Valorização de resíduos da indústria de pasta de papel - Incorporação em misturas betuminosas para pavimentação rodoviária

Do constante desenvolvimento social, tecnológico e industrial, urge a necessidade de uma adequada gestão dos recursos naturais e dos resíduos produzidos, de modo a mitigar e reduzir os impactos ambientais resultantes das atividades humanas. A importância da sustentabilidade e da circularidade dos materiais dos processos no setor industrial, tem sido sublinhada nos últimos anos. A reciclagem e valorização de resíduos assumem um papel relevante neste contexto. O estudo de formas de valorização de resíduos, transformando-os numa nova matéria-prima de outro processo, contribui para uma indústria sustentável e circular. Atualmente alguns resíduos resultantes do processo produtivo de pasta de papel são encaminhados para um Aterro Controlado de Resíduos, o que reforça a necessidade de encontrar formas de valorização dos mesmos. Apesar de na literatura existirem alguns trabalhos sobre a valorização destes resíduos, a sua possível incorporação em misturas betuminosas para pavimentação rodoviária tem vindo a ser alvo de estudo ao longo dos últimos tempos, estando, porém ainda pouco desenvolvida.A realização deste trabalho teve como objetivo caracterizar e explorar uma aplicação sustentável para dois dos resíduos resultantes da etapa de caustificação, da produção de pasta de papel, os dregs (resíduos do licor verde) e os grits (resíduos do apagador). A incorporação de dregs e grits na produção de misturas betuminosas foi explorada neste trabalho. Para a realização do estudo, além da mistura betuminosa de referência AC 14 surf 35/50, foram formuladas amostras com a incorporação de 5 e 10% de dregs, bem como de 5 e 10% de grits. Foram realizados ensaios de compressão de Marshall, sensibilidade à água e Wheel-Tracking de modo a avaliar o comportamento das misturas com dregs e grits.A aplicação de dregs em misturas betuminosas apresentou algumas limitações, na medida em que estes reduzem a estabilidade e resistência à compressão. Por sua vez, as misturas com incorporação de grits apresentaram um desempenho aceitável, o que torna esta forma de valorização de resíduos promissora, sendo de interesse a continuação de estudos mais aprofundados sobre o tema.From the constant social, technological and industrial development, the need for an adequate management of natural resources and the waste produced is urgent, in order to mitigate and reduce the environmental impacts resulting from human activities. The importance of sustainability and circularity of process materials in the industrial sector has been underlined in recent years. Recycling and recovery of waste assume a relevant role in this context. The study of ways to valorize waste, transforming it into a new raw material for another process, contributes to a sustainable and circular industry. Currently some waste resulting from the pulp production process is sent to controlled landfill, which reinforces the need to find ways to recover it. Although there are some papers in the literature on the recovery of this waste, its possible incorporation into bituminous mixtures for road paving has been the subject of study in recent times, but it is still underdeveloped.This study aimed to characterize and explore a sustainable application for two of the residues resulting from the causticizing stage of pulp production, the dregs (green liquor waste) and grits (slaker waste). The incorporation of dregs and grits in the production of bituminous mixtures was explored in this work. To conduct the study, in addition to the reference asphalt mixture AC 14 surf 35/50, samples were formulated with the incorporation of 5 and 10% dregs, as well as 5 and 10% grits. Marshall compression, water sensitivity, and Wheel-Tracking tests were performed in order to evaluate the behaviour of the mixtures with dregs and grits.The application of dregs in asphalt mixtures presented some limitations in that they reduce stability and compressive strength. On the other hand, the mixtures incorporating grits showed an acceptable performance, which makes this form of waste valorization promising, being of interest the continuation of further studies on the subject

Performance on the movement assessment battery for children: a systematic review about gender differences. [Desempeño en la batería de evaluación del movimiento para niños: una revisión sistemática sobre las diferencias de género].

A gender difference has been found in motor competence using several instruments. The Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC) seems to be one of the most developed instruments for children’s motor coordination assessment, allowing the identification of developmental coordination disorders. Our study aimed to systematically review the differences in the motor performance between genders in studies using only the MABC. Five databases (Scopus, EBSCO+Sport Discus, Web of Knowledge, B-ON and Pubmed) were systematically investigated and studies were included if the MABC tests was a central objective and gender was a considered factor. Five authors independently assessed the eligibility of the studies. A systematic review of electronic databases and reference lists has identified nineteen peer-reviewed studies that meet the inclusion criteria. Results revealed that gender differences in performance were consistent across studies, since boys had more success and ease in activities involving gross motor skills, and girls did better activities involving fine motor skills. Differences in balance were not conclusive as the results on this parameter were mixed. This systematic review highlights the magnitude of gender differences on motor competence as evaluated by the MABC. Resumen Se ha encontrado una diferencia de género en la competencia motora utilizando varios instrumentos. La Batería de Evaluación del Movimiento ABC (MABC) parece ser uno de los instrumentos más desarrollados para la evaluación de la coordinación motora de los niños, lo que permite la identificación de problemas evolutivos da coordinación motriz. Nuestro estudio tuvo como objetivo revisar sistemáticamente las diferencias en el rendimiento motor entre los géneros en los estudios que utilizan solo el MABC. Se investigaron sistemáticamente cinco bases de datos (Scopus, EBSCO+Sport Discus, Web of Knowledge, B-ON and Pubmed) y se incluyeron los estudios si las pruebas MABC eran un objetivo central y el género era un factor considerado. Cinco autores evaluaron de forma independiente la elegibilidad de los estudios. Una revisión sistemática de bases de datos electrónicas y listas de referencias identificó diecinueve estudios revisados por pares que cumplen con los criterios de inclusión. Los resultados revelaron que las diferencias de género en el rendimiento fueron consistentes entre los estudios, ya que los niños tuvieron más éxito y facilidad en las actividades que involucran habilidades motoras gruesas, y las niñas realizaron mejores actividades que involucraban las habilidades motoras finas. Las diferencias en el equilibrio no fueron concluyentes ya que los resultados en este parámetro fueron mixtos. Esta revisión sistemática resalta la magnitud de las diferencias de género en la competencia motriz evaluada por el MABC

Cytotoxic plant extracts towards insect cells: bioactivity and nanoencapsulation studies for application as biopesticides

The potential of plant extracts as bioinsecticides has been described as a promising field of agricultural development. In this work, the extracts of Punica granatum (pomegranate), Phytolacca americana (American pokeweed), Glandora prostrata (shrubby gromwell), Ulex europaeus (gorce), Tagetes patula (French marigold), Camellia japonica red (camellia), Ruta graveolens (rue or herb-of-grace) were obtained, purified, and their activity against Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) insect cells was investigated. From the pool of over twenty extracts obtained, comprising different polarities and vegetable materials, less polar samples were shown to be more toxic towards the insect cell line Sf9. Among these, a dichloromethane extract of R. graveolens was capable of causing a loss of viability of over 50%, exceeding the effect of the commercial insecticide chlorpyrifos. This extract elicited chromatin condensation and the fragmentation in treated cells. Nanoencapsulation assays of the cytotoxic plant extracts in soybean liposomes and chitosan nanostructures were carried out. The nanosystems exhibited sizes lower or around 200 nm, low polydispersity, and generally high encapsulation efficiencies. Release assays showed that chitosan nanoemulsions provide a fast and total extract release, while liposome-based systems are suitable for a more delayed release. These results represent a proof-of-concept for the future development of bioinsecticide nanoformulations based on the cytotoxic plant extracts.This research was funded by COMPETE 2020 program, co-financed by the FEDER and the European Union, PTDC/ASP-AGR/30154/2017 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-030154). Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal), and FEDER-COMPETE-QREN-EU funded research centers CQ-UM(UIDB/00686/2020), CF-UM-UP (UIDB/04650/2020) and REQUIMTE (UIDB/50006/2020)

Plasmonic/magnetic liposomes based on nanoparticles with multicore-shell architecture for chemo/thermotherapy

In this work, multicore magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) of manganese ferrite were prepared using carboxymethyl-dextran and melamine as agglutinating agents.Magnetoliposome-like structures containing the multicore NPs exhibit sizes in the range 250 – 400 nm, being suitable for biomedical applications.FCT under Strategic funding of CF-UM-UP (UIDB/04650/2020

a cross-sectional population-based study

Funding Information: We thank Prof. Carla Nunes (NOVA National School of Public Health – Universidade NOVA de Lisboa) for the valuable insights and discussions in the conceptualization of this project. We thank the EpiDoc Unit and EpiReumaPt team for conceptualizing, planning, and implementing the main research project. We also acknowledge the support of CHRC (UIDP/04923/2020), granted by national funds through Fundação Ciência e Tecnologia, IP. Funding Information: This study received funding from an independent research grant (ID: 64165707) by Pfizer, and the first author received a grant from Fundação Ciência e Tecnologia, IP under the PhD grant SFRH/BD/148420/2019. The funders were not involved in study design; collection, analysis, or interpretation of data; or writing this article or the decision to submit it for publication. Publisher Copyright: © 2023, The Author(s).Background: Pain due to knee and / or hip osteoarthritis (HKOA) is the most common symptom for seeking healthcare. Pain interferes on daily activities, social and occupational participation in people with HKOA. The goal of this study is to estimate the prevalence of unmanageable pain levels (UPL) among people with HKOA), characterize this population and identify factors associated with UPL, and compare therapeutic strategies used by people with UPL versus manageable pain levels (MPL). Methods: We analysed data from the EpiReumaPt study (n = 10,661), that included a representative sample of the Portuguese population. Among these, 1081 participants had a validated diagnosis of HKOA by a rheumatologist. Sociodemographic, lifestyle and health-related data were collected in a structured interview. Pain intensity (NPRS) data were collected in a medical appointment. Painmedication (last month), physiotherapy and surgery were considered as therapies for pain management. UPL was defined as a mean pain intensity in the previous week of ≥5 points on 11-point numeric pain rating scale. The factors associated with UPL were analyzed with logistic regression (p < 0.05, 95%CI). The effect of unmanageable pain levels was assessed by the HOOS/KOOS activities of daily living and quality of life subscales. Symptoms of anxiety and depression were assessed by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Analysis was completed with linear and logistic regression. All analysis were weighted. Results: The estimated prevalence of UPL among people with HKOA was 68.8%. UPL was associated with being female (odds ratio (OR) = 2.36, p < 0.001), being overweight (OR = 1.84, p = 0.035) or obese (OR = 2.26, p = 0.006), and having multimorbidity (OR = 2.08, p = 0.002). People with UPL reported worse performance in activities of daily living and lower quality of life (β = − 21.28, p < 0.001 and β = − 21.19, p < 0.001, respectively) than people with MPL. People with UPL consumed more NSAIDs (22.0%, p = 0.003), opioids (4.8%, p = 0.008), paracetamol (2.7%, p = 0.033), and overall analgesics (7.3%, p = 0.013) than people with MPL. A higher proportion of people with UPL underwent physiotherapy (17.5%, p = 0.002) than people with MPL. Conclusion: Two-thirds of people with HKOA in Portugal have poor management of their pain levels. Clinical and lifestyle factors, that are highly presented in individuals with HKOA, are associated with unmanageable pain. Our results highlighting the need for further research and implementation of effective interventions to improve pain, function and quality of life in people with HKOA.publishersversionpublishe

Youth and media in a Bragança’s school

A relação dos jovens com os média surge hoje facilitada devido aos dispositivos eletrónicos que lhes permitem aceder a variadas fontes de informação. Neste trabalho, tentou-se compreender que meios os jovens privilegiam, como os usam e durante quanto tempo, como hierarquizam as fontes que têm ao seu dispor, que lugar ocupa a imprensa escrita, áudio, audiovisual e online no seu quotidiano e o que motiva o seu uso. Para tal, aplicaram-se inquéritos a 40% dos alunos do 7.º ao 12.º ano numa escola em Bragança. Os resultados sugerem que o grau académico do agregado familiar pode influenciar a relação dos jovens com os média, que a internet é o meio mais procurado para diversos fins, que a televisão ainda ocupa um lugar preponderante e que a rádio é um meio pouco usado, apesar de disponível online.The relationship of young people with the media seems easier today due to the use of electronic devices, allowing them to access various sources of information. In this study, we have tried to understand which media the young people prefer, how and how long they use them , how they rank the available sources, what is the relative importance of different media – press, audio, audiovisual and online – in their daily lives and what motivates their use. For such investigation we implemented surveys to 40% of students from the 7th to the 12th grade at a high school in Bragança. The results suggest that the academic degree of parents weighs on the relationship of young people with media, that internet is the most used media for various purposes, television is still important in young people’s lives and radio is rarely used, although available online

perceção dos cidadãos sobre os cuidados de enfermagem

O enfermeiro de família, pelos seus saberes e sua ação apresenta-se como um recurso importante para as famílias portuguesas. Constituiu objetivo do presente estudo descrever a perceção dos cidadãos sobre os cuidados de enfermagem prestados pelo enfermeiro de família no âmbito da enfermagem familiar. Métodos: Estudo de natureza qualitativa, junto de doze participantes, utentes de uma unidade de saúde familiar do norte de Portugal, recorrendo-se à entrevista semiestruturada, no último trimestre de 2018. Utilizou-se a técnica de análise de conteúdo com procedimentos indutivos, considerando as competências específicas do Enfermeiro Especialista em Enfermagem Comunitária na área de Enfermagem de Saúde Familiar (EEECAESF) e procedimentos dedutivos, definindo-se categorias à posteriori. Resultados: Na perspetiva do cidadão o enfermeiro de família conhece o sistema familiar, alicerçando os seus cuidados numa abordagem colaborativa, embora não tenham como foco a família como um todo. Destacam-se como pontos fortes o profissionalismo, os comportamentos afetivos, de respeito, empatia e as interações focadas na pessoa e na compreensão dos seus problemas e como constrangimentos o respeito pelas dotações seguras e organizacionais. Considerações Finais: as perceções integram alguns dos aspetos relativos às competências requeridas para o enfermeiro de família. Evidencia-se a necessidade de um maior investimento por parte dos enfermeiros na melhoria da perceção sobre os enfermeiros de família junto dos cidadãos.The family nurse, through their knowledge and action, is an important resource for Portuguese families. The objective of the present study was to describe the perception of citizens about the nursing care provided by family nurses in the context of family nursing. Methods: A qualitative study, with twelve participants, users of a family health unit in the north of Portugal, using a semi-structured interview, in the last quarter of 2018. The content analysis technique was used with inductive procedures, considering the specific competences of the Nurse Specialist in Community Nursing in the area of Family Health Nursing (EEECAESF) and deductive procedures, defining categories a posteriori. Results: From the citizen's perspective, family nurses know the family system, basing their care on a collaborative approach, although they do not focus on the family as a whole. Professionalism, affective behaviors, respect, empathy and interactions focused on the person and the understanding of their problems stand out as strengths, and respect for safe staffing as threats. Final Considerations: the perceptions integrate some of the aspects related to the competences required for the family nurse. The need for greater investment on the part of nurses to improve the perception of family nurses among citizens is evident.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Burnout, resilience, and subjective well-being among Portuguese lecturers’ during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background: Lecturers face a large wide of occupational stressors. If the prolonged stress and the symptomatology associated with the working conditions to which lecturers were exposed were already a concern before the pandemic, the pandemic may have exacerbated this psychosocial vulnerability. Burnout is a psychological syndrome that develops in response to chronic work stress. This study aims to describe burnout amongst lecturers working in Portugal and to analyse potential determinants of burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed using an online questionnaire distributed via social networks. The survey collected sociodemographic and sleep patterns data in addition to applying the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (personal, work- and student-related burnout), the Resilience Scale, the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scales, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. Results: The sample included 331 lecturers from 35 different colleges and faculties. Three significant models explained personal (R2 = 54%), work- (R2 = 47%) and student- (R2 = 19%) related burnout. Lower levels of resilience and higher levels of depression and stress were significantly associated with personal and work-related burnout. Changes in sleep patterns were additionally associated with both personal and work-related burnout. Conclusion: Higher education institutions must recognize the impact of the work environment and organizational culture on faculty mental health and take proactive measures to improve this environment. These institutions can implement support strategies such as educational technology training, professional development programmes, emotional support resources, and workload flexibility. Implementing measures to enhance lecturers’ resilience and overall life satisfaction could potentially help mitigate burnout and improve the well-being of educators, ultimately contributing to the overall quality of education.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Cell Therapy with Human MSCs Isolated from the Umbilical Cord Wharton Jelly Associated to a PVA Membrane in the Treatment of Chronic Skin Wounds

3. Departmento de Patologia e de Imunologia Molecular, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas de Abel Salazar (ICBAS), Universidade do Porto (UP)

Architecture of nests of Acromyrmex (Moellerius) balzani (Formicidae: Myrmicini: Attini) in pasture

Leaf-cutter ants Acromyrmex (M.) balzani (Emery), specialized in the cutting of gramineae are very common in pastures and agricultural crops of the South West of Bahia, with high density of nests. The objective of this work was to study aspects of nest architecture of A. balzani, located in pastures in the Southwest of Bahia, in order to search for the improvement of pest control strategies. Ten nests located in the cities of Vitoria da Conquista, Itapetinga, Tremedal and Itambé, BA were selected for study. Externally, the area, the volume of loose soil and the distance between the mount of loose soil and the tower were evaluated. The excavation was complete, opening gutters and cuttings in the soil profile. Afterwards, the measure of the height, width, depth, and the chambers height, regarding to the soil surface and to the coordinates of an orthogonal axis previously established were performed. The area and volume varied from 325 cm2 to 1880 cm2 and from 0.15 L to 5.88 L respectively. The distances between the loose soil mount and the tower varied from 2 to 37 cm. The total number of chambers per nest varied from 3 to 14, predominantly of chambers containing fungus, adult ants, and young forms. The higher concentration of chambers was at the first 30 cm and near the soil mount, but not under its projection.Hormigas cortadoras Acromyrmex (M.) balzani (Emery), especializadas en el corte de gramíneas son de ocurrencia común en los pastos y cultivos en el suroeste de lo Estado de Bahia, alcanzando una alta densidad de nidos. El objetivo de esta investigación fue estudiar la arquitectura de los nidos de A. balzani, en pastos ubicados en la región suroeste de Bahía, en busca de subvenciones para la mejora de las estrategias de control de esta plaga. Diez nidos ubicados en las ciudades de Vitoria da Conquista Itapetinga, Tremedal y Itambé - BA, fueron seleccionados para el estudio. Externamente, se midió el área y el volumen de tierra suelta y la distancia entre el cúmulo de tierra suelta y la torre. La excavación fue completa, mediante la apertura de zanjas y cortes en el perfil del suelo. Se procedió la medición de la anchura, altura, longitud de las cámaras, la profundidad en relación con la superficie del suelo y la ubicación de las coordenadas de un eje ortogonal predeterminado. El área y el volumen de tierra suelta van desde 325 cm2 a 1880 cm2 y de 0,1 L a 5,9 L, respectivamente. Las distancias entre el cúmulo de tierra suelta y la torre varían de 2 a 37 cm. El número total de cámaras por nido varió de 3 a 14, con un predominio de cámaras conteniendo hongos, hormigas adultas y formas juveniles. La mayor concentración de cámaras ha ocurrido en los primeros 30 cm y en las cercanías de los cúmulos de tierra suelta, pero no en su proyección.Formigas cortadeiras Acromyrmex (M.) balzani (Emery), especializadas no corte de gramíneas, são de ocorrência comum em pastagens e cultivos agrícolas da região Sudoeste da Bahia, atingindo altas densidades de ninhos. O objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar aspectos da arquitetura de ninhos de A. balzani, localizados em pastagens da Região Sudoeste da Bahia, buscando-se subsídios para o aperfeiçoamento de estratégias de controle da praga. Dez ninhos localizados nos municípios de Vitória da Conquista, Itapetinga, Tremedal e Itambé, BA, foram selecionados para os estudos. Externamente, foram medidos a área e o volume de terra solta e a distância entre o monte de terra solta e a torre. A escavação foi completa, abrindo-se valetas e efetuando-se cortes no perfil do solo. Procedeu-se à medição da largura, altura, comprimento das câmaras, profundidade em relação à superfície do solo e localização nas coordenadas de um eixo ortogonal previamente estabelecido. A área e volume de terra solta variaram de 325 cm2 a 1880 cm2 e de 0,1 L a 5,9 L, respectivamente. As distâncias entre o monte de terra solta e a torre variaram de 2 a 37 cm. O número total de câmaras por ninho variou de 3 a 14, com predominância de câmaras contendo fungo, formigas adultas e formas jovens. A maior concentração de câmaras ocorreu nos primeiros 30 cm e nas proximidades do monte de terra solta, mas não sob sua projeção