Damage-based fracture with electro-magnetic coupling

Acoupled elastic and electro-magnetic analysis is proposed including finite displacements and damage-based fracture. Piezo-electric terms are considered and resulting partial differential equations include a non-classical wave equation due to the specific constitutive law. The resulting wave equation is constrained and, in contrast with the traditional solutions of the decoupled classical electromagnetic wave equations, the constraint is directly included in the analysis. The absence of free current density allows the expression of the magnetic field rate as a function of the electric field and therefore, under specific circumstances, removal of the corresponding magnetic degrees-offreedom. A Lagrange multiplier field is introduced to exactly enforce the divergence constraint, forming a three-field variational formulation (required to include thewave constraint). No vector-potential is required or mentioned, eliminating the need for gauges. The classical boundary conditions of electromagnetism are specialized and a boundary condition involving the electric field is obtained. The spatial discretization makes use of mixed bubble-based (of the MINI type) finite elementswith displacement, electric field and Lagrange multiplier degrees-of-freedom. Three verification examples are presented with very good qualitative conclusions and mesh-independence

Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis among patients with hepatitis B virus infection in northern Portugal with reference to the viral genotypes.

J Med Virol. 2011 Jan;83(1):71-7. Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis among patients with hepatitis B virus infection in northern Portugal with reference to the viral genotypes. Mota A, Areias J, Cardoso MF. SourceICBAS Abel Salazar Biomedical Institute, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal. Abstract The prevalence of infection with hepatitis B virus in Portugal is around 1% of the population; 20-30% of those infected typically develop cirrhosis. The study focuses on the epidemiological profile of patients with hepatitis B infection and liver damage, in particular, cirrhosis. Of the 358 individuals that comprised the study, a liver biopsy was performed in 249 to identify the presence of cirrhosis. Cirrhosis was observed in 59 patients (23.7%) The Child-Pugh classification was used to assess the prognosis of cirrhosis: 3 out of the 59 patients were classified as Child-Pugh grade C, the most severe, 17 (28.8%) as grade B, and 39 (66.2%) as grade A. Patients classified as grade B were older, drank more, and showed higher levels of AST and alkaline phosphatase when compared with individuals classified as grade A. Genotypes A and D were predominant, and no significant differences with respect to genotype distribution were observed. Analysis of the hematological parameters showed that patients classified as Child's grade B had lower levels of platelets and higher levels of prothrombin time than those classified as Child's grade A. The profile of the patients with cirrhosis, including an extended number of individual characteristics, provides useful information, however, only a prospective study could evaluate definitively if liver disease is influenced by these factors. Future studies would benefit from the analysis of the impact of genotypes on liver disease, particularly genotypes A and D, the most predominant genotypes in northern Portugal. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc

Sequential anatectic processes in Mindelo Migmatite Complex (NW Portugal)

O Complexo Migmatítico de Mindelo aflora na orla litoral a norte do Porto sendo composto por um conjunto de litologias diversas incluindo rochas metassedimentares, migmatíticas,graníticas e veios pegmatíticos. As relações de campo, petrografia, geoquímica e assinatura isotópica das diversas litologias permitem deduzir a sequência de processos anatéticos que resultaram na heterogeneidade litológica presente. A fusão terá ocorrido em diferentes níveis estruturais e consequentemente em condições de pressão e temperatura distintos,resultando em rochas com características específicas: i) a níveis pouco profundos (< 3,5 Kbar)geram-se metatexitos e leucogranitos por migração de leucossomas. Os primeiros melts resultam essencialmente da fusão de quartzo e plagioclase por fusão húmida seguidos de reacções de fusão incongruente da biotite; (ii) a nível ligeiramente mais profundo a taxa de fusão é superior, o que leva à formação de diatexitos que, sendo menos densos do que a rocha encaixante, intruem os metatexitos; (iii) em níveis ainda mais profundos (~5 Kbar), a composição da rocha, conjuntamente com temperatura e pressão mais elevadas permitem a fusão da moscovite gerando melts típicos dos granitos de duas micas. Este material ascende na crusta e incorpora abundantes xenólitos formando um corpo granítico muito heterogéneo. Numa fase mais tardia ocorrem processos de metassomatismo potássico com feldspatização, na dependência de circulação de fluidos estruturalmente controlada, em migmatitos e em granitoides. Posteriormente ocorre turmalinização e moscovitização de alguns granitoides e instalação de veios aplitopegmatíticos.Mindelo Migmatitic Complex outcrops in the coastal-zone,north of Porto. This complex consists on a set of diverse lithologies including metasedimentary, migmatitic and granitic rocks, and pegmatite veins. Field relationships, petrography, geochemistry and isotopic signature of these lithologies allow inferring the sequence of anatectic processes that are responsible for the lithological heterogeneity. The melting occurred at different structural levels, and thus at different pressure and temperature conditions, generating rocks with specific characteristics: i) in shallow levels (<3.5 Kbar)metatexites are produced essentially by water-saturated melting followed by water-undersaturated biotite melting. Leucogranites resulted from migration of leucosomes; (ii ) in slightly deeper levels the melting rate is higher which leads to the formation of diatexites that intruded metatexites; (iii) in even deeper levels (~ 5 Kbar) higher pressure and temperature permit the melting of muscovite producing a large amount of typical two-mica granite melts. This material rises in the crust and incorporates abundant xenoliths forming a very heterogeneous granitic body. In subsolidus conditions, structurally controlled metasomatic processes lead to feldspatization of migmatites and granitoids. Later, installation of aplite-pegmatites and local tourmalinization previously formed granitoids took place

Complexo Migmatítico de Mindelo (NW de Portugal). Anatexia e relações petrogenéticas

Na orla litoral do norte de Portugal aflora uma faixa referida cartograficamente como “Complexo Granito-Migmatítico” inserida na formação Complexo Xisto-Grauváquico (CXG) [1]. Nesta faixa afloram litologias diversas, nomeadamente: i) rochas metassedimentares; ii) rochas migmatíticas; e, iii) rochas graníticas. O paleossoma metassedimentar apresenta foliação e bandado composicional marcado por bandas ricas em biotite, estaurolite e almandina e bandas ricas em quartzo e oligóclase(An12-19). As rochas migmatíticas dividem-se em quatro tipos distintos: i) metatexitos mosqueados; ii) metatexitos bandados; iii) diatexitos; e iv) resisters calcossilicatados. Os metatexitos mosqueados caracterizam-se pela ocorrência de neossoma in situ inserido numa matriz idêntica ao paleossoma. Este define-se por pequenas manchas constituídas por quartzo, plagióclase e cordierite circunscritas por selvedge de biotite. Os metatexitos bandados apresentam alternância entre melanossoma com biotite, silimanite, cordierite e rara almandina e leucossoma quartzofeldspático. Os diatexitos são rochas de composição essencialmente granítica de grão médio a grosseiro contendo remanescências de material metassedimentar (schlieren) constituídos por alinhamentos de biotite, silimanite, cordierite e rara almandina. O feldspato potássico é geralmente anédrico, substitui a plagioclase, e contém inclusões de todos minerais paragenéticos. A biotite tem bordos arredondados ou simpletíticos em associação com cordierite subédrica. Os resisters são rochas que pela sua constituição mineralógica não sofreram fusão parcial. Estão inseridos nos migmatitos e são constituídos por metagrauvaques cálcicos com textura granoblástica. Apresentam-se em nódulos elipsoidais, zonados, com espessura e comprimento centimétricos. O zonamento concêntrico destas rochas apresenta um núcleo mais rico em Ca, com diópsido, anortite(An82-92), grossulária(Grs70-90) e quartzo passando a um bordo menos rico em Ca composto por hornblenda, anortite, granada(Grs36-46) e quartzo. Estes núcleos calcossilicatados estão inseridos em camadas tabulares de metagrauvaque com quartzo, plagioclase(An36-44), biotite dispersa e rara almandina. Nas zonas mais ricas em Ca, no núcleo dos nódulos os metagrauvaques permanecem inalterados mas nas zonas exteriores mais pobres em Ca fundem parcialmente resultando um metatexito relativamente rico em Ca e Na. As rochas graníticas apresentam variação textural desde grão fino a médio. Têm mineralogia típica de granitos de duas micas, por vezes com raros alinhamentos de biotite e silimanite. Contêm xenólitos de metatexito e formam diques discordantes com o encaixante. Geoquimicamente os metatexitos pelíticos apresentam teores em elementos maiores , traço e padrão de terras raras similares aos xistos estaurolíticos e ao NIBAS [2]. Os nódulos calcossilicatados apresentam enriquecimento em Ca e Mn (Ca>9% e Mn>0,18) no núcleo com empobrecimento gradual para o exterior . Os granitos são do tipo S, peraluminosos, alcalino-cálcicos, medianamente diferenciados. Os diatexitos são calco-alcalinos e menos diferenciados do que os granitos. Em todas as litologias, a variação nos teores em “HSFE” (TR, Zr, Hf, Y) está positivamente relacionada com o teor em Fe2O3(t)+MgO. As variações na composição em elementos traço nas litologias referidas serão consequência da variabilidade na incorporação de minerais acessórios a partir do protólito, maioritariamente associados à biotite, condicionada pelas diferenças na composição mineralógica do mesmo e do grau de equilíbrio com o melt.. A assinatura isotópica de todas as litologias é crustal, com εSr330 > 121 e εNd < 0. Relativamente ao εNd330 distinguem-se dois grupos: um grupo que inclui xistos estaurolíticos, migmatitos mosqueados, diatexitos e granitos com valores entre -2,05 e -5,08 e o grupo dos resisters com valores entre -8,12 e -9,30. Os migmatitos bandados apresentam valores que variam entre estes dois grupos distintos. Estes valores permitem considerar uma relação genética entre os granitos, os migmatitos e os xistos estaurolíticos e uma fonte distinta para os metagrauvaques. Os aspetos litológicos, petrográficos e geoquímicos sugerem três etapas de anatexia/cristalização: i) um primeiro melt resultante da fusão incongruente de biotite, produz minerais anidros (cordierite + plagioclase + quartzo); ii) circulação de fluidos ricos em K por cristalização e diferenciação de melts de níveis mais profundos, onde a taxa de fusão é superior, e que atingindo os migmatitos superiores levam à cristalização de ortoclase e à feldspatização da plagioclase. Esses fluidos, com circulação condicionada estruturalmente, não atingiram todo o complexo migmatítico uma vez que há metatexitos e diatexitos sem feldspato; iii) Nos níveis de maior taxa de fusão há formação de magmas graníticos de tipo S. Estes são menos densos do que as rochas encaixantes o que promove a sua ascensão e instalação, gerando granitos de duas micas, que incorporam xenólitos de migmatitos (metatexíticos e diatexíticos)

Alcohol consumption among patients with hepatitis B infection in northern Portugal considering gender and hepatitis B virus genotype differences

Alcohol. 2010 Mar;44(2):149-56. Epub 2010 Jan 29. Alcohol consumption among patients with hepatitis B infection in northern Portugal considering gender and hepatitis B virus genotype differences. Mota A, Guedes F, Areias J, Pinho L, Cardoso MF. SourceInstituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, Portugal. Abstract Alcohol abuse is an important public health problem. In Portugal with a population of 10 millions of inhabitants, there are around 10% of alcoholics or excessive alcohol drinkers and 1% of chronically infected patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV). To examine the characteristics of patients with higher levels of alcohol consumption and to investigate the association between alcohol consumption and liver damage a total of 298 chronically infected individuals, with HBV genotyped and submitted to liver biopsy, were classified with Child's grading and separated by habits of alcohol intake, less and greater than 20g/day. No significant differences were observed about genotype but genotypes A and D were predominant in both of them. A higher percentage of males (P<.001) were observed in the group with alcohol intake above 20g/day, as well a lower proportion of patients with HBeAg negativity (P< or =.035). In this group, biochemistry parameters, such as alanine aminotransferase (P=.006), aspartate aminotransferase (P=.001), gamma-glutamyl transferase (P<.001) were elevated in a significantly higher proportion than in the other group. The analysis of hematological parameters showed significantly lower values of platelets (P=.042) and mean corpuscular volume (P<.001) and significantly higher values of prothrombin time (P<.001) in the group with higher levels of alcohol consumption. The characteristics of biopsy (P<.001) and Child-Phug's classification (P=.002) revealed more severe results in this group. Logistic regression showed a positive association between liver damage and alcohol intake, increasing with age. In female patients, a strong positive association between alcohol intake and liver damage was also found (odds ratio: 9.379; 95% confidence interval: 0.859-468.422; P = .037); however, the most severe cases were only observed in women older than 45 years. In patients with HBV infection, alcohol is associated with a more severe liver disease. No evidence was found concerning association with HBV genotype. 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Epidemiological study of genotypes of hepatitis B virus in northerm Portugal

ed Virol. 2009 Jul;81(7):1170-6. Epidemiological study of genotypes of hepatitis B virus in northern Portugal. Mota A, Guedes F, Areias J, Pinho L, Cardoso MF. SourceInstituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal. Abstract While the overall prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in Portugal is around 1%, there are no published studies examining HBV genotypes in this country. This study aimed to survey HBV genotypes in the northern Portugal and to examine the possible associations between genotypes and gender, viral transmission routes, viral markers, viral load, and biochemical tests of liver function. The study sample consists of 340 patients with HBV infection of whom 42.9% were women. Tests were carried out for HBV genotypes and biochemical liver function while demographic information, including alcohol intake, was obtained from the patient files. The results indicate the predominance of genotype D (60.3%) and genotype A (31.5%). Intrafamilial transmission was predominant in female patients, while males were infected in equal proportions by perinatal, sexual, and intrafamilial transmission. Absence of HBeAg was found in a significantly smaller proportion of female patients with genotype D as compared to A (56.6% vs. 82.1%, P = 0.028). High viral load was associated significantly and independently with genotype D and HBeAg. Both alanine and aspartate aminotransferases (ALT and AST) were associated with gender and HBeAg. Thus, genotypes A and D were found to be the most prevalent in the north of Portugal. Patients infected with genotype D had higher levels of HBV DNA. HBeAg was associated with genotype D, viral load, and ALT and AST

New synthetic compounds as inhibitors of mycotoxin synthesis

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a mycotoxin produced by some Aspergillus and Penicillium species which is often detected in beer, cereals, coffee, feeds, figs, sultanas and wine. Some fungicides have been found to be effective in preventing fungal growth, but, in other cases, an increase in the synthesis of mycotoxins was reported. Also, the pressure to use less harmful compounds to the environment stimulates the exploration of new and more benign compounds. Synthetic compounds were tested on the growth and OTA production of one strain of A. alliaceus, A. ochraceus, A. carbonarius and A. niger. These new synthetic compounds have a linear structure incorporating urea and/or a phenolic unit. Fungi were grown in yeast extract sucrose (YES) medium supplemented with 50 μM to 200 μM of each one of 20 test compounds in triplicate, for 6 days. Growth was recorded by measuring the diameter of colonies every 24 hours, and OTA was quantified after 5 days of growth using HPLC and fluorescence detection. Growth of the A. ochraceus and the A. carbonarius strains were not inhibited by most of these compounds. However, some led to a decrease in OTA detection. Compounds without the phenolic unit were found to be less effective, while those compounds with urea and phenolic units were the most effective. Growth of the A. alliaceus and of the A. niger strains were inhibited by compound-X by 22 and 27% respectively. This approach will lead to the selection of functional groups able to inhibit the synthesis of OTA which could be incorporated into more powerful antifungal compounds.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - SFRH/BD/11228/2002, SFRH/BD/3185/2000, SFRH/BPD/12044/2003