Adolescentes com DM1: conhecimento acerca da doença e dificuldades no autocuidado

Background: type 1 Diabetes Mellitus is a chronic disease increasingly prevalent in children, thus it is essential to encourage adherence to self-care and minimize the difficulties experienced. Objectives: characterize the knowledge of adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus about their disease and identify their difficulties in self-care. Methodology: quantitative, simple descriptive study. Application of Knowledge Test of Adolescents with DM1 about the disease and the Inventory of Difficulties in Self-Care Roles by Flora & Gameiro (2016). Data collected between june and november 2021 at Diabetes Consultation of a Hospital in the central region of Portugal. Sample of 34 diabetic adolescents with a mean age of 14.9 (±2.3) years. Results: in overall knowledge, adolescents show a level of knowledge between reasonable and good, and it is in domain 1 (Nature of the disease/physiopathology) where they show the best level of knowledge. In the difficulties in the self-care roles, they show higher percentages of difficulty in maintaining a balanced diet, fighting stress and interventions when facing hypoglycemia. Conclusion: adolescents have difficulties in self-care roles, and the nurses\u27 intervention in the implementation of adjusted therapeutic plans is essential to overcome the knowledge gaps and reduce the identified difficultiesMarco Contextual: la diabetes mellitus tipo 1 es una enfermedad crónica cada vez más prevalente en niños, por lo que es fundamental fomentar la adherencia al autocuidado y minimizar las dificultades que experimentan. Objetivos: caracterizar el conocimiento de los adolescentes con diabetes mellitus tipo 1 sobre su enfermedad e identificar sus dificultades en el autocuidado. Metodologia: estudo quantitativo, descritivo simples. Aplicação de Test de Conocimientos de Adolescentes con DM1 sobre la enfermedad y el Inventario de Dificultades en los Roles de Autocuidado de Flora & Gameiro (2016). Datos recogidos entre junio y noviembre de 2021 en la Consulta de Diabetes de un Hospital de la región central de Portugal. Muestra de 34 adolescentes diabéticos con edad media de 14,9 (±2,3) años. Resultados: en el conocimiento global, los adolescentes muestran un nivel de conocimiento entre razonable y bueno, y es en el dominio 1 (Naturaleza de la enfermedad/fisiopatología) donde muestran el mejor nivel de conocimiento. En cuanto a las dificultades en las funciones de autocuidado, estos pacientes mostraron mayores porcentajes de dificultad para mantener una dieta equilibrada, combatir el estrés e intervenir ante una hipoglucemia. Conclusión: adolescentes tienen una dificultad para los en los roles de autocuidado, siendo fundamental la intervención del enfermero en la implementación de planes terapéuticos ajustados, con el fin de llenar los vacíos de conocimiento y reducir las dificultades identificadas.Enquadramento: a Diabetes Mellitus tipo 1 enquanto doença crónica é, cada vez mais prevalente, em idade pediátrica, sendo fundamental o incentivo de adesão ao autocuidado e a minimização das dificuldades sentidas. Objetivos: caracterizar o conhecimento de adolescentes com diabetes mellitus tipo 1 acerca da sua doença e identificar as suas dificuldades no autocuidado. Metodologia: estudo quantitativo, descritivo simples. Aplicação do Teste de Conhecimento dos Adolescentes com DM1 acerca da doença e o Inventário de Dificuldades nos Papéis de Autocuidado de Flora & Gameiro (2016). Recolha de dados de junho a novembro de 2021, na Consulta de Diabetes de um Hospital da região centro de Portugal. Amostra de 34 adolescentes com média de idades de 14.9 (±2.3) anos. Resultados: no conhecimento global, os adolescentes apresentam um nível de conhecimento entre o razoável e bom, sendo o domínio 1 (Natureza da doença/fisiopatologia) onde estes apresentam melhor nível de conhecimento. Nas dificuldades nos papéis de autocuidado, apresentam maior dificuldade na manutenção de uma alimentação equilibrada, combate ao stress e intervenções numa hipoglicemia. Conclusão: verifica-se dificuldade destes nos papeis de autocuidado, sendo fundamental a intervenção dos enfermeiros na implementação de planos terapêuticos ajustados, no sentido de colmatar falhas de conhecimento e dificuldades identificadas

Poly(ionic liquid)-based engineered mixed matrix membranes for CO2/H2 separation

Unformatted preprintPoly(ionic liquid)s (PIL) have emerged as a class of versatile polyelectrolites, that can be used to prepare new materials able to achieve superior performances compared to conventional polymers. The combination of PILs with ionic liquids (ILs) may serve as a suitable matrix for the preparation of membranes for gas separation. In this work, mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) combining a pyrrolidinium-based PIL, an IL and three highly CO2-selective metal organic frameworks (MOFs) were prepared. The different MOFs (MIL-53, Cu3(BTC)2 and ZIF-8) were used as fillers, aiming to maximize the membranes performance towards the purification of syngas. The influence of different MOFs and loadings (0, 10, 20 and 30 wt.%) on the thermal and mechanical stabilities of the membranes and their performance in terms of CO2 permeability and CO2/H2 ideal selectivity was assessed. The compatibility between the materials was confirmed by SEM-EDS and FTIR spectroscopy. The prepared MMMs revealed to be thermally stable within the temperature range of the syngas stream, with a loss of mechanical stability upon the MOF incorporation. The increasing MOF content in the MMMs, resulted in an improvement of both CO2 permeability and CO2/H2 ideal selectivity. Among the three MOFs studied, membranes based on ZIF-8 showed the highest permeabilities (up to 97.2 barrer), while membranes based on MIL-53 showed the highest improvement in selectivity (up to 13.3). Remarkably, all permeation results surpass the upper bound limit for the CO2/H2 separation, showing the membranes potential for the desired gas separation.This work was partially supported by R&D Units UID/Multi/04551/2013 (Green-it), UID/QUI/00100/2013 (CQE), and the Associated Laboratory Research Unit for Green Chemistry, Technologies and Clean Processes, LAQV which is financed by national funds from FCT/MCTES(UID/QUI/50006/2013) and co-financed by the ERDF under the PT2020 Partnership Agreement (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007265). Ana R. Nabais, Luísa A. Neves and Liliana C. Tomé acknowledge FCT/MCTES for financial support through project PTDC/CTM-POL/2676/2014, FCT Investigator Contract IF/00505/2014 and Post-doctoral research grant SFRH/BDP/101793/2014, respectively. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No 745734

Acid and enzymatic extraction of collagen from Atlantic cod (Gadus Morhua) swim bladders envisaging health-related applications

Atlantic cod is processed industrially for food purposes, with several by-products being directed to animal feed and other ends. Looking particularly into swim bladders, the extraction of collagen can be a valuable strategy for by-product valorization, explored in the present work for the first time. Collagen was extracted using acetic acid (ASCsb) and pepsin (PSCsb) with yields of 5.72% (w/w) and 11.14% (w/w), respectively. SDS-PAGE profile showed that the extracts were compatible with type I collagen. FTIR, CD and XRD results suggest that the PSCsb structure underwent partial denaturation, with microDSC showing a band at 54 ºC probably corresponding to a melting process, while ASCsb structure remained intact, with preserved triple helix and a denaturation temperature of 29.6 ºC. Amino acid composition indicates that the total content of proline-like amino acids was 148/1000 residues for ASCsb and 141/1000 residues for PSCsb, with a hydroxylation degree of about 37%. The extracts exhibited a typical shear thinning behavior, interesting property regarding their further processing toward the development of biomaterials. In this regard, assessment of metabolic activity of human fibroblast cells cultured in the presence of collagen extracts with concentrations up to 3mg/mL revealed the absence of cytotoxic behavior. Collagen extracts obtained from Atlantic cod swim bladders shown attractive properties regarding their use in cosmetic or biomedical applications.The authors would like to acknowledge to European Union for the financial support under the scope of European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Structured Project NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000021 (Norte2020) and under the scope of the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) through grant agreement ERC-2012-ADG 20120216-321266 (ERC Advanced Grant ComplexiTE). The Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology is also acknowledged for the PhD grant of A. L. A under Doctoral Programme Do ~ Mar (PD/BD/127995/2016), as well as Norte2020 Regional Programme for the PhD grant of C. O. (Norte-08-5369-000037)

Co-cultivation of Thermoanaerobacter strains with a methanogenic partner enhances glycerol conversion

Glycerolrich waste streams produced by the biodiesel, bioethanol and oleochemical industries can be treated and valorized by anaerobic microbial communities to produce methane. As current knowledge of the microorganisms involved in thermophilic glycerol conversion to methane is scarce, thermophilic glyceroldegrading methanogenic communities were enriched. A coculture of Thermoanaerobacter and Methanothermobacter species was obtained, pointing to a nonobligately syntrophic glycerol degradation. This hypothesis was further studied by incubating Thermoanaerobacter brockii subsp. finnii and T. wiegelii with glycerol (10 mM) in pure culture and with different hydrogenotrophic methanogens. The presence of the methanogen accelerated glycerol fermentation by the two Thermoanaerobacter strains up to 3.3 mM day1, corresponding to 12 times higher volumetric glycerol depletion rates in the methanogenic cocultures than in the pure bacterial cultures. The catabolic pathways of glycerol conversion were identified by genome analysis of the two Thermoanaerobacter strains. NADH and reduced ferredoxin formed in the pathway are linked to proton reduction, which becomes thermodynamically favourable when the hydrogen partial pressure is kept low by the hydrogenotrophic methanogenic partner.The authors thank Ruben Gonçalves for preparing the thermophilic biomass and Andreia Salvador for the sup port with the microbial communities’ analysis. This study was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of UID/BIO/04469/2019 unit, Project SAICTPAC/0040/2015 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016403) and BioTecNorte operation (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER 000004) funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the scope of Norte2020 – Programa Opera cional Regional do Norte. The authors also acknowledge the financial support of FCT and European Social Fund through the grants attributed to C.P. Magalhaes (SFRH/BD/132845/2017) and A.L. Arantes (PD/BD/128030/2016).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Enhanced glycerol conversion by Thermoanaerobacter strains

Glycerol-rich waste streams produced as a surplus by the biodiesel industry can be treated and valorized by anaerobic microbial communities to produce biogas. Glycerol is a highly reduced compound. Its complete degradation to methane and carbon dioxide requires a syntrophic cooperation of anaerobic bacteria and archaea, either directly or through propionate, lactate or ethanol as intermediates. The aim of this work was to study glycerol valorization to methane by thermophilic microbial communities. Glycerol-degrading methanogenic communities were enriched at 55 ºC. A co-culture of Thermoanaerobacter and Methanothermobacter was obtained pointing to facultatively syntrophic glycerol degradation. This hypothesis was further tested by incubating Thermoanaerobacter brockii subsp. finnii and T. wiegelli type strains with glycerol (10 mmol L-1) in pure culture and with different hydrogenotrophic methanogens. The presence of the methanogen accelerated glycerol fermentation by the two Thermoanaerobacter strains up to 3.3 mmol L-1 day-1, corresponding to 12 times higher volumetric glycerol depletion rates in the methanogenic co-cultures than in pure bacterial cultures. The methanogen acted as a biological electron acceptor, which enhanced glycerol conversion by Thermoanaerobacter species, since it facilitates the redox balance and contributes to a higher energy gain of these bacteria. Therefore, syntrophic glycerol fermentation promotes faster anaerobic treatment of glycerol rich waste streams coupled to methane production.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Vivência acadêmica da assistência de enfermagem á mulheres com síndrome hipertensiva durante a gravidez atendidas em uma maternidade em Belém do Pará: um relato de experiência / Academic experience of nursing assistance to women with hypertensive syndrome during pregnancy care at a maternity in Belém do Pará: an experience report

Introdução: A gestação é o período mais esperado pelas mulheres e suas famílias, porém pode haver algumas complicações decorrentes desta patologia, dificultando essa fase. Objetivo: Descrever a vivência acadêmica de alunos do curso de enfermagem, na assistência às mulheres com síndrome hipertensiva durante a gestação em tratamento em uma maternidade de referência de Belém do Pará. Metodologia: Trata-se de um relato de experiência, da vivência de alunos do 6º semestre de graduação em enfermagem de uma Universidade privada, durante a prática supervisionada da disciplina “Atenção Integral à Saúde da Mulher” realizada no período de 18 a 21 de dezembro de 2018, em uma maternidade localizada em Belém, Pará. Resultados e Discussões: No decorrer da coleta de dados realizada pelos discentes, notou-se que grande parte das pacientes não havia realizado o pré-natal adequado e desconheciam os fatores que favorecem o aparecimento da doença durante a gestação. Conclusão: Na prática os alunos evidenciaram as orientações de enfermagem, como controle da pressão arterial, orientação sobre alimentação, assim como, observar os sinais de edema, cefaleia e a importância de realizar os exames de proteinúria

Exploring the correlations between epi indicators of COVID-19 and the concentration of pharmaceutical compounds in Wastewater Treatment Plants in Northern Portugal

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus led to changes in the lifestyle and human behaviour, which resulted in different consumption patterns of some classes of pharmaceuticals including curative, symptom-relieving, and psychotropic drugs. The trends in the consumption of these compounds are related to their concentrations in wastewater systems, since incompletely metabolised drugs (or their metabolites back transformed into the parental form) may be detected and quantified by analytical methods. Pharmaceuticals are highly recalcitrant compounds and conventional activated sludge processes implemented in wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) are ineffective at degrading these substances. As a results, these compounds end up in waterways or accumulate in the sludge, being a serious concern given their potential effects on ecosystems and public health. Therefore, it is crucial to evaluate the presence of pharmaceuticals in water and sludge to assist in the search for more effective processes. In this work, eight pharmaceuticals from five therapeutic classes were analysed in wastewater and sludge samples collected in two WWTP located in the Northern Portugal, during the third COVID-19 epidemic wave in Portugal. The two WWTP demonstrated a similar pattern with respect to the concentration levels in that period. However, the drugs loads reaching each WWTP were dissimilar when normalising the concentrations to the inlet flow rate. Acetaminophen (ACET) was the compound detected at highest concentrations in aqueous samples of both WWTP (98. 516 g L1 in WWTP2 and 123. 506 g L1in WWTP1), indicating that this drug is extensively used without the need of a prescription, known of general public knowledge as an antipyretic and analgesic agent to treat pain and fever. The concentrations determined in the sludge samples were below 1.65 µg g1 in both WWTP, the highest value being found for azithromycin (AZT). This result may be justified by the physico-chemical characteristics of the compound that favour its adsorption to the sludge surface through ionic interactions. It was not possible to establish a clear relationship between the incidence of COVID-19 cases in the sewer catchment and the concentration of drugs detected in the same period. However, looking at the data obtained, the high incidence of COVID-19 in January 2021 is in line with the high concentration of drugs detected in the aqueous and sludge samples but prediction of drug load from viral load data was unfeasible.This study was supported by the Competitiveness and Internationalisation Operational Programme, Lisbon Regional Operational Programme and Algarve Regional Operational Programme with the support of FEDER, through the Incentive Scheme: research and development activities and investment in testing and optimisation (upscaling) infrastructures in the context of COVID-19, through the Project “SARS CONTROL: Evaluation of the impacts of SARS-CoV-2 on the urban water cycle and the downstream effects on Public Health" (Ref. 070076). Acknowledge is also due to the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of UIDB/04469/2020 unit, and by LABBELS – Associate Laboratory in Biotechnology, Bioengineering and Microelectromechanical Systems, LA/P/0029/2020. Strategic funding from FCT to cE3c and BioISI Research Units (UIDB/00329/2020 and UIDB/04046/2020) and to the Associate Laboratory CHANGE (LA/P/0121/2020) is also gratefully acknowledged. ARS holds an FCT grant SFRH/BD/131905/2017 and COVID/BD/151951/2021.ARLR and MFRP acknowledge the financial support from LA/P/0045/2020 (ALiCE), UIDB/50020/2020 and UIDP/50020/2020 (LSRE-LCM), funded by national funds through FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC). ARLR acknowledges FCT funding under DL57/2016 Transitory Norm Programme.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Indigenous people of Paraná and Covid-19: 2020 overview

A eclosão da pandemia de Covid-19, causada pelo coronavírus SARS-CoV-2, gerou uma crise global sem precedentes. Desde o cenário econômico, passando pela forma com que a sociedade tipicamente capitalista se mostrava organizada, até o modo de vida dos povos originários se tornaram sujeitos a um profundo rearranjo. Na condição de invisibilizados históricos, os indígenas do estado do Paraná foram socialmente isolados e talvez sujeitos a condições de desigualdade incomparáveis em meio às estatísticas distorcidas e limitado apoio por parte dos órgãos competentes. Este estudo objetivou analisar as principais vulnerabilidades e manifestações de resiliência demonstradas pelos indígenas no Paraná, bem como discutir a subnotificação e os contrastes de dados acerca da sua contaminação e mortalidade por Covid-19 nesse contexto, tendo como referência as instituições de saúde estaduais e nacionais. A pesquisa apresentou natureza analítica, descritiva e quali-quantitativa, estando alicerçada na coleta de dados sob modo remoto, conduzida ao longo de dez meses, em que foram: (i) obtidas informações das duas instituições de saúde governamentais no monitoramento da Covid-19 entre indígenas no estado e das duas indígenas; (ii) aliadas concepções emitidas por indígenas em entrevistas e manifestações por eles registradas através de organizações indígenas. Chegou-se a alguns resultados não conclusivos: (a) os números de indígenas contaminados e mortos em decorrência da Covid-19 no Paraná se mostram discrepantes entre as instituições consideradas; (b) os indígenas do estado provavelmente se encontram com limitado acesso a serviços de saúde, incluindo a falta de testagem para a Covid-19, o que estaria contribuindo para uma possível subnotificação dos casos; e (c) a transparência das metodologias de coleta e da divulgação de dados não se mostra satisfatória entre as instituições de saúde oficiais analisadas.The coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic has caused an unprecedented global crisis. From the economic scenario until the Indigenous people’s lifestyle, including the typically capitalist society, has been significantly reshaped. As invisible characters in History, the Indigenous people of Paraná have been socially isolated and may be under non-measurable inequalities, misleading statistics, and limited support by the health institutions. This study aimed to analyze the vulnerabilities and resilience responses of the Indigenous people of Paraná to the Covid-19 pandemic and discuss the underreporting and inconsistency of data on confirmed cases and deaths by Covid-19 based on state and national health institutions. This research consists of descriptive and quali-quantitative analysis conducted online that lasted ten months in which: (i) data from two governmental health institutions responsible for monitoring Covid-19 among the Indigenous people of Paraná and two Indigenous were collected and compared; and (ii) perceptions from the Indigenous people of Paraná through interviews and responses to the considered problem at indigenous organizations. As non-conclusive results, it is mentioned: (a) the confirmed cases and deaths by Covid-19 among Indigenous people of Paraná were discrepant according to the considered health institutions; (b) the Indigenous people of Paraná have probably got limited access to health services, including the lack of Covid-19 testing that may be influencing on the underreporting data, and (c) the transparency of methods of data collection and publishing has been inadequate among the studied health institutions