brain regions/networks. Real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (rtfMRI) was introduced as a new therapeutic tool for the self-regulation of brain-mind. In this review, we describe initial trials testing the use of rtfMRI to target brain regions associated with specific OCD symptoms (eg, contamination), and other mind-brain processes (eg, cognitive -working memory, inhibitory control, emotional - defensive, appetitive systems, fear reduction through counter-conditioning) found impaired in OCD patients. While this is a novel topic of research, initial evidence shows the promise of using rtfMRI in training the self-regulation of brain regions and mental processes associated with OCD. Additionally, studies with healthy populations have shown that individuals can regulate brain regions associated with cognitive and emotional processes found impaired in OCD. After the initial "proof-of-concept" stage, there is a need to follow up with controlled clinical trials that could test rtfMRI innovative treatments targeting brain regions and networks associated with different OCD symptoms and cognitive-emotional impairments.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Leiomiomatose Cutânea em Mãe e Filha

A 34-year-old woman with no known medical history was evaluated for multiple painful brown nodules and papules on the anterior aspect of the trunk. She mentioned a history of similar cutaneous findings on her mother. Biopsies of three lesions revealed piloleiomyomata. Renal and adrenal ultrasound revealed an isolated simple cortical cyst, and pelvic and endovaginal ultrasound revealed two uterine myomata. The clinical diagnosis of hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell cancer was corroborated by the identification of a heterozygous variant on exon 5 of the fumarate hydratase gene (c.578C>T p.T193I). Identification of the tumor piloleiomyoma should alert the dermatologist to this rare genodermatosis, which is associated with an increased risk of renal cell tumors, demanding multidisciplinary follow-up, and personal and family counseling

Cephalopod identification keys to Histioteuthidae, Cranchiidae and Octopodiformes of the Azores, with an updated check-list

This work is a combination of unpublished cephalopod identification keys compiled by Malcolm R. Clarke for the Azores region (Central North Atlantic) and a review of the Octopoda of the Azores by João Gonçalves (MSc Thesis 1993, originally written in Portuguese), updated with recent literature. A regional list of cephalopod species of the Azores is provided totaling 83 species, with identification keys for: i) Histioteuthidae, including five species; ii) Cranchiidae, including eleven species; and iii) Octopodiformes, including Vampyroteuthis infernalis Chun, 1903 (Order Vampyromorpha), three cirrate and fourteen incirrate octopuses. Separate keys are given for Octopodiformes species. The revisions are discussed and a more detailed description of Octopoda species is included.Oma – Observatório do Mar dos Açores ; MARE – Centro de Ciências do Mar e do Ambiente ; IMAR – Instituto do Mar ; DOP – Departamento de Oceanografia e Pescas ; Universidade dos Açoresinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Bacterial cellulose as a feasible cell carrier for Retinal Pigment Epithelium cell transplantation

Retinal Pigment Epithelium (RPE) cell transplantation is a potential therapy for retinal degenerative diseases that affect millions of people worldwide. However, for its use in cell therapy, RPE cells need to be transplanted as a functional cell monolayer, thus requiring a carrier substrate. An ideal substrate for this application should support acquisition and/or maintain the RPE phenotype; allow fluid transport and metabolites exchange; enable easy surgical manipulation; be well tolerated in the subretinal space; and biodegrade or integrate over time. Several biomaterials have been studied for this application, such as collagen, poly-L-lactic acid, gelatin, fibrinogen, deepithelialized amniotic membrane, among others. Although growth of healthy RPE has been achieved on both biodegradable and non biodegradable, synthetic and biologic substrates, only an exceptionally low number of these substrates show acceptable tissue response. Growth of RPE cell monolayers on bacterial cellulose (BC) surfaces presents itself as an interesting alternative for the replacement of both the RPE in degeneration and the compromised Bruch’s membrane (BM) in retinal degenerative diseases. BC, produced by Gluconacetobacter xylinum, is a safe, non-degradable biomaterial and can be obtained with a thickness similar to BM, while maintaining its stability. The implantable substrate’s functionality and durability depend on the bulk properties of the material and BC presents the ideal bulk properties for this application. In this regard, diffusion studies showed that BC presents the porosity and diffusion properties required for the transport of nutrients across the substrate (up to 300kDa diffusion). Additionally, biological response is governed by several surface properties: chemistry, topography, roughness, charge, energy and wettability. Although the wettability of unprocessed BC is not ideal, we have improved it through acetylation and coating of its surface with extracellular matrix (ECM, extracted from porcine urinary bladders). Indeed, the extent of surface wettability modification after BC surface acetylation was evaluated by water contact angle measurements, showing an increase from 20° to 75°, approximately. Moreover, we also demonstrated, by trypan blue dye exclusion and MTS assays, that RPE cell monolayers are viable and able to proliferate in BC substrates with ECM. These results were also confirmed by scanning electron microscopy, which showed that cells retained their normal morphology. Overall, results obtained so far demonstrated that both BC coating with ECM and BC acetylation improved the substrate performance, envisaging its potential application as a feasible RPE cell carrier.FEB

Segmentação e simulação de contornos em imagens através de processos físicos

O objectivo principal deste trabalho é, a partir de duas imagens de um mesmo objecto em dois instantes distintos, simular as formas intermédias que o objecto assume quando o seu comportamento é guiado por princípios físicos. Para tal, é preciso começar por segmentar o objecto nas duas imagens em questão extraindo o seu contorno, após definição manual de um contorno inicial em cada uma delas. Seguidamente, cada um dos contornos definidos evoluirá automaticamente ao longo de um processo iterativo até alcançar a fronteira do objecto desejado. Para isso, é construído um modelo deformável para cada um dos contornos usando o método dos elementos finitos. Posteriormente, a evolução temporal do modelo físico até ao contorno final desejado é obtida resolvendo a equação de equilíbrio dinâmico que contrabalança as forças externas e internas virtualmente aplicadas no objecto modelizado.Para simular a deformação entre os dois contornos obtidos na segmentação, é utilizada análise modal complementada com técnicas de optimização para estabelecer a correspondência entre os dados pontuais dos mesmos. Após esta fase de emparelhamento, o campo dos deslocamentos entre os dois contornos é simulado através da equação de equilíbrio dinâmico

Determination of objects contours using physical principles

Segmentation, the identification of an object represented in a static image or along image sequences,is one of the most common and complex tasks in the domain of Computational Vision. Usually,whenever we intend to extract higher level information from images, we need to start by segmentingthem.The main goal of this work is to segment an object represented in an image by extracting its contourafter defining an initial contour for it; this coarse contour will evolve along an iterative process untilit reaches the frontier of the desired object, figure 1. For that purpose, a deformable model is used,whose behaviour is driven by physical principles