Evaluation of drying and storage conditions on nutritional and sensory properties of dried galega kale (Brassica oleracea L. var. Acephala)

This work evaluated the effect of the air-drying temperature and vacuum packaging on quality and nutritional compounds of dehydrated galega kale, previously steam blanched, during 5 months of storage. When compared with the vacuum packaged kale, the packaging without vacuum yielded improved nutritional features, in general. This approach combined with a drying temperature of 40°C resulted in retention percentages of 62, 38, 92, and 48% for vitamin C, total phenolic content, total antioxidant capacity, and chlorophylls, respectively. The acceptance of the dried product by the consumer was assessed through a focus group. The participants classified the product as a practical and convenient alternative to cook healthier dishes. The appearance of dried galega kale was described as being fragile and being with nice smell, natural colour, and flavour similar to the fresh product. In conclusion, the herein presented product was addressed as an innovation with multiple possible applications in several recipes.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Application of a purge-and-trap system for fixed-NH4+ determination by matrix interference free ion chromatography in oil reservoir rocks

A method for fixed-NH4+ determination using a system immersed into an ultrasonic bath for NH3 extraction and ion chromatography for NH4+ determination is proposed. The method is faster, simpler and more sensible (LOD = 4.4 mg g-1 NH4+) than the classical Kjeldahl method

Comparação das versões completa e reduzida da Escala de Competência de Estudo utilizando Rasch com universitários brasileiros || Comparative analysis of full and reduced versions of Competence Scale Study using Rasch with brazilian college students

The aim of this study was to compare the original version of Escala de Competência de Estudo – ECE (C&T), with the reduced one by using the Item Response Theory. A sample of 126 college students, male and female, between 17 and 48 years old (M = 24.65, SD = 6.54) answered the test. The precision coefficients obtained were .91 for the original scale and .90 for the reduced one, indicating a good level of precision for both. The scale’s adjustment to the Rasch Model was analyzed, resulting an average error of 0.11 (SD = 0.02). The scale with 54 items presents an item’s infit mean of 1.00 (SD = .18), and the reduced scale presents an item’s infit mean of 1.01 (SD = .20), and the outfit’s mean value is 1,02 (SD = 0.41). The difficulty of the items was similar in the two scales. The results presented a better adjustment for the reduced scale, seeing that there were less misfit items, in terms of quantity and value.Este estudo objetivou comparar as duas versões da Escala de Competência de Estudo –ECE (C&T), uma a original com 54 itens e outra reduzida com 19 itens, por meio da Teoria de Resposta ao Item (modelo Rasch). Participaram 126 universitários de ambos os sexos, com idades variando de 17 a 48 anos (M = 24.65, DP = 6.54). Os coeficientes de precisão obtidos foram de .91 para a escala com 54 itens e de .90 para a de 19, indicando um alto nível de precisão para ambas. Ao ajustar os dados ao modelo Rasch, o erro médio da medida dos itens foi de 0.11 (DP = 0.02). As médias do infit dos itens foram de 1,00 (DP = 0.18) para a escala com 54 itens e de 1.01 (DP = 0.20) para a de 19 itens, e o valor médio do outfit foi de 1,02 (DP = 0.41). A dificuldade dos itens foi semelhante nas duas escalas. Constatou-se que a escala de 19 itens apresentou o melhor ajuste, pois diminuíram os itens que estavam desajustados, tanto na quantidade como no valor.Este estudo objetivou comparar as duas versões da Escala de Competência de Estudo –ECE (C&T), uma a original com 54 itens e outra reduzida com 19 itens, por meio da Teoria de Resposta ao Item (modelo Rasch). Participaram 126 universitários de ambos os sexos, com idades variando de 17 a 48 anos (M = 24.65, DP = 6.54). Os coeficientes de precisão obtidos foram de .91 para a escala com 54 itens e de .90 para a de 19, indicando um alto nível de precisão para ambas. Ao ajustar os dados ao modelo Rasch, o erro médio da medida dos itens foi de 0.11 (DP = 0.02). As médias do infit dos itens foram de 1,00 (DP = 0.18) para a escala com 54 itens e de 1.01 (DP = 0.20) para a de 19 itens, e o valor médio do outfit foi de 1,02 (DP = 0.41). A dificuldade dos itens foi semelhante nas duas escalas. Constatou-se que a escala de 19 itens apresentou o melhor ajuste, pois diminuíram os itens que estavam desajustados, tanto na quantidade como no valor

Erratum to: The study of cardiovascular risk in adolescents – ERICA: rationale, design and sample characteristics of a national survey examining cardiovascular risk factor profile in Brazilian adolescents

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SARS-CoV-2 introductions and early dynamics of the epidemic in Portugal

Genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in Portugal was rapidly implemented by the National Institute of Health in the early stages of the COVID-19 epidemic, in collaboration with more than 50 laboratories distributed nationwide. Methods By applying recent phylodynamic models that allow integration of individual-based travel history, we reconstructed and characterized the spatio-temporal dynamics of SARSCoV-2 introductions and early dissemination in Portugal. Results We detected at least 277 independent SARS-CoV-2 introductions, mostly from European countries (namely the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Italy, and Switzerland), which were consistent with the countries with the highest connectivity with Portugal. Although most introductions were estimated to have occurred during early March 2020, it is likely that SARS-CoV-2 was silently circulating in Portugal throughout February, before the first cases were confirmed. Conclusions Here we conclude that the earlier implementation of measures could have minimized the number of introductions and subsequent virus expansion in Portugal. This study lays the foundation for genomic epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in Portugal, and highlights the need for systematic and geographically-representative genomic surveillance.We gratefully acknowledge to Sara Hill and Nuno Faria (University of Oxford) and Joshua Quick and Nick Loman (University of Birmingham) for kindly providing us with the initial sets of Artic Network primers for NGS; Rafael Mamede (MRamirez team, IMM, Lisbon) for developing and sharing a bioinformatics script for sequence curation (https://github.com/rfm-targa/BioinfUtils); Philippe Lemey (KU Leuven) for providing guidance on the implementation of the phylodynamic models; Joshua L. Cherry (National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health) for providing guidance with the subsampling strategies; and all authors, originating and submitting laboratories who have contributed genome data on GISAID (https://www.gisaid.org/) on which part of this research is based. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not reflect the view of the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Health and Human Services, or the United States government. This study is co-funded by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia and Agência de Investigação Clínica e Inovação Biomédica (234_596874175) on behalf of the Research 4 COVID-19 call. Some infrastructural resources used in this study come from the GenomePT project (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-022184), supported by COMPETE 2020 - Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation (POCI), Lisboa Portugal Regional Operational Programme (Lisboa2020), Algarve Portugal Regional Operational Programme (CRESC Algarve2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), and by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Potential of FX06 to prevent disease progression in hospitalized non-intubated COVID-19 patients — the randomized, EU-wide, placebo-controlled, phase II study design of IXION

Background: More than 2.7 million hospitalizations of COVID-19-infected patients have occurred in Europe alone since the outbreak of the coronavirus in 2020. Interventions against SARS-CoV-2 are still in high need to prevent admissions to ICUs worldwide. FX06, a naturally occurring peptide in humans and other mammals, has the potential to reduce capillary leak by improving endothelial dysfunction and thus preventing the deterioration of patients. With IXION, we want to investigate the potential of FX06 to prevent disease progression in hospitalized, non-intubated COVID-19 patients. Methods: IXION is an EU-wide, multicentre, placebo-controlled, double-blinded, parallel, randomized (2:1) phase II clinical study. Patient recruitment will start in September 2022 (to Q2/2023) in Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Spain, Romania, Portugal, and France. A total of 306 hospitalized patients (>= 18 years and < 75 years) with a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test and a COVID-19 severity of 4-6 according to the WHO scale will be enrolled. After randomization to FX06 or placebo, patients will be assessed until day 28 (and followed up until day 60). FX06 (2 x 200 mg per day) or placebo will be administered intravenously for 5 consecutive days. The primary endpoint is to demonstrate a difference in the proportion of patients with progressed/worsened disease state in patients receiving FX06 compared to patients receiving placebo. Secondary endpoints are lung function, oxygen saturation and breathing rate, systemic inflammation, survival, capillary refill time, duration of hospital stay, and drug accountability. Discussion: With IXION, the multidisciplinary consortium aims to deliver a new therapy in addition to standard care against SARS-CoV-2 for the clinical management of COVID-19 during mild and moderate stages. Potential limitations might refer to a lack of recruiting and drop-out due to various possible protocol violations. While we controlled for drop-outs in the same size estimation, recruitment problems may be subject to external problems difficult to control for