Memória do Projeto Cooperativo Rede de Sanidade Vegetal CUBA-BRASIL

bitstream/CNPMA/7715/1/documentos_73.pd

Comparison of two checklist methods for assessment of coastal dune vulnerability

Several northwest and southern European coastal dune systems, including Portuguese casestudies, have been selected, as part of the ELOISE-Dunes Project, to assess the applicability of a checklist method to evaluate and monitor coastal dunes' vulnerability. Parameters such as site and dune morphology, beach condition, surface character of the seaward 200 m of the dune, pressure of use and recent protection measures make good regional comparison of dune systems possible, but provide insufficient information for dune management at the local scale. Therefore, an alternative checklist method was developed. Selected biophysical vulnerability components were selected, including dune erosion, sand input, sand retention by vegetation, and degradation by use, together with dune management and conservation. Variables are characterised and ordered in relation to three vulnerability levels, taking into account the system's level of degradation and the necessity for implementation of management measures. The dunes' tourist attraction and the existence of obstacles to dune transgression are also assessed. Application of the two checklists to the foredune system at Mira, located on the western coast of Portugal, enabled us to compare the two methods. The former checklist's method is basically descriptive, and led to the general conclusion that a higher level of management was needed, taking into account the system's vulnerability. The alternative checklist method makes it possible to easily interpret the system's dynamics and directly identify both the system's highly vulnerable components and appropriate management measures.Diversos sistemas dunares litorales del noroeste y del sur europeos, incluyendo casos portugueses estudiados, han sido seleccionados en el ámbito del Proyecto ELOISE-Dunes para determinar la aplicabilidad de una lista de control a la evaluación y seguimiento de la vulnerabilidad de las dunas litorales. Parámetros como la situación y la morfología dunar, la condición de la playa, las características de la duna en los primeros 200 m, la presión del uso y las recientes medidas de protección permiten una buena comparación regional de los sistemas dunares, pero la información que proporcionan es insuficiente para la gestión de las dunas a escala local. Teniendo en cuenta tal conclusión, se desarrolló una lista de control alternativa. Las componentes de la vulnerabilidad biofísica seleccionadas incluyen la erosión de las dunas, el aporte de arena, la retención de la arena por la vegetación, la degradación por el uso y la gestión y conservación de la duna. Las variables son caracterizadas y ordenadas en relación a tres niveles de vulnerabilidad, teniendo en cuenta el estado de degradación del sistema y la necesidad de implementar medidas de gestión. También han sido evaluadas la influencia de la atracción turística de las dunas y de la presencia de obstáculos a la transgresión de la arena sobre la vulnerabilidad del sistema. La aplicación de las dos listas de control a las dunas de Mira, localizadas en el litoral occidental portugués, ha permitido comparar los dos métodos. La primera lista de control, muy descriptiva, ha hecho posibles unas conclusiones generales sobre la necesidad de un nivel más elevado de gestión, teniendo en cuenta la vulnerabilidad del sistema. La lista de control alternativa ha permitido interpretar fácilmente la dinámica del sistema e identificar directamente las componentes de mayor vulnerabilidad y las medidas de gestión a tomar.Instituto Español de Oceanografí

Adjustment strategies adopted by higher education students during COVID-19 pandemic: focus group discussions

Introduction: With the closure of higher education institutions during the COVID-19 sanitary crisis, students have experienced problems such as interruptions to their education, loss of peer support networks, and mental health issues. Objectives: This study aimed to explore adjustment patterns used by students to overcome the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods:A qualitative descriptive study was developed by carrying out Focus Group Discussions (FGDs). Portuguese students enrolled in education levels above high school, including undergraduate and graduate programs, were considered eligible. Participants were recruited using convenience sampling. Each FGD took approximately 60–90 min. Results: Twelve students were participated in 2 FGDs, each one with 6 participants. Mostly were undergraduate students (Bachelor’s degree), in the field of health area. The thematic analysis revealed three main themes. The first theme was related to the personal sphere and included most of adjustment strategies used, namely: pandemic as a “window of opportunity” to be involved in new academic and professional projects; work-life balance by organizing and separating work from private life; selfcare through the adoption of healthy lifestyles; being compassionate with others and compliance with sanitary measures. In the social sphere, students evoked new ways of communicating via digital networking to compensate for the lack of physical proximity and stay in safe contact with friends and relatives. In the contextual sphere, students talked about the importance of adapting the “teaching/learning” environment. Tailored teaching support was a significant strategy, especially in maintaining their motivation. Conclusions: Several strategies were pointed by students to stay mentally healthy and mitigate delayed-onset post-traumatic stress disorder during the COVID-19 pandemic. Besides, positive coping and hope should be integrated into the standard training of students across all study areas.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Lipoxidation and cancer immunity

Lipoxidation is a well-known reaction between electrophilic carbonyl species, formed during oxidation of lipids, and specific proteins that, in most cases, causes an alteration in proteins function. This can occur under physiological conditions but, in many cases, it has been associated to pathological process, including cancer. Lipoxidation may have an effect in cancer development through their effects in tumour cells, as well as through the alteration of immune components and the consequent modulation of the immune response. The formation of protein adducts affects different proteins in cancer, triggering different mechanism, such as proliferation, cell differentiation and apoptosis, among others, altering cancer progression. The divergent results obtained documented that the formation of lipoxidation adducts can have either anti-carcinogenic or pro-carcinogenic effects, depending on the cell type affected and the specific adduct formed. Moreover, lipoxidation adducts may alter the immune response, consequently causing either positive or negative alterations in cancer progression. Therefore, in this review, we summarize the effects of lipoxidation adducts in cancer cells and immune components and their consequences in the evolution of different types of cancer.publishe

Introductory concepts of health economics and the social impact of the alcohol misuse

Brazilian society bears high economic costs in view of the problems resulting from the alcohol consumption. There is a lack of economic studies into alcohol misuse or dependence in Brazil due to the limited financial resources, despite the huge health problems the country has been facing. This paper aims to introduce basic concepts of Heath Economics to health care practitioners, such as: Complete and Incomplete Economic Evaluation, Disease Costs, Cost Comparison, Types of Evaluation (cost-minimisation, cost-effectiveness, cost-utility, and cost-benefice), Point of View Analysis (from patient, health institution, Ministry of Health, or society), Types of Costs (direct, indirect and intangible), and other ones. In addition, research data on the impact of the alcohol consumption on the Brazilian society is described. We do not intend to exhaust the subjects addressed in this paper, but emphasise the need for more national researches that link the economic evaluation to the alcohol addiction issue in order to seek maximum efficiency by maximising the health care and minimising the scarce health system resources.A sociedade brasileira arca, atualmente, com um elevado custo econômico frente aos problemas decorrentes do uso abusivo de álcool. No Brasil, estudos econômicos relacionados ao abuso e/ou dependência química são escassos ou inexistentes, embora exista uma grande limitação de recursos e enormes problemas de saúde decorrentes. Este artigo tem como objetivo introduzir aos profissionais da saúde conceitos fundamentais da Economia da Saúde, tais como: avaliação econômica completa e incompleta, custo da doença, comparação de custos, tipos de avaliação (custo-minimização, custo-efetividade, custo-utility e custo-benefício), pontos de vista da análise (do paciente, da Instituição de Saúde, do Ministério da Saúde ou da sociedade), tipos de custos (diretos, indiretos e intangíveis) e outros. Além disso, serão descritos alguns dados de pesquisas sobre o impacto do consumo de álcool na sociedade brasileira. Não pretendemos esgotar os assuntos tratados, mas sim, enfatizar a necessidade de pesquisas nacionais que aliem a avaliação econômica à dependência alcoólica, tendo por finalidade propiciar o maior ganho de saúde possível, com a menor utilização dos escassos recursos destinados ao sistema saúde, na busca de maior eficiência.UNIFESP Departamento de PsiquiatriaUNIFESP UNIADUNIFESPUNIFESP CPESUNIFESP, Depto. de PsiquiatriaUNIFESP, UNIADUNIFESP, CPESSciEL

Agrio et Emulsio – development of fruity mustard creams

Agrio et Emulsio project (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-023583) presents an proposal in the areas of vinegar products and food emulsions. Combining technical features with mediterranean traditions and Nouvelle Cuisine, two prototypes of fruity mustards are undergoing final development, valuing regional raw materials and profiling into the gourmet/vegan/veggie markets. Mustard creams are oil-in-water emulsions but its practice is linked to vinegar traditions since the thirteenth century, in France, with the foundation of the first confraternity of Maîtres Vinaigrier-Moutardier. Thus, by applying the ancestral practice, mustard (seeds, fragments, powder) was first submitted to maturation studies, varying the type of vinegar and the time of immersion/contact. Maturation reached equilibrium on the 16th day, but pH evolution shows a practically stationary state from the 7th. Best results were obtained with seeds and powdered mustards in red wine vinegar, 4 %(m/v) acidity. The assays were carried out at room temperature using Sinapis Alba (Linnaeus) mustard species. Prototyping articulated technical, analytical (physicochemical, rheological, microbiological) and sensory tests. Each final prototype has a distinct profile of ingredients, mustard, fruits (raspberry and beet or blueberry), olive oil, water, salt, sugar, honey and spices. Both creams retain the sui generis taste of mustard tinted with the fruit flavour plus an innovative pink colour.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Prenatal tobacco exposure is related to neurobehavioral modifications in infants of adolescent mothers

INTRODUCTION: Prenatal tobacco exposure interferes with neonatal outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To determine the neonatal neurobehavioral effects of in utero tobacco exposure. METHODS: This prospective cross-sectional study included healthy, term, with birth weight appropriate for gestacional age neonates without exposure to alcohol, drugs, or infections, born to adolescent mothers without psychiatric disorders or post-traumatic stress. Infants were classified according to in utero tobacco exposure, as identified by the Composite International Diagnostic Interview administered to mothers. Neurobehavior was assessed by the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Network Neurobehavioral Scale. Both tools were administered between 24 and 72 hours after birth. Neurobehavioral outcomes were compared between exposed and nonexposed infants by ANOVA. The associations between neurobehavioral scores and number of cigarettes smoked were studied by linear correlation. RESULTS: During the study, 928 newborns of adolescent mothers were born, and 388 were included in the study. Of these, 23 were exposed to tobacco, and 365 neonates were not exposed. There were no differences between the groups in gestational age, birth weight, post-natal age at the exam, or time between last feeding and exam. Exposed neonates showed higher scores on arousal (p = 0.004), excitability (p = 0.003), and stress/abstinence signals (p = 0.019) and a lower score on regulation (p = 0.025). After adjusting for the type of anesthesia, mode of delivery, gender, age at neurologic exam, exam duration and time between last feeding and exam, differences in arousal and excitability remained significant. The mean number of cigarettes consumed daily was positively correlated with lethargy (p = 0.013) and inversely with attention (p = 0.043). CONCLUSIONS: Neonates exposed in utero to tobacco showed worse neurobehavioral performance between 24 and 48 hours of life

Simultaneous flexural and punching strengthening of RC slabs according to a new hybrid technique using U-shape CFRP laminates

One of the main concerns related to flat reinforced-concrete (RC) slabs is the slab’s punching capacity. Punching can occur not only due to a deficient transverse reinforcement, but also when the flexural capacity of the slab needs to be increased. To increase the flexural capacity, carbon-fiber-reinforced-polymer (CFRP) composites have been applied according to near-surface-mounted (NSM) or external-bonded-reinforcement (EBR) techniques, while for the punching strengthening CFRP reinforcements have been applied according to embedded-through-section (ETS) technique. To take advantage of strengthening benefits of the NSM and ETS techniques, in the present paper a new type of CFRP laminate of U-shape is used by adopting a novel hybrid technique for the simultaneous flexural and punching strengthening of existing RC slabs. Besides, this hybrid technique aims to provide a better bond performance for the ETS and NSM CFRPs by improving the anchorage conditions. Moreover, a higher resistance to the susceptibility of occurrence of other premature failure modes, like concrete cover delamination, is offered by using this hybrid technique. A 3D nonlinear finite-element (FE) model is developed to simulate the experimental tests by considering the nonlinear behavior of the constituent materials. The experimental program and numerical model are described, and the relevant results are analyzed.The authors acknowledge the financial support provided by QREN (through the Operational Program COMPETE) in the scope of the CutInov Project (n. 38780) involving the Clever Reinforcement Company and the Structural Composites Research group of ISISE-Minho University.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Biomarkers and Imaging Findings of Anderson-Fabry Disease-What We Know Now

Anderson-Fabry disease (AFD) is an X-linked lysosomal storage disorder, caused by deficiency or absence of the alpha-galactosidase A activity, with a consequent glycosphingolipid accumulation. Biomarkers and imaging findings may be useful for diagnosis, identification of an organ involvement, therapy monitoring and prognosis. The aim of this article is to review the current available literature on biomarkers and imaging findings of AFD patients. An extensive bibliographic review from PubMed, Medline and Clinical Key databases was performed by a group of experts from nephrology, neurology, genetics, cardiology and internal medicine, aiming for consensus. Lyso-GB3 is a valuable biomarker to establish the diagnosis. Proteinuria and creatinine are the most valuable to detect renal damage. Troponin I and high-sensitivity assays for cardiac troponin T can identify patients with cardiac lesions, but new techniques of cardiac imaging are essential to detect incipient damage. Specific cerebrovascular imaging findings are present in AFD patients. Techniques as metabolomics and proteomics have been developed in order to find an AFD fingerprint. Lyso-GB3 is important for evaluating the pathogenic mutations and monitoring the response to treatment. Many biomarkers can detect renal, cardiac and cerebrovascular involvement, but none of these have proved to be important to monitoring the response to treatment. Imaging features are preferred in order to find cardiac and cerebrovascular compromise in AFD patients.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio