Body composition, energy and protein intake in institutionalized portuguese older adults

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Behaviour of piozoelectric devices embedded in bone cement

Bone cements based on polymethacrylate (PMMA) are essential products in joint arthroplasty. PMMA bone cement function is to locate the implants components in the body skeleton, load transition through the joint into the bone and muscle surrounding for a very for a very long period of time. Its mechanical properties are well established in the literature. Since bone cement fills the void between the prosthesis (polymer or metallic) and bone, it is subjected to high stress and has to operate in a relatively aggressive environment, like human body. Therefore, based on surrounding environment PMMA bone cements application, this material has specific mechanical properties that enhance a good performance in this condition. These stresses are mainly measured indirectly with non-invasive methods. In-situ measurements would be more interesting to really understand and quantify these stresses. Piezoelectric devices are an interesting way to measure forces in difficult accessibility environment, since they are self-power, i. e., they are able to generate an electric signal by converting mechanical energy into electrics with no need for power supply. When embedded in bone cement one expects to be able to analyze the health structure in real-time. Positioning of the sensing device is a critical factor worthy of a thorough study in order to understand its behavior to surroundings

Genetic diagnosis of familial hypercholesterolaemia: the importance of functional analysis of potential splice-site mutations

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) results from defective low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) activity, mainly due to LDLR gene defects. Of the many different LDLR mutations found in patients with FH, about 6% of single base substitutions are located near or within introns, and are predicted to result in exon skipping, retention of an intron, or activation of cryptic sites during mRNA splicing. This paper reports on the Portuguese FH Study, which found 10 such mutations, 6 of them novel. For the mutations that have not been described before or those whose effect on function have not been analysed, their effect on splicing was investigated, using reverse transcriptase PCR analysis of LDLR mRNA from freshly isolated blood mononuclear cells. Two of these variants (c.313+6 T-->C, c.2389G-->T (p.V776L)) caused exon skipping, and one caused retention of an intron (c.1359-5C-->G), whereas two others (c.2140+5 G-->A and c.1061-8T-->C) had no apparent effect. Any effect of c.1185G-->C (p.V374V) on splicing could not be determined because it was on an allele with a promoter mutation (-42C-->G) that was probably not transcribed. Variants in four patients lost to follow-up could not be tested experimentally, but they almost certainly affect splicing because they disrupt the invariant AG or GT in acceptor (c.818-2A-->G) or donor (c.1060+1G-->A, c.1845+1delG and c.2547+1G-->A) spice sites. These findings emphasise that care must be taken before reporting the presence or absence of a splice-site mutation in the LDLR gene for diagnostic purposes. The study also shows that relatively simple, quick and inexpensive RNA assays can evaluate putative splicing mutations that are not always predictable by available software, thereby reducing genetic misdiagnosis of patients with FH

Paracoccidioidomicose: lesões cutâneas, infiltrativas, sarcoidose-símile, diagnosticadas como hanseníase tuberculóide

The authors report a case of paracoccidioidomycosis misinterpreted as tuberculoid leprosy, both on clinical and histological examination. Sarcoid-like cutaneous lesion as the initial presentation is rare in young patient with paracoccidioidomycosis and can simulate other infectious or inflammatory diseases. On histology, tuberculoid granuloma presented similar difficulties. Treatment with dapsone, a sulfonamide derivative, could have delayed the presumed natural clinical course to the classical juvenile type of paracoccidioidomycosis, observed only 24 months after the patient had been treated for leprosy.Os Autores relatam um caso de paracoccidioidomicose diagnosticado como se fora hanseníase tuberculóide, tanto do ponto de vista clínico como histopatológico. Lesão cutânea de padrão sarcoídico é raramente observada como lesão inicial da paracoccidioidomicose em jovens e pode simular outras dermatoses infecciosas ou inflamatórias. O achado histológico de granuloma tuberculóide apresenta dificuldade diagnóstica similar. O tratamento realizado com dapsone, um derivado sulfamídico, pode ter retardado a evolução clínica esperada para o padrão clássico da paracoccidioidomicose tipo juvenil, o qual apenas se materializou 24 meses após a paciente ter iniciado tratamento como hanseníase

Cluster approximation solution of a two species annihilation model

A two species reaction-diffusion model, in which particles diffuse on a one-dimensional lattice and annihilate when meeting each other, has been investigated. Mean field equations for general choice of reaction rates have been solved exactly. Cluster mean field approximation of the model is also studied. It is shown that, the general form of large time behavior of one- and two-point functions of the number operators, are determined by the diffusion rates of the two type of species, and is independent of annihilation rates.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figure

Rare earth elements, iron and manganese in ochre-precipitates and wetland soils of a passive treatment system for acid mine drainage

The rare earth elements (REE) along with iron and manganese distribution in ochre-precipitates and wetland soils in a passive system for acid mine drainage treatment (Jales, Portugal) was studied. The results obtained by instrumental neutron activation analysis showed a higher incorporation of the light REE (particularly La and Ce) by the ochre-precipitates resulting from the mine water-limestone interaction. These fluffy materials influence the entrance of the first wetland where a correlation between Fe and La and Ce was found. Then Mn phases appear to play a more important role controlling REE distribution in the remaining area of the wetland soils.Thanks to EDM (Empresa de Desenvolvimento Mineiro, S.A.) for providing access to the water treatment plant, and to the staff of the Portuguese Research Reactor (RPI) of CTN/IST. C2TN authors gratefully acknowledge the FCT (the Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation) support through the UID/Multi/04349/2013. This work is co-funded by European Union through the European Regional Development Fund, based on COMPETE 2020 (Programa Operacional da Competitividade e Internacionalização), project ICT (UID/GEO/04683/2013) with reference POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007690 and national funds provided by FCT.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Aggregation of Cyclodextrins: Fundamental Issues and Applications

The aggregation of cyclodextrins (CD) in aqueous solution is an old, yet still vastly unexplored topic that has been studied at least since the 1980s. At that time, few authors took into consideration the possibility of formation of aggregates for the interpretation of thermodynamic and thermophysical properties of CDs in aqueous solution. The aggregates appear at quite low CD concentrations and seem to encompass only a small number of CD molecules. They also occur in water in the presence of hydrophobic or amphiphilic moieties, including surfactants, assuming a preassembled state with the hydrophobic chains threading through one or two CDs. After a long period in which it has been neglected, CD aggregation is now a hot topic and one far from gathering consensus. In this chapter, a timely and critical review on the phenomenon of CD aggregation and the respective supramolecular properties, including some computational rationales, will be presented. A comprehensive summary of CD aggregates studied to date, indicating the formation conditions, characterization techniques, and applications, is also provided

Novos Isolados De Trichoderma Antagônicos A Sclerotinia Sclerotiorum

Forty-nine isolates of Trichoderma from the Brazilian Midwest were evaluated for their antagonistic activity in vitro against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (causal agent of white mold), which were then identified based on their nuclear ribosomal ITS sequences. Paired culture tests showed that all isolates exhibited some antagonism, with a maximum of 77% mycelial inhibition and complete inhibition of sclerotia production. Two isolates were found to be the most promising biocontrol agents, considering both antagonistic parameters (CEN1253 - T. koningiopsis and CEN1265 - T. brevicompactum). Five different species were identified: T. harzianum (23), T. spirale (9), T. koningiopsis (8), T. brevicompactum (7) and T. asperellum (2). These isolates are stored in the Embrapa Fungi Collection for Biological Control and the information obtained in the experiments will be incorporated into the database of biological assets within the genetic resources information system (Allele) and be made available for further studies. © 2016, Universidade Estadual de Campinas UNICAMP. All rights reserved.16

Characterization of the sedimentary record of the AD1755 tsunami in the Martinhal Holocene succession (Algarve, Portugal) Caracterização do registo sedimentar do tsunami de 1755, na sucessão holocénica do Martinhal (Algarve, Portugal)

This study addresses the Holocene sedimentary succession at Martinhal coastal lowland (Algarve), a site recording the AD1755 Lisbon tsunami. Data on twenty-four short cores and sixteen trenches, retrieved from both the literature and new field work were combined to improve the stratigraphic resolution and lateral correlation of sedimentary units accumulated in this lowland. Four fining-upward depositional sequences (S1 to S4) were identified, showing spatial variation with maximum thickness - S1: 0-3 m; S2: 1.0-2.4 m; S3: 0.2-1.0 m; S4: 0.3-2.3 m. Sequences S1, S2 and S3 consist of medium to coarse yellow sands with levels rich in bioclasts that give place upsequence to brown organic silt and clay. Sequences S1 to S3 testify to the progressive infilling of a small estuary, coeval with the progressive development and changes in efficiency of a sandy barrier. The uppermost sequence (S4) is clearly different and also shows contrast in facies at seaward and landward locations. S4 comprises: 1) seaward (ESE), a basal subunit with boulders to pebbly gravels and coarse to medium well sorted sands, interpreted as deposited by the AD1755 tsunami, covered by an upper subunit comprising an alternation of well sorted white sands and brown silts, interpreted as aeolian/washover and flood deposits; 2) upstream (WNW), alternating layers of poorly sorted very coarse to medium sands and brown silts represent flood plain accretion and channel infill within the lowland. Quartz OSL dating was done by measuring small aliquots in samples from the AD1755 event-layer and large aliquots in samples from other deposits. The coarser and more basal sediment of the AD1755 sediment yielded overestimated OSL ages due to partial bleaching; at the top, and in finer sediment, and also in the more landward locations, OSL ages are closer to the true age of this event. At this location, routine Quartz OSL dating using large aliquots can give useful data on the burial ages for a variety of sediments, provided that the burial time exceeds ca. 1 ky. In contrast, recent abrupt-event sediments should be dated by measuring small aliquots or single grains to get a better control on partial bleaching effects on OSL results

High frequency magnetic behavior through the magnetoimpedance effect in CoFeB/(Ta, Ag, Cu) multilayered ferromagnetic thin films

We studied the dynamics of magnetization through an investigation of the magnetoimpedance effect in CoFeB/(Ta, Ag, Cu) multilayered thin films grown by magnetron sputtering. Impedance measurements were analyzed in terms of the mechanisms responsible for their variations at different frequency intervals and the magnetic and structural properties of the multilayers. Analysis of the mechanisms responsible for magnetoimpedance according to frequency and external magnetic field showed that for the CoFeB/Cu multilayer, ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) contributes significantly to the magnetoimpedance effect at frequencies close to 470 MHz. This frequency is low when compared to the results obtained for CoFeB/Ta and CoFeB/Ag multilayers and is a result of the anisotropy distribution and non-formation of regular bilayers in this sample. The MImax values occurred at different frequencies according to the used non-magnetic metal. Variations between 25% and 30% were seen for a localized frequency band, as in the case of CoFeB/Ta and CoFeB/Ag, as well as for a wide frequency range, in the case of CoFeB/Cu.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figure