Contribution of the solar systems to the nZEB and ZEB design concept in Portugal: energy, economics and environmental life-cycle analysis

The recast of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive settle that by 2020 all new buildings should reach nearly zero energy levels (2018 for buildings owned or occupied by public authorities). Therefore, technicians involved in the design, management and approval of buildings should be able to understand and apply nearly zero energy buildings (nZEB) concepts in both new buildings and refurbishment of existing ones. At European Union (EU) level there are differences in commitment to the EU targets and the construction of nZEB. Therefore, it is necessary to develop studies that demonstrate the advantages of the nZEB and ZEB design process that can increase the awareness of both building clients and other stakeholders regarding this issue. In this context, the aim of this paper is to assess the energy and environmental life-cycle performance of different renovation scenarios (Basic Renovation, nZEB and ZEB) for multifamily buildings in Portugal. This will be focused on the goals of the nZEB and ZEB design process and on the contribution of solar systems (both solar thermal collectors, STCs, and photovoltaic panels, PVs) to the achievement of those goals. The results presented in this paper show that, in the Portuguese climate and for a typical multi-family building, it is possible to overcome 100% of the energy needs for acclimatization and domestic hot water (DHW) preparation with the integration of solar systems. From the results, it is also possible to conclude that a significant amount of energy and carbon emissions are avoided for every renovation scenario during the considered lifetime (30 years) and that the nZEB and ZEB scenarios are cost-effective with attractive payback times.IEE Project SouthZEB (under the reference IEE/13/393)Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) in the framework of the Strategic Projects UID/ECI/04047/2013 and UID/FIS/04650/201

Estudo caso-controle pareado avaliando a frequência dos principais agentes causadores de diarréia neonatal em suínos no Rio Grande do Sul

A case-control study was carried out in litters of 1 to 7-day-old piglets to identify the main infectious agents involved with neonatal diarrhea in pigs. Fecal samples (n=276) from piglets were collected on pig farms in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, from May to September 2007. Litters with diarrhea were considered cases (n=129) and normal litters (n=147) controls. The samples were examined by latex agglutination test, PAGE, conventional isolating techniques, ELISA, PCR, and microscopic methods in order to detect rotavirus, bacterial pathogens (Escherichia coli, Clostridium perfringens type A and C, and Clostridium difficile), and parasites (Coccidian and Cryptosporidium spp.). Outbreaks of diarrhea were not observed during sampling. At least one agent was detected in fecal samples on 25 out of 28 farms (89.3%) and in 16 farms (57.1%) more than one agent was found. The main agents diagnosed were Coccidia (42.86%) and rotavirus (39.29%). The main agents identified in litters with diarrhea were Clostridium difficile (10.6%), Clostridium perfringens type A (8.8%) and rotavirus (7.5%); in control litters, Clostridium difficile (16.6%) and Coccidian (8.5%). Beta hemolytic Escherichia coli and Clostridium perfringens type C were not detected. When compared with controls, no agent was significantly associated with diarrhea in case litters. These findings stress the need for caution in the interpretation of laboratorial diagnosis of mild diarrhea in neonatal pigs, as the sole detection of an agent does not necessarily indicate that it is the cause of the problem.Um estudo de caso-controle em leitegadas de um a sete dias de idade foi realizado com o objetivo de identificar os principais agentes infecciosos envolvidos na diarreia neonatal de leitões. As amostras de fezes (n=276) foram coletadas em granjas de suínos no Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil, no período de maio a setembro de 2007. Leitegadas com diarreia foram consideradas casos (n=147) e leitegadas normais, controles (n=129). As amostras foram examinadas através do teste de aglutinação em látex, PAGE, cultivo, ELISA, PCR e métodos microscópicos para a excreção dos principais agentes de diarreia: virais (rotavirus), bacterianos (Escherichia coli, Clostridium perfringens tipos A e tipo C e Clostridium difficile) e parasitários (coccídeos e Cryptosporidium spp.). Durante o período do estudo não foram observados surtos e a diarréia, quando presente, apresentou-se leve. Pelo menos um agente foi identificado nas amostras fecais de 25 entre 28 granjas (89,3%) analisadas e em 16 granjas (57,1%) mais de um agente foi detectado. Os principais agentes encontrados nas granjas foram coccídeos (42,86%) e rotavírus (39,29%). Os principais agentes detectados nas leitegadas com diarreia foram Clostridium difficile (10,6%), Clostridium perfringens tipo A (8,8%) e rotavírus (7,5%). Por outro lado, nas leitegadas controle os agentes mais prevalentes foram Clostridium difficile (16,6%) e coccídeos (8,5%). E. coli Beta hemolítica e Clostridium perfringens tipo C não foram detectados. O presente estudo de caso-controle demonstrou que nenhum agente infeccioso esteve associado significativamente com diarreia (p>0.05). Esses achados reforçam a necessidade de que haja cuidado na interpretação de resultados de exames laboratoriais em materiais coletados de leitões com diarreia neonatal leve, pois a detecção isolada de um agente infeccioso não indica necessariamente que o mesmo seja a causa do problema

Scaffolding strategies for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications

During the past two decades, tissue engineering and the regenerative medicine field have invested in the regeneration and reconstruction of pathologically altered tissues, such as cartilage, bone, skin, heart valves, nerves and tendons, and many others. The 3D structured scaffolds and hydrogels alone or combined with bioactive molecules or genes and cells are able to guide the development of functional engineered tissues, and provide mechanical support during in vivo implantation. Naturally derived and synthetic polymers, bioresorbable inorganic materials, and respective hybrids, and decellularized tissue have been considered as scaffolding biomaterials, owing to their boosted structural, mechanical, and biological properties. A diversity of biomaterials, current treatment strategies, and emergent technologies used for 3D scaffolds and hydrogel processing, and the tissue-specific considerations for scaffolding for Tissue engineering (TE) purposes are herein highlighted and discussed in depth. The newest procedures focusing on the 3D behavior and multi-cellular interactions of native tissues for further use for in vitro model processing are also outlined. Completed and ongoing preclinical research trials for TE applications using scaffolds and hydrogels, challenges, and future prospects of research in the regenerative medicine field are also presented.This research was funded by Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000023) and by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology ((M-ERA-NET/0022/2016), Transitional Rule DL 57/2016 (CTTI-57/18-I3BS(5)), and (IF/01285/2015))

H1N1pdm Influenza Infection in Hospitalized Cancer Patients: Clinical Evolution and Viral Analysis

BACKGROUND: The novel influenza A pandemic virus (H1N1pdm) caused considerable morbidity and mortality worldwide in 2009. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the clinical course, duration of viral shedding, H1N1pdm evolution and emergence of antiviral resistance in hospitalized cancer patients with severe H1N1pdm infections during the winter of 2009 in Brazil. METHODS: We performed a prospective single-center cohort study in a cancer center in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Hospitalized patients with cancer and a confirmed diagnosis of influenza A H1N1pdm were evaluated. The main outcome measures in this study were in-hospital mortality, duration of viral shedding, viral persistence and both functional and molecular analyses of H1N1pdm susceptibility to oseltamivir. RESULTS: A total of 44 hospitalized patients with suspected influenza-like illness were screened. A total of 24 had diagnosed H1N1pdm infections. The overall hospital mortality in our cohort was 21%. Thirteen (54%) patients required intensive care. The median age of the studied cohort was 14.5 years (3-69 years). Eighteen (75%) patients had received chemotherapy in the previous month, and 14 were neutropenic at the onset of influenza. A total of 10 patients were evaluated for their duration of viral shedding, and 5 (50%) displayed prolonged viral shedding (median 23, range=11-63 days); however, this was not associated with the emergence of a resistant H1N1pdm virus. Viral evolution was observed in sequentially collected samples. CONCLUSIONS: Prolonged influenza A H1N1pdm shedding was observed in cancer patients. However, oseltamivir resistance was not detected. Taken together, our data suggest that severely ill cancer patients may constitute a pandemic virus reservoir with major implications for viral propagation

Niobium and niobium-iron coatings on API 5LX 70 steel applied with HVOF

The present study aimed to create and characterize niobium and niobium-iron60% coatings applied to steel API 5L X70 using the hypersonic thermal spray process (HVOF). The morphologies of the coatings were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and profilometry, while the coatings’ hardnesses was evaluated using the Vickers hardness test. The coatings’ corrosion resistance was evaluated by monitoring their open circuit potential and potentiodynamic polarization and performing electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in a 0.05 M NaCl solution. The results showed that the niobium-iron coating contained minor porosity regions, while such defects occurred over large regions of the niobium coating. In terms of corrosion resistance, the coatings obtained in this work promoted a reduction in the substrate’s corrosion rate, but the presence of discontinuities such as porosity compromised the barrier effects of these coatings

Phagosomal removal of fungal melanin reprograms macrophage metabolism to promote antifungal immunity

Acknowledgements This work was supported by the Northern Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the Portugal 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) (NORTE-01- 0145-FEDER-000013), the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) (SFRH/BD/136814/2018 to S.M.G., SFRH/BD/141127/2018 to C.D.O., PD/BD/137680/2018 to D.A., IF/00474/2014 to N.S.O., IF/01390/2014 to E.T., IF/00959/2014 to S.C., IF/00021/2014 to R.S., PTDC/SAU-SER/29635/2017 and CEECIND/04601/2017 to C.C., and CEECIND/03628/2017 to A.C.), the Institut Mérieux (Mérieux Research Grant 2017 to C.C.), and the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID Research Grant 2017 to A.C.). M.G.N. was supported by a Spinoza grant of the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research. A.A.B. was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft Collaborative Research Center/Transregio TR124 FungiNet (project A1). G.D.B. was funded by the Wellcome Trust (102705), the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology and the University of Aberdeen (MR/N006364/1).Peer reviewedPublisher PD

An intriguing shift occurs in the novel protein phosphatase 1 binding partner, TCTEX1D4: evidence of positive selection in a pika model

T-complex testis expressed protein 1 domain containing 4 (TCTEX1D4) contains the canonical phosphoprotein phosphatase 1 (PPP1) binding motif, composed by the amino acid sequence RVSF. We identified and validated the binding of TCTEX1D4 to PPP1 and demonstrated that indeed this protein is a novel PPP1 interacting protein. Analyses of twenty-one mammalian species available in public databases and seven Lagomorpha sequences obtained in this work showed that the PPP1 binding motif 90RVSF93 is present in all of them and is flanked by a palindromic sequence, PLGS, except in three species of pikas (Ochotona princeps, O. dauurica and O. pusilla). Furthermore, for the Ochotona species an extra glycosylation site, motif 96NLS98, and the loss of the palindromic sequence were observed. Comparison with other lagomorphs suggests that this event happened before the Ochotona radiation. The dN/dS for the sequence region comprising the PPP1 binding motif and the flanking palindrome highly supports the hypothesis that for Ochotona species this region has been evolving under positive selection. In addition, mutational screening shows that the ability of pikas TCTEX1D4 to bind to PPP1 is maintained, although the PPP1 binding motif is disrupted, and the N- and C-terminal surrounding residues are also abrogated. These observations suggest pika as an ideal model to study novel PPP1 complexes regulatory mechanisms.publishe