Detection and discrimination of microorganisms using Locked Nucleic Acid - Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (LNA-FISH)

The impact of multispecies biofilms on catheter-associated urinary tract infections outcome is still unclear due to the lack of adequate methodologies to discriminate the populations in situ. Employing fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to discriminate the populations in a biofilm, can contribute to the understanding of microorganisms interactions in this structures. Consequently, this information might help to develop efficient strategies to prevent this disease. This work presents the first study that apply the FISH methodology using a set of LNA and/2’-O-Methyl RNA oligonucleotide probes, for the in situ detection of microorganisms in biofilms formed under conditions similar to the catheter-associated urinary tract infections

Remote ischemic conditioning in ST-elevation myocardial infarction as adjuvant to primary angioplasty (RIC-STEMI): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND: ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) accounts for nearly one third of acute coronary syndromes. Despite improved STEMI patient care, mortality remains high, contributing significantly to the ischemic heart disease burden. This may partly be related to ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). Remote ischemic conditioning (RIC), through short cycles of ischemia-reperfusion applied to a limb, has been shown to reduce IRI in various clinical settings. Our primary hypothesis is that RIC will reduce adverse events related to STEMI when applied as adjunctive therapy to primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS/DESIGN: "Remote ischemic conditioning in ST-elevation myocardial infarction as adjuvant to primary angioplasty" (RIC-STEMI) is an ongoing prospective, single-center, open-label, randomized controlled trial to assess whether RIC as an adjunctive therapy during primary PCI in patients presenting with STEMI can improve clinical outcomes. After enrollment, participants are randomized according to a computer-generated randomization schedule, in a ratio of 1:1 to RIC or no intervention, in blocks of four individuals. RIC is begun at least 10 min before the estimated time of the first balloon inflation and its duration is 30 min. Ischemia is induced by three cycles of inflation of a blood pressure cuff placed on the left lower limb to 200 mmHg and then deflation to 0 mmHg for another 5 min. Primary endpoint is a combined endpoint of death from cardiac cause or hospitalization for heart failure (HF) on follow-up (including device implantation: implantable cardioverter defibrillator, cardiac resynchronization and left ventricular assist device). Secondary endpoints are myocardial infarction (MI) size (estimated by the 48 h area under the curve of serum troponin I levels), development of Q-wave MI, left ventricular function (assessed by echocardiography within the first 3 days after admission), contrast-induced nephropathy, in-hospital mortality, all-cause mortality and, finally, major adverse cardiovascular events. Patients will have a minimum follow-up period of 12 months. From 11 March 2013 to 31 December 2014, 324 patients have been enrolled and randomized. We expect to complete enrollment of the 494 patients deemed necessary within 3 years.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Pegmatite productive terrains in the Variscan Granite hosts from Northern and Central Portugal

The detection of suboutcropping pegmatite deposits in regions recognizably fertile regarding the occurrence of pegmatites depends upon the optimization of conceptual models which support the interpretation of the regional distribution of pegmatites and the structure of their assemblies. In intra-granitic context is at concern the more conventional cartographic expression of pegmatites in connection with the structuring of granitic cupolas. The establishment of occurrence situations linked to certain lithological units or structural alignments is a pathway for the delimitation of productive research areas. Some productivity situations deduced from geological mapping include: accommodation in preferred structural directions, proximity to mixing-mingling corridors, certain petrographic structuring units that reflect irregularities in terms of flow and fractionation processes, and trends of hydrothermal and supergene alteration of host granitic masses. The detection of these aspects, to regard as exploration guides, can avail itself of remote sensing, as they represent contrasting chromatic lithotypes with sufficient surface continuity.(undefined

Avaliacao de linhagens e cultivares de arroz irrigado no estado do Piaui.

bitstream/item/83553/1/CT1150001.pd

BRS formoso: cultivar de arroz irrigado para o estado do Piaui.

bitstream/item/83432/1/CT1140001.pd

Contributions to pegmatite exploration within granitic plutons in Central and Northern Portugal

Exploration programs for granitic pegmatites face the lack of detectable contrasts, either geophysical or geochemical, between pegmatites and their granitic host-rocks. The known productive sectors bearing pegmatites located inside granitic plutons, with economic interest for quartz and feldspar provide adequate field testing for alternative research, dealing with the peculiarities of lithological diversity and the arrangement of structural elements, around pegmatite swarms at suitable granite cupolas. The most efficient assessment for pegmatite positioning in tactical stages of exploration is the use of geological factors analyzed through raw or specifically treated remote imagery, enhancing the favorable lineaments and the most productive granite-host matrixes. The identification of targets using this approach led to a reasonable success tested by experimental drilling in some selected sites

Resposta de tangerinas e híbridos ao virus da leprose dos citros.

A leprose dos citros é uma das mais importantes viroses da citricultura brasileira. A doença, causada pelo Citrus leprosis virus C (CiLV-C) transmitido por Brevipalpus phoenicis, caracteriza-se pela indução de lesões locais no hospedeiro vegetal. Por ser uma virose não sistêmica, ao contrário da maioria das que ocorrem em plantas, o conhecimento dos mecanismos envolvidos nas interações vírus x planta x vetor se tornam ainda mais importantes, principalmente em relação ao manejo da doença no campo.A leprose tem a sua maior importância econômica no Brasil, embora relatos de sua ocorrência em países das Américas vêm aumentando significativamente nos últimos anos (Bastianel et al., 2010). Por ser um sério problema fitossanitário em pomares de laranjas doces, graças ao plantio em grande escala de variedades altamente suscetíveis, poucos estudos sobre a importância da leprose em outros grupos de citros, como as tangerinas e tangores têm sido relatados. Neste trabalho, estudos foram conduzidos com o objetivo de se ampliar o conhecimento da resposta da doença em variedades de tangerinas e híbridos de importância econômica.pdf 145

Contribution of remote sensing to the evidence and location of granite hosted pegmatites – Ponte da Barca (Minho)

"I Congresso Internacional de Geociências na CPLP"Em contexto de prospecção de bolsadas pegmatíticas hospedadas em granitos da região de Ponte da Barca, procurou‑se, combinando técnicas de análise distanciada e levantamento de campo, detectar interfaces litológicas com as quais se pudesse relacionar a organização espacial e estrutural dos pegmatitos aí aflorantes. A evidência de alinhamentos curvilíneos em imagens do Landsat, sobretudo bem marcados nas imagens que resultam da aplicação de algoritmos de classificação Maxver, são compatíveis com a existência de fluidalidades planares ou plano‑‑lineares concêntricas, possivelmente herdadas de plumas de “ballooning”, verificando‑‑se uma correlação espacial entre a localização dos pegmatitos e as suas periferias, que separam domínios diferenciados de “clustering” de fenocristais.Within the context of prospecting operations of pegmatite bodies hosted in granites in the Ponte da Barca region, we sought to detect lithologic interfaces from which the relationship between the spatial and structural organization of the outcropping pegmatite bodies could be established, by combining field work and remotely sensed data analysis. The evidence of curvilinear alignments in LANDSAT imagery, especially well‑marked in the images obtained from the application of classification algorithms, are compatible with the existence of concentric planar or plan‑linear fluidalities, possibly inherited from ballooning plumes. We thus verified a spatial correlation between the pegmatite outcrops and ballooning plumes peripheries, which separate different domains of phenocristaline clustering

Insuficiência cardíaca após síndrome coronária aguda: identificar para melhor tratar!

INTRODUCTION: The development of heart failure (HF) following acute coronary syndromes (ACS) significantly worsens short- and long-term prognosis. The present study aimed to identify clinical characteristics, detectable at admission for ACS, that could predict HF development during hospitalization, and to evaluate its impact on in-hospital mortality. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study that included 601 patients consecutively admitted with ACS. Demographic, clinical and laboratory data at admission were collected and HF was defined as maximum Killip class II or III. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent predictors of HF and, additionally, in-hospital death. RESULTS: 29.3% of the population developed HF, mostly older patients (69.52+/-11.9 years vs. 61.81+/-12.4 years, p<0.0001), women, hypertensive, diabetic and non-smokers. On admission, this subgroup of patients presented with higher heart rate and glycemia, and lower glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and hemoglobin. The percentage of patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) was significantly higher in the group of patients with HF (74.4% versus 48.7%, p<0.0001); however, no significant differences were found in the type of ACS or its location. In the present study, we found that patients with HF were stratified less invasively (less likely to undergo cardiac catheterization or percutaneous coronary intervention). The development of HF was associated with longer hospitalization and higher in-hospital mortality (7.4% versus 2.1%, p=0.004) on univariate analysis, but not on multivariate analysis. On multivariate analysis, only age (OR=1.04; 95% CI 1.02-1.06), diabetes mellitus (OR=1.77; 95% CI 1.05-2.96), glycemia (OR=1.05; 95% CI 1.01-1.08), eGFR <60 ml/min/1.73m2 (OR=2.90, 95% CI 1.73- 4.84), heart rate (OR=1.03, 95% CI 1.02-1.04) and LVSD (OR=2.48, 95% CI 1.59-3.85) were independent predictors of HF. CONCLUSIONS: HF is a frequent complication in ACS and is associated with higher in-hospital mortality. Identifying risk of HF development on admission, through easily acquired clinical characteristics (older age, diabetes and/or elevated glycemia, renal failure and higher heart rate), will certainly influence immediate therapeutic choices and permit an individualized approach to each patient