Metasomatic effect of Li-bearing aplite-pegmatites on psammitic and pelitic metasediments: Geochemical constraints on critical raw material exploration at the Fregeneda-Almendra Pegmatite Field (Spain and Portugal)

Fluid-assisted mass transfer and re-equilibration of mineral phases are common consequences of metasomatism associated with igneous intrusions. The addition and/or removal of chemical components in these environments may result in the generation of metasomatic aureoles, which can be recognized by their mineralogy and geochemistry. Due to an increasing demand for critical raw materials used in green energy technologies, rare-element granitic pegmatites have seen renewed interest in the mineral exploration industry. Granitic pegma-tites represent potential sources of critical commodities and geochemical studies of their related aureoles help to advance techniques in exploration targeting. Moreover, the role and timing of fluid exsolution during magma-tic-hydrothermal evolution in granitic-pegmatitic systems and concomitant element mobility remain highly debated.We present a prospect-scale systematic study of geochemical haloes generated by LCT (Li-Cs-Ta) family pegmatite dykes from the Fregeneda-Almendra Pegmatite Field, in the Central Iberian Zone of the Iberian Massif (Spain and Portugal). To understand the magnitude of metasomatic processes linked to these intrusions, we performed whole-rock mass-balance calculation of element gains and losses in variably metasomatized psam-mitic and pelitic host metasediments. The results show that F, B, Li, Rb, Cs, Sn, Be, Tl, As, W and S (+/- Mo, Ta) were carried by early exsolved and expelled aqueous fluids. The first evidence of element enrichment is recorded at distances of 4-5 times the thickness of the dykes, with exponentially increasing gains of those fluid-mobile elements proximal to the pegmatite margin. Enrichments that were detected farthest from the pegmatite mar-gins were those of Li and Cs, followed by Rb and, to a lesser extent, Sn, F, B, Be, and Tl. The most evolved (fractionated) aplite-pegmatites generated the broadest haloes, with concentrations higher than 200 ppm Li, 30 ppm Cs, 300 ppm Rb, and 15 ppm Sn in the metasediments indicating proximity to a mineralized dyke. In addition, absolute gains of up to-4000 ppm Li,-1300 ppm Cs,-1300 ppm Rb, and 170 ppm Sn in the host rocks could point to the presence of superimposed haloes from multiple evolved dykes.Financial support was provided by the European Commission's Horizon 2020 Innovation Programme [grant agreement No 869274, project GREENPEG: New Exploration Tools for European Pegmatite Green-Tech Resources]; grant RTI2018-094097-B-100 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and, by "ERDF A way of making Europe"; and the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU [grant GIU18/084]. The authors are grateful to Kathryn M. Goodenough, an anonymous reviewer, and Tania Martins for their constructive comments, which have improved considerably the quality of the manuscript. Editorial handling and helpful suggestions by Franco Pirajno and Allen K. Andersen are also acknowledged. The. Work of I. Garate-Olave has been supported also by the UPV/EHU by means of the "Convocatoria de contratacion para la especializacion de personal investigador doctor en la UPV/EHU 2019". Financial support provided by FCT- Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia, I.P., with the ERA-MIN/0001/2017 - LIGHTS project and through the FCT project UIDB/04683/2020 and UIDP/04683/2020 - ICT (Institute of Earth Sciences) is recognized. J. Cardoso - Fernandes has been financially supported within the compass of a Ph.D. Thesis, ref. SFRH/BD/136108/2018, by Portuguese national funds from MCTES through FCT, and co-financed by the European Social Fund (ESF) through POCH - Programa Operacional Capital Humano - and NORTE 2020 regional program

Tools for Remote Exploration: A Lithium (Li) Dedicated Spectral Library of the Fregeneda–Almendra Aplite–Pegmatite Field

The existence of diagnostic features in the visible and infrared regions makes it possible to use reflectance spectra not only to identify mineral assemblages but also for calibration and classification of satellite images, considering lithological and/or mineral mapping. For this purpose, a consistent spectral library with the target spectra of minerals and rocks is needed. Currently, there is big market pressure for raw materials including lithium (Li) that has driven new satellite image applications for Li exploration. However, there are no reference spectra for petalite (a Li mineral) in large, open spectral datasets. In this work, a spectral library was built exclusively dedicated to Li minerals and Li pegmatite exploration through satellite remote sensing. The database includes field and laboratory spectra collected in the Fregeneda–Almendra region (Spain–Portugal) from (i) distinct Li minerals (spodumene, petalite, lepidolite); (ii) several Li pegmatites and other outcropping lithologies to allow satellite-based lithological mapping; (iii) areas previously misclassified as Li pegmatites using machine learning algorithms to allow comparisons between these regions and the target areas. Ancillary data include (i) sample location and coordinates, (ii) sample conditions, (iii) sample color, (iv) type of face measured, (v) equipment used, and for the laboratory spectra, (vi) sample photographs, (vii) continuum removed spectra files, and (viii) statistics on the main absorption features automatically extracted. The potential future uses of this spectral library are reinforced by its major advantages: (i) data is provided in a universal file format; (ii) it allows users to compare field and laboratory spectra; (iii) a large number of complementary data allow the comparison of shape, asymmetry, and depth of the absorption features of the distinct Li minerals.The authors are grateful for the financial support provided by FCT– Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P., through the ERA-MIN/0001/2017–LIGHTS project and also the 869274–GREENPEG–H2020-SC5-2018-2019-2020 project. The work was also supported by National Funds through the FCT project UIDB/04683/2020–ICT (Institute of Earth Sciences). Joana Cardoso-Fernandes and Filipa Dias are financially supported within the compass of their respective Ph.D. theses, ref. SFRH/BD/136108/2018 and ref. 2020.05534.BD, by national funds from MCTES through FCT, and cofinanced by the European Social Fund (ESF) through POCH—Programa Operacional Capital Humano—and NORTE 2020 regional program. The Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovacion y Universidades (Project RTI2018-094097-B-100, with ERDF funds) and the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) (grant GIU18/084) also contributed economically. The French National Research Agency (ANR–10–LABX 21–LABEX RESSOURCES 21) partly supported Master Student personal grant and the 776804–NEXT– H2020-SC5-2017 project participated to equipment purchase

Calcified Cephalohematoma: an unusual case

Introduction: A cephalohematoma is characterized by a collection of serosanguineous fluid localized in the sub periosteum space, being the most common birth injury to the head. It occurs in up to 2.5% of all live births. Rarely a cephalohematoma persists and may calcify. We present a case that illustrates a calcified cephalohematoma that was reabsorbed. Case report: A two-month-old infant presented to the Pediatric Consultation at a first level hospital with a history of persistent right parietal mass, with no other symptoms He was born from instrument-assisted delivery with vacuum and about 72 hours after birth a right parietal tumefaction associated with cutaneous erythema was observed. At the physical examination on the first Pediatric Consultation, he presented with a 3-centimeter-long right parietal mass with hard consistency and no other alterations. Cranial X-rays were requested and showed images compatible with a calcified cephalohematoma, without apparent internal lamina alterations. A wait and see approach was conducted. At twelve-month-old, the mass had been completely reabsorbed and the child’s neurodevelopment was globally adequate. Currently, with four-years-old, the neurodevelopment remains adequate. Discussion and conclusion: Even though cephalohematoma is the most common birth injury to the head, in most cases it is reabsorbed in two to four weeks. Rarely a cephalohematoma persists and may calcify. An adequate medical history and physical examination are very important for a correct diagnosis. Cranium radiography is usually the first line imaging strategy and this patient radiographies were particularly evocative of the diagnosis. In this case a wait and see approach was conducted, the calcified cephalohematoma spontaneously reabsorbed, and the patient showed a good outcome

Patient-physician discordance in assessment of adherence to inhaled controller medication: a cross-sectional analysis of two cohorts

We aimed to compare patient's and physician's ratings of inhaled medication adherence and to identify predictors of patient-physician discordance.(SFRH/BPD/115169/2016) funded by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT); ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) through the operations: POCI-01-0145-FEDER-029130 ('mINSPIRERS—mHealth to measure and improve adherence to medication in chronic obstructive respiratory diseases—generalisation and evaluation of gamification, peer support and advanced image processing technologies') cofunded by the COMPETE2020 (Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização), Portugal 2020 and by Portuguese Funds through FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Arbustus unedo essence: morphological and genetic characterization of the strawberry tree of Castelo de Paiva

O medronheiro é um arbusto da região mediterrânica que pode ser encontrada por todo o país. Ao contrário do que verifica na região sul do país, no concelho de Castelo de Paiva é atribuída uma reduzida importância económica a esta espécie. Com o intuito de preservar e potenciar a produção desta espécie e contribuir para a dinamização da economia do concelho, procedeu-se à caracterização morfológica e genética de uma amostra da população de medronheiros de Castelo de Paiva. A caracterização morfológica e genética foi realizada para um total de 10 genótipos. Para tal recolheram-se 70 folhas aleatoriamente em cada árvore. Em 40 folhas mediu-se o comprimento, largura, comprimento do pedúnculo, peso fresco, peso seco e determinou-se a área foliar. Dos caracteres morfológicos analisados, aqueles que se revelaram mais úteis na distinção dos vários genótipos foram: comprimento do pedúnculo, peso fresco e peso seco. As restantes 30 folhas foram utilizadas para a caracterização genética. Esta caracterização foi realizada recorrendo a um marcador de DNA, ISSR. Os 5 primeiros exemplaresutilizados na técnica de ISSR demonstraram-se polimórficos. Os resultados da caracterização genética sugerem que a variabilidade genética na população é média a alta.The strawberry tree is a shrub native in the Mediterranean region and it can be found throughout Portugal. Unlike the case in the southern region of the country, in Castelo de Paiva a minor economic importance is given to this species. In order to preserve, to enhance the production of this species and to contribute to the boosting of the economy of the region, we proceeded to the characterization of a small sample population of this fruit tree of Castelo de Paiva in what concerns to its morphology and genetics. The morphological and genetic characterization was performed for a total of 10 genotypes. For this, 70 leaves were randomly collected from each tree. For 40 leaves, it was measured the length, the width, the peduncle length, the wet weight, the dry weight and determined the leaf area. Of the morphological characteristics analyzed, the ones that proved most useful in distinguishing the various genotypes were: the length peduncle, the wet weight and the dry weight. The remaining 30 leaves were used in the genetic characterization. This characterization was performed using a DNA marker, the ISSR. The 5 primers used in the ISSR technique proved to be polymorphic. The results from the genetic characterization suggest that variability in population genetics is medium to high

Identification of clusters of asthma control: A preliminary analysis of the inspirers studies

This work was funded by ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) through the operations: POCI- -01-0145-FEDER-029130 (“mINSPIRERS—mHealth to measure and improve adherence to medication in chronic obstructive respiratory diseases - generalisation and evaluation of gamification, peer support and advanced image processing technologies”) co-funded by the COMPETE2020 (Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização), Portugal 2020 and by Portuguese Funds through FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia).© 2020, Sociedade Portuguesa de Alergologia e Imunologia Clinica. All rights reserved. Aims: To identify distinct asthma control clusters based on Control of Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma Test (CARAT) and to compare patients’ characteristics among these clusters. Methods: Adults and adolescents (≥13 years) with persistent asthma were recruited at 29 Portuguese hospital outpatient clinics, in the context of two observational studies of the INSPIRERS project. Demographic and clinical characteristics, adherence to inhaled medication, beliefs about inhaled medication, anxiety and depression, quality of life, and asthma control (CARAT, >24 good control) were collected. Hierarchical cluster analysis was performed using CARAT total score (CARAT-T). Results: 410 patients (68% adults), with a median (percentile 25–percentile 75) age of 28 (16-46) years, were analysed. Three clusters were identified [mean CARAT-T (min-max)]: cluster 1 [27(24-30)], cluster 2 [19(14-23)] and cluster 3 [10(2-13)]. Patients in cluster 1 (34%) were characterised by better asthma control, better quality of life, higher inhaler adherence and use of a single inhaler. Patients in clusters 2 (50%) and 3 (16%) had uncontrolled asthma, lower inhaler adherence, more symptoms of anxiety and depression and more than half had at least one exacerbation in the previous year. Further-more, patients in cluster 3 were predominantly female, had more unscheduled medical visits and more anxiety symp-toms, perceived a higher necessity of their prescribed inhalers but also higher levels of concern about taking these inhalers. There were no differences in age, body mass index, lung function, smoking status, hospital admissions or specialist physician follow-up time among the three clusters. Conclusion: An unsupervised method based on CARAT--T, identified 3 clusters of patients with distinct, clinically meaningful characteristics. The cluster with better asthma control had a cut-off similar to the established in the validation study of CARAT and an additional cut-off seems to distinguish more severe disease. Further research is necessary to validate the asthma control clusters identified.publishersversionpublishe

Towards frailty biomarkers:Candidates from genes and pathways regulated in aging and age-related diseases

Objective: Use of the frailty index to measure an accumulation of deficits has been proven a valuable method for identifying elderly people at risk for increased vulnerability, disease, injury, and mortality. However, complementary molecular frailty biomarkers or ideally biomarker panels have not yet been identified. We conducted a systematic search to identify biomarker candidates for a frailty biomarker panel. Methods: Gene expression databases were searched (http://genomics.senescence.info/genes including GenAge, AnAge, LongevityMap, CellAge, DrugAge, Digital Aging Atlas) to identify genes regulated in aging, longevity, and age-related diseases with a focus on secreted factors or molecules detectable in body fluids as potential frailty biomarkers. Factors broadly expressed, related to several \u201challmark of aging\u201d pathways as well as used or predicted as biomarkers in other disease settings, particularly age-related pathologies, were identified. This set of biomarkers was further expanded according to the expertise and experience of the authors. In the next step, biomarkers were assigned to six \u201challmark of aging\u201d pathways, namely (1) inflammation, (2) mitochondria and apoptosis, (3) calcium homeostasis, (4) fibrosis, (5) NMJ (neuromuscular junction) and neurons, (6) cytoskeleton and hormones, or (7) other principles and an extensive literature search was performed for each candidate to explore their potential and priority as frailty biomarkers. Results: A total of 44 markers were evaluated in the seven categories listed above, and 19 were awarded a high priority score, 22 identified as medium priority and three were low priority. In each category high and medium priority markers were identified. Conclusion: Biomarker panels for frailty would be of high value and better than single markers. Based on our search we would propose a core panel of frailty biomarkers consisting of (1) CXCL10 (C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 10), IL-6 (interleukin 6), CX3CL1 (C-X3-C motif chemokine ligand 1), (2) GDF15 (growth differentiation factor 15), FNDC5 (fibronectin type III domain containing 5), vimentin (VIM), (3) regucalcin (RGN/SMP30), calreticulin, (4) PLAU (plasminogen activator, urokinase), AGT (angiotensinogen), (5) BDNF (brain derived neurotrophic factor), progranulin (PGRN), (6) \u3b1-klotho (KL), FGF23 (fibroblast growth factor 23), FGF21, leptin (LEP), (7) miRNA (micro Ribonucleic acid) panel (to be further defined), AHCY (adenosylhomocysteinase) and KRT18 (keratin 18). An expanded panel would also include (1) pentraxin (PTX3), sVCAM/ICAM (soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule 1/Intercellular adhesion molecule 1), defensin \u3b1, (2) APP (amyloid beta precursor protein), LDH (lactate dehydrogenase), (3) S100B (S100 calcium binding protein B), (4) TGF\u3b2 (transforming growth factor beta), PAI-1 (plasminogen activator inhibitor 1), TGM2 (transglutaminase 2), (5) sRAGE (soluble receptor for advanced glycosylation end products), HMGB1 (high mobility group box 1), C3/C1Q (complement factor 3/1Q), ST2 (Interleukin 1 receptor like 1), agrin (AGRN), (6) IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1), resistin (RETN), adiponectin (ADIPOQ), ghrelin (GHRL), growth hormone (GH), (7) microparticle panel (to be further defined), GpnmB (glycoprotein nonmetastatic melanoma protein B) and lactoferrin (LTF). We believe that these predicted panels need to be experimentally explored in animal models and frail cohorts in order to ascertain their diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic potential

Measuring adherence to inhaled control medication in patients with asthma: Comparison among an asthma app, patient self‐report and physician assessment

Background Previous studies have demonstrated the feasibility of using an asthma app to support medication management and adherence but failed to compare with other measures currently used in clinical practice. However, in a clinical setting, any additional adherence measurement must be evaluated in the context of both the patient and physician perspectives so that it can also help improve the process of shared decision making. Thus, we aimed to compare different measures of adherence to asthma control inhalers in clinical practice, namely through an app, patient self-report and physician assessment. Methods This study is a secondary analysis of three prospective multicentre observational studies with patients (≥13 years old) with persistent asthma recruited from 61 primary and secondary care centres in Portugal. Patients were invited to use the InspirerMundi app and register their inhaled medication. Adherence was measured by the app as the number of doses taken divided by the number of doses scheduled each day and two time points were considered for analysis: 1-week and 1-month. At baseline, patients and physicians independently assessed adherence to asthma control inhalers during the previous week using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS 0–100). Results A total of 193 patients (72% female; median [P25–P75] age 28 [19–41] years old) were included in the analysis. Adherence measured by the app was lower (1 week: 31 [0–71]%; 1 month: 18 [0–48]%) than patient self-report (80 [60–95]) and physician assessment (82 [51–94]) (p 0.05). There was a moderate correlation between patient self-report and physician assessment (ρ = 0.596, p < 0.001). Conclusions Adherence measured by the app was lower than that reported by the patient or the physician. This was expected as objective measurements are commonly lower than subjective evaluations, which tend to overestimate adherence. Nevertheless, the low adherence measured by the app may also be influenced by the use of the app itself and this needs to be considered in future studies.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

SARS-CoV-2 introductions and early dynamics of the epidemic in Portugal

Genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in Portugal was rapidly implemented by the National Institute of Health in the early stages of the COVID-19 epidemic, in collaboration with more than 50 laboratories distributed nationwide. Methods By applying recent phylodynamic models that allow integration of individual-based travel history, we reconstructed and characterized the spatio-temporal dynamics of SARSCoV-2 introductions and early dissemination in Portugal. Results We detected at least 277 independent SARS-CoV-2 introductions, mostly from European countries (namely the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Italy, and Switzerland), which were consistent with the countries with the highest connectivity with Portugal. Although most introductions were estimated to have occurred during early March 2020, it is likely that SARS-CoV-2 was silently circulating in Portugal throughout February, before the first cases were confirmed. Conclusions Here we conclude that the earlier implementation of measures could have minimized the number of introductions and subsequent virus expansion in Portugal. This study lays the foundation for genomic epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in Portugal, and highlights the need for systematic and geographically-representative genomic surveillance.We gratefully acknowledge to Sara Hill and Nuno Faria (University of Oxford) and Joshua Quick and Nick Loman (University of Birmingham) for kindly providing us with the initial sets of Artic Network primers for NGS; Rafael Mamede (MRamirez team, IMM, Lisbon) for developing and sharing a bioinformatics script for sequence curation (https://github.com/rfm-targa/BioinfUtils); Philippe Lemey (KU Leuven) for providing guidance on the implementation of the phylodynamic models; Joshua L. Cherry (National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health) for providing guidance with the subsampling strategies; and all authors, originating and submitting laboratories who have contributed genome data on GISAID (https://www.gisaid.org/) on which part of this research is based. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not reflect the view of the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Health and Human Services, or the United States government. This study is co-funded by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia and Agência de Investigação Clínica e Inovação Biomédica (234_596874175) on behalf of the Research 4 COVID-19 call. Some infrastructural resources used in this study come from the GenomePT project (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-022184), supported by COMPETE 2020 - Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation (POCI), Lisboa Portugal Regional Operational Programme (Lisboa2020), Algarve Portugal Regional Operational Programme (CRESC Algarve2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), and by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio