Hepatic acute phase response protects the brain from focal inflammation during postnatal window of susceptibility

Perinatal inflammation is known to contribute to neurodevelopmental diseases. Animal models of perinatal inflammation have revealed that the inflammatory response within the brain is age dependent, but the regulators of this variation remain unclear. In the adult, the peripheral acute phase response (APR) is known to be pivotal in the downstream recruitment of leukocytes to the injured brain. The relationship between perinatal brain injury and the APR has not been established. Here, we generated focal inflammation in the brain using interleukin (IL)-1β at postnatal day (P)7, P14, P21 and P56 and studied both the central nervous system (CNS) and hepatic inflammatory responses at 4 h. We found that there is a significant window of susceptibility in mice at P14, when compared to mice at P7, P21 and P56. This was reflected in increased neutrophil recruitment to the CNS, as well as an increase in blood–brain barrier permeability. To investigate phenomena underlying this window of susceptibility, we performed a dose response of IL-1β. Whilst induction of endogenous IL-1β or intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1 in the brain and induction of a hepatic APR were dose dependent, the recruitment of neutrophils and associated blood–brain barrier breakdown was inversely proportional. Furthermore, in contrast to adult animals, an additional peripheral challenge (intravenous IL-1β) reduced the degree of CNS inflammation, rather than exacerbating it. Together these results suggest a unique window of susceptibility to CNS injury, meaning that suppressing systemic inflammation after brain injury may exacerbate the damage caused, in an age-dependent manner

"Litoteca": a new project for networking among Portuguese geoparks

Networking is one of the four essentials of UNESCO Global Geoparks (UGGp), together with geological heritage of international value, management and visibility; it is focused not only in cooperation with the local people living in the UGGp, but also in cooperating with other UGGp’s, learning from each other and, as a network, increasing the recognition and value of this UNESCO label. This networking purpose, applicable and disseminated both nationally and internationally, is the basis for this abstract, that presents an initiative among the Portuguese Geoparks: the production, exchange and use of a “LITOTECA” (meaning deposit/archive of rock samples) to support educational, scientific and disseminatiorrpromotion of Geoscience initiatives. The “LITOTECA” encompasses a representative rock samples collection of the geodiversity from each Portuguese Geopark territory and its geological history, prepared by each Portuguese Geopark staff and shared with the other territoiy, on an “one for all” basis. Easy to use, made portable and adequately prepared and labeled with a short ID, the geological samples are suitable to be used by the Geopark staff, but also their stakeholders on several activities and for different purposes, from educational activities, to general public sessions, and exhibitions. The Azores UGGp “Litoteca” includes 12 samples that illustrate the lithological geodiversity of the Azores Islands, including ankaramite, surtseyan tuff, ignimbrite, trachyte, basalt, scoria, pumice, volcanic sand, syenite and fossiliferous limestone samples. The rock collection of Naturtejo UGGp shows a good representation of the rock cycle, including 27 sedimentary (diamictites to epigenic limestones), metamorphic (pelitic hornfels to gnaisses) and igneous (S-type granites to dolerites) samples. The Arouca UGGp ‘Litoteca" includes rocE sampIes o( congIomerate, car6onaceous shale, quartzite, slate, metaconglomerate, metagraywacke, black quartzite, quartzodiorite, as well as several granite samples, incIuding the iconic Nodular Granite of Castanheira (“Pedra Parideira/Rocks Delivering Stones”). The Terras de Cavaleiros UGGp coIIection is constituted 6y 12 sampIes representative of oceanic and continental lithosphere sequences and include dunite, serpentinite, gabbro, amphibolite, mafic granulite, and gneiss sampIes, among otfiers. The Aspiring Geopark EstreIa aIso contributed to tKs nctworking initiative with a rocE collection that includes about 30 samples of various granitic rocks, migmatite, dolerite, quartz, schists, shales, slates, hornfels, greywacke, phyllite, as well as glacigenic sediments (till)

Which are the factors that may explain the differences in water and energy consumptions in urban and rural environments?

Rural and urban environments present significant differences between water and energy consumptions. It is important to know, in detail, which factors related to the consumption of these two resources are different in both environments, once that will be those important to manage and discuss in order to improve its use efficiency and sustainability. This research work involves a survey whose aim is to find the factors that in rural and urban environments may justify the differences found in water and energy consumptions. Besides the collection of water and energy consumption data, this survey analyzed 80 variables (socio-demographic, economic, household characterization, among others), that were chosen among the bibliography as possible factors that should influence water and energy consumptions. After the survey application in rural and urban areas and the data statistical treatment, 42 variables remained as truly differentiating factors of rural and urban environments and so as possible determinants of water and energy consumptions. In order to achieve these objectives, a descriptive data analysis and statistical inference (Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon test and the Chi-square test of homogeneity) were performed. All the 42 differentiating variables that result from this study may be able to justify these differences, however this will not be presented in the paper and it is reserved for future work.POCI-0-0145-FEDER-016730 Project (PTDC/AAG-REC/4700/2014) with the designation ENERWAT: Water to energy: characterization, modelling and measures for the reduction of urban and rural household consumption, financed by the Foundation for Science and Technology and co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) through the COMPETE 2020 - Programme Operational Competitiveness and Internationalization (POCI). This work was partially supported by the FCT (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology) through the project PEst-OE/ECI/UI4082/2013 (C-MADE

ENERWAT project: some preliminary results

Water and energy are two linked important resources and its use efficient must be profoundly studied. On the other hand, it is believed that there are significant differences between the pattern of water and energy consumption in rural and urban areas, whose influencing factors require study too. Swveral research state a large difference in urban and rural household water consumption pattern. However, rural household's consumptions are under-researched compared to urban residential consumptions. This paper aims to provide some preliminary results of a research project named ENERWAT, supported by the Portuguese Science and Technology Fiundation. One of the parts of the referred project was the design, application and results analysis of a survey, in order to find the main differences in the water and energy consumptions at the end-use level, and tha factores that influence it in urban and rural households. A total of 245 households participated in the research during the year of 2016 (urban: 110 dwellings) and (rural: 135 dwellings), responding to questions such as their family composition, dwellings characterization, water and energy consumption habits and conservation behaviors of these resources. Some of the obtained results will be here provided.This work was partially funded by project POCI-0-0145-FEDER-016730 (PTDC/AAG-REC/4700/2014) under the name ENERWAT: Water for energy: characterization, modeling and measures for reducing domestic urban and rural consumption, funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology and co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through COMPETE 2020 - Operational Competitiveness and Internationalization Program (POCI). This work was partially supported by the FCT (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology) through the project PEst-OE/ECI/UI4082/2013 (C-MADE)

Dissolvable Carboxymethylcellulose Microneedles for Noninvasive and Rapid Administration of Diclofenac Sodium

The aim of this study is to prepare dissolvable biopolymeric microneedle (MN) patches composed solely of sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), a water-soluble cellulose derivative with good film-forming ability, by micromolding technology for the transdermal delivery of diclofenac sodium salt (DCF). The MNs with ≈456 µm in height displayed adequate morphology, thermal stability up to 200 °C, and the required mechanical strength for skin insertion (>0.15 N needle−1). Experiments in ex vivo abdominal human skin demonstrate the insertion capability of the CMC_DCF MNs up to 401 µm in depth. The dissolution of the patches in saline buffer results in a maximum cumulative release of 98% of diclofenac after 40 min, and insertion in a skin simulant reveals that all MNs completely dissolve within 10 min. Moreover, the MN patches are noncytotoxic toward human keratinocytes. These results suggest that the MN patches produced with CMC are promising biopolymeric systems for the rapid administration of DCF in a minimally invasive manner.publishe

Rhizobium strains competitiveness on bean nodulation in Cerrado soils.

ABSTRACT: The objective of this work was to identify the most competitive and effective Rhizobium strains in order to increase common bean yield by nitrogen fixation as alternative or complementation to the nitrogen fertilization. Competitiveness tests were lead in axenic conditions, in Cerrado soil pots and in three field experiments, with native Rhizobium strains that were previously identified, according to their effectiveness and genetic variability. The identification of strains in nodules was performed using serological tests (axenic conditions) ? agglutination and enzyme linked immunosorbent (Elisa) assays ? and random amplified polymorfic DNA (RAPD) (Cerrado soil). Plant yield was determined using the dry weight (greenhouse conditions), total N and grain yield (field experiments). Among the analyzed Rhizobium strains, native strain SLA 2.2 and commercial strain CIAT 899 were the dominant nodules in plants of the most productive plots, presenting yield productivity similar or higher to those obtained in treatments where 20 kg ha-1 of N were applied. RESUMO: O objetivo deste trabalho foi identificar as estirpes de Rhizobium mais efetivas e competitivas, a fim de maximizar a produtividade do feijoeiro por meio da fixação de nitrogênio, como alternativa à adubação nitrogenada. Foram conduzidos testes de competitividade em condições axênicas, em vasos com solo do Cerrado e em três experimentos de campo, com estirpes de Rhizobium nativas, previamente selecionadas quanto à efetividade e à variabilidade genética. A identificação das estirpes nos nódulos foi efetuada por meio das técnicas de aglutinação e ensaio imunoabsorvente de ligação de enzimas (Elisa), em condições de casa de vegetação, e pela técnica de DNA polimórfico amplificado ao acaso (RAPD), em solo de Cerrado. A produtividade das plantas foi determinada pela produção de matéria seca, teor de N e produção de grãos (condições de campo). A estirpe nativa SLA 2.2 e a estirpe comercial CIAT 899 foram dominantes nos nódulos das plantas das parcelas mais produtivas, com índices de produtividade iguais ou superiores aos obtidos nos tratamentos em que foram aplicados 20 kg ha-1 de N

Conservação de germoplasma de sacaca (Croton cajucara Benth.), uma nova fonte de linalol para a Amazônia Ocidental.

Visando o melhoramento genetico da sacaca, foi instalado um Banco Ativo de Germoplasma (BAG) na Embrapa Amazonia Ocidental. Estao sendo feitas coletas e multiplicacao vegetativa de acesso de sacaca de diversos locais da Amazonia. O BAG-Sacaca visa nao somente a conservacao do germoplasma, mas o estudo da variabilidade genetica entre acesso, para selecao de genotipos superiores para producao de biomassa (folhas), e com maior potencial de producao de oleos essenciais. Ate o presente, foram coletados 15 acessos. Dentro de procedencias foram detectados dois ecotipos: sacaca branca e roxa ou vermelha. Esta com folhas maiores e de cor verde-escura, parecendo possuir maior teor de oleo. Entretanto, analise preliminar de oleo, sujeito a confirmacao, evidencia a existencia no cromatograma de varios picos, ou seja, composto com diferentes pesos moleculares.bitstream/item/76939/1/CPAA-PESQ.-AND.-39-98.pd

Portuguese Football Federation consensus statement 2020: nutrition and performance in football

Nutrition is an undeniable part of promoting health and performance among football (soccer) players. Nevertheless, nutritional strategies adopted in elite football can vary significantly depending on culture, habit and practical constraints and might not always be supported by scientific evidence. Therefore, a group of 28 Portuguese experts on sports nutrition, sports science and sports medicine sought to discuss current practices in the elite football landscape and review the existing evidence on nutritional strategies to be applied when supporting football players. Starting from understanding football's physical and physiological demands, five different moments were identified: preparing to play, match-day, recovery after matches, between matches and during injury or rehabilitation periods. When applicable, specificities of nutritional support to young athletes and female players were also addressed. The result is a set of practical recommendations that gathered consensus among involved experts, highlighting carbohydrates periodisation, hydration and conscious use of dietary supplements.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio