Effects of Pretreatments with Ethanol and Ultrasound on Convective Drying of BRS Vitória Grapes

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of ethanol and ultrasound as pretreatment to improve the convective drying of the BRS Vitória grape. The drying kinetics, rehydration, quality parameters, and phenolic compounds were evaluated. Before drying, grapes cv. BRS Vitória was ultrasound treated using two separate means, with ethanol (99.5% v/v) and distilled water. After pretreatment, the grapes were dried at 60°C and 0.1 m/s. The Logarithmic model provided a better prediction to describe the drying of grapes. Peleg’s model showed satisfactory adjustments to predict rehydration. Compared to the Control, pretreatment using the combination of ultrasound and ethanol decreased the drying time of the grapes by 61%. The pretreatments did not influence in quality parameters. In contrast, phenolic retention was observed in samples with ethanol. These results open new perspectives on the drying process and product quality by combining ethanol and ultrasound

Gamification in stroke rehabilitation

Stroke rehabilitation aims to improve patients’ abilities to realize daily life activities and, consequently, regain their self-confidence and improve independence and quality of life. Gamification can be defined as the application of game-design elements, dynamics, and principles such as competition, narratives, point-scoring, and awards in non-game contexts, including rehabilitation. It has emerged as a therapeutic alternative or complement to traditional rehabilitation to make motor practice more intense and increase a person’s motivation, interest, and satisfaction by bringing meaningful and intrinsically motivational playful experiences. Compared to the same amount of conventional therapy, gamification can increase the number of movements and involve safe and intensive rehabilitation exercises, essential for a successful rehabilitation process.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

ASPECTOS CLÍNICOS E EPIDEMIOLÓGICOS DA TENÍASE

O complexo teníase-cisticercose é uma zoonose que pode ter como definição, alterações patológicas causadas pela forma adulta da Taenia saginata e T. solium no ser humano e por sua forma larvar nos bovinos e suínos/homem. O homem contrai cisticercose através do consumo de mantimentos contaminados (frutas e verduras) com ovos de Taenia sp., através do uso de águas contaminadas como água de esgoto, ou ainda pelo uso de fezes humanas como adubo. Também pode ocorrer a ingestão de ovos através de água contaminada. A complexidade da teníase-cisticercose para a saúde pública resulta de que o homem, além de hospedeiro definitivo da tênia, pode se tornar hospedeiro intermediário e abrigar a fase larval. É o que se denomina de cisticercose humana. O controle e prevenção da teníase/cisticercose pode variar das condições econômicas, sociais e culturais de cada região

Análise da representatividade das unidades de conservação federais na Bacia do Rio São Francisco

No presente trabalho foi feito um levantamento dos percentuais de áreasprotegidas da bacia do rio São Francisco relacionando-os com os percentuais nacionais,por meio de técnicas de geoprocessamento. Estimou-se um percentual de 1,66% deáreas protegidas para a bacia do rio São Francisco, sendo 0,63% referente às categoriasde Proteção Integral e 1,63% às de Uso Sustentado. Esse percentual total da bacia ficamuito aquém do nacional (5,83%) e é muito baixo para uma área de importância cultural,social e ambiental. Os baixos valores encontrados revelam um déficit significativo deáreas preservadas na bacia o que, provavelmente, reflete negativamente na qualidade devida de seus habitantes. Esses índices fornecem subsídios para priorizar a implantaçãode novas áreas de preservação. _______________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACTIn this paper it was made a survey of the protected areas percent of the SãoFrancisco basin and its relationship with the national percent ones, through the use ofGIS techniques. It was estimated 1,66% of protected areas for the San Francisco basin,being 0,63% related to Integral Protection categories and 1,63% to sustainable use. Thisbasin value is lower than the national (5,83%) and it is very low for an important area withcultural, social and environmental potential. The low values reveal a significant deficit ofpreserved areas in the basin that, probably, affect the inhabitants. Those indexes can beused to implement the new conservation areas

Plasticidade molecular da matriz extracelular contribui para metástase e resistência a terapias / Molecular plasticity of the extracellular matrix contributes to metastasis and resistance to therapies

A matriz extracelular (MEC) trata-se de um componente não celular presente em todos os tecidos e órgãos e atua não apenas como uma estrutura física importante para os constituintes celulares, mas também como ponto de partida para eventos bioquímicos e biomecânicos essenciais para a morfogênese, diferenciação e homeostase do tecido. A MEC é composta de um conjunto complexo de proteínas fibrosas, proteoglicanos e outras moléculas, tais como citocinas, fatores de crescimento e hormônios, cuja composição varia de tecido para tecido e é alterada frente a diferentes condições fisiológicas (renovação e reparo tecidual) e associadas às doenças, incluindo câncer, razão pela qual componentes da MEC são denominados como Hallmarks do câncer. Neste contexto, a remodelação da MEC é uma das estratégias que os tumores utilizam para criar um microambiente que promove a tumorigênese e metástase através de diferentes mecanismos. Nesta revisão as características funcionais da MEC serão abordadas e também destacado o entendimento atual dos mecanismos físicos, celulares e moleculares pelos quais a MEC do tumor afeta a eficiência da quimioterapia, radioterapia e imunoterapia. 

Portuguese multidisciplinary recommendations for non-pharmacological and non-surgical interventions in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

BACKGROUND: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) report significant levels of disease impact, which are improved, but not fully abrogated by immunosuppressive therapy, even when remission is achieved. This imposes the need for adjuvant interventions targeting the uncontrolled domains of disease impact. Non-pharmacological interventions are widely used for this purpose, but they have not been the object of professional recommendations or guidelines. OBJECTIVE: To propose multidisciplinary recommendations to inform clinical care providers regarding the employment of non-pharmacological and non-surgical interventions in the management of patients with RA. METHODS: The EULAR standardized operating procedures for the development of recommendations were followed. First, a systematic literature review was performed. Then, a multidisciplinary Technical Expert Panel (TEP) met to develop and discuss the recommendations and research agenda. For each developed recommendation i) the level of evidence and grade of recommendation were determined, and ii) the level of agreement among TEP members was set. A recommendation was adopted if approved by ≥75% of the TEP members, and the level of agreement was considered high when ≥8. All relevant national societies were included in this construction process to attain their endorsement. RESULTS: Based on evidence and expert opinion, the TEP developed and agreed on five overarching principles and 12 recommendations for non-pharmacological and non-surgical interventions in patients with RA. The mean level of agreement between the TEP members ranged between 8.5 and 9.9. The recommendations include a broad spectrum of intervention areas, such as exercise, hydrokinesiotherapy, psychological interventions, orthoses, education, general management of comorbidities, among others; and they set the requirements for their application. CONCLUSIONS: These recommendations are based on the consensus judgment of clinical experts from a wide range of disciplines and patients' representatives from Portugal. Given the evidence for effectiveness, feasibility and safety, non-pharmacological and non-surgical interventions should be an integral part of standard care for people with RA. It is hoped that these recommendations should be widely implemented in clinical practice. The target audience for these recommendations includes all health professionals involved in the care of patients with RA. The target patient population includes adult Portuguese people with RA.publishersversionpublishe

Metabolomics profile responses to changing environments in a common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) germplasm collection

Metabolomics is one of the most powerful -omics to assist plant breeding. Despite the recognized genetic diversity in Portuguese common bean germplasm, details on its metabolomics profiles are still missing. Aiming to promote their use and to understand the environment’s effect in bean metabolomics profiles, 107 Portuguese common bean accessions, cropped under contrasting environments, were analyzed using spectrophotometric, untargeted and targeted mass spectrometry approaches. Although genotype was the most relevant factor on bean metabolomics profile, a clear genotype × environment interaction was also detected. Multivariate analysis highlighted, on the heat-stress environment, the existence of higher levels of salicylic acid, and lower levels of triterpene saponins. Three clusters were defined within each environment. White accessions presented the lowest content and the colored ones the highest levels of prenol lipids and flavonoids. Sources of interesting metabolomics profiles are now identified for bean breeding, focusing either on local or on broad adaptation.To FCT, Portugal, in BEGEQA project (PTDC/AGR-TEC/3555/2012), E.M. PhD fellowship (SFRH/BD/89287/2012), as well as to R&D unit, UIDB/04551/2020 (GREEN-IT – Bioresources for sustainability) and COST Action FA1403 (STSM-FA1403-290815-063873) for funding. The authors also acknowledge PORTUGAL 2020 to the Portuguese Mass Spectrometry Network, grant number LISBOA-01-0145-FEDER-402-022125. The project NETDIAMOND (SAICTPAC/0047/2015), financially supported by FEEI (Lisboa 2020 and FCT/POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016385), to the iNOVA4Health (UID/Multi/04462/2013), financially supported by FCT and co-funded by FEDER under the PT2020 Partnership Agreement, as well as to POCI-01-0145-FEDER-029702, funded by FEDER funds through COMPETE2020 – Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização (POCI) and by national funds (PIDDAC) through FCT/MCTES

ANÁLISE DA REPRESENTATIVIDADE DAS UNIDADES DE CONSERVAÇÃO FEDERAIS NA BACIA DO RIO SÃO FRANCISCO.

In this paper it was made a survey of the protected areas percent of the São Francisco basin and its relationship with the national percent ones, through the use of GIS techniques. It was estimated 1,66% of protected areas for the San Francisco basin, being 0,63% related to Integral Protection categories and 1,63% to sustainable use. This basin value is lower than the national (5,83%) and it is very low for an important area with cultural, social and environmental potential. The low values reveal a significant deficit of preserved areas in the basin that, probably, affect the inhabitants. Those indexes can be used to implement the new conservation areas.No presente trabalho foi feito um levantamento dos percentuais de áreas protegidas da bacia do rio São Francisco relacionando-os com os percentuais nacionais, por meio de técnicas de geoprocessamento. Estimou-se um percentual de 1,66% de áreas protegidas para a bacia do rio São Francisco, sendo 0,63% referente às categorias de Proteção Integral e 1,63% às de Uso Sustentado. Esse percentual total da bacia fica muito aquém do nacional (5,83%) e é muito baixo para uma área de importância cultural, social e ambiental. Os baixos valores encontrados revelam um déficit significativo de áreas preservadas na bacia o que, provavelmente, reflete negativamente na qualidade de vida de seus habitantes. Esses índices fornecem subsídios para priorizar a implantação de novas áreas de preservação

Práticas artísticas no ensino básico e secundário

Sobre a Matéria-Prima, há novidades e perigos. O tempo vivido na Europa e no contexto global tem vindo a acentuar a urgência das prioridades quantificadas, com um discurso dominante onde há menos política (pessoas) e mais representação económica (coisas). O correlato entre pessoas e coisas é, como sabemos, o dinheiro, ou trabalho reificado. A crise europeia, em torno da dívida soberana e dos maiores orçamentos do mundo, da capacidade da sua gestão na linguagem dura dos mercados e das taxas de juro veio modificar os objetivos imediatos da Europa, que em 2000 eram ambiciosos — “a sociedade mais competitiva do mundo em 2010” — para uma estratégia de emergência, agora chamada horizonte 2020. Este é o panorama ideal para colocar o ensino artístico em risco. Os fóruns internacionais passaram a valorizar os resultados da educação em rankings e sondagens de aproveitamento, cuja principal estratégia e preocupação é a mensurabilidade e comparabilidade, como são exemplo os relatórios PISA: avaliam-se em todos os países, as competências em Ciências, Matemática e Língua Materna. A matéria-prima de amanhã corre riscos de desaparecer gradualmente, pelos cortes de carga horária, pela concepção extracurricular da educação artística, pela sua perceção menorizada em função das concepções competitivas da sociedade contemporânea globalizada.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio