Tracking relations among bacterial and protozoan communities in wastewater treatment plants

Background: Understanding the interactions between prokaryotic and eukaryotic populations in complex environments can be challenging. Particularly, there is a recognized difficulty in establishing how the interactions between the bacterial and the protozoan populations can affect the performance of wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). Objectives: In order to determine the relationships between microbial communities (protozoa, metazoa and filamentous bacteria) and abiotic parameters (physical-chemical and operational), thirty seven WWTP with activated sludge process were studied in Portugal, during two years, in a trimestral sampling strategy. Methods: Samples were collected to enable a molecular characterization of the microbiota. In order to ensure the diversity of microorganisms, 100 samples were selected based on their geographic localization and time-spaced to track relationships within bacteria and protozoa. A 16S rRNA gene PCR-DGGE approach was carried out for bacterial community fingerprinting. The resulting profiles were analysed together with the results obtained from the survey of the protozoa populations. Finally, the study of the correlations between the physical-chemical and operational parameters and the microbial communities was also investigated. Conclusions: The study of these interactions constitutes a strategy for the understanding of how the different metabolic groups of prokaryotic and protozoa are affected by the relations between this populations, allowing a better prediction of the overall community dynamics. This will allow setting the conditions that better contribute to improve the wastewater treatment while increasing the knowledge of overall communities networking in complex environments

Study of quantum dots (CdS, ZnS) toxicity in Danio rerio : preliminary results

Abstract in proceedings of the Fourth International Congress of CiiEM: Health, Well-Being and Ageing in the 21st Century, held at Egas Moniz’ University Campus in Monte de Caparica, Almada, from 3–5 June 2019.This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The nucleolar protein Viriato/Nol12 is required for the growth and differentiation progression activities of the Dpp pathway during Drosophila eye development

Drosophila Decapentaplegic (Dpp), a member of the BMP2/4 class of the TGF-βs, is required for organ growth, patterning and differentiation. However, much remains to be understood about the mechanisms acting downstream of these multiple roles. Here we investigate this issue during the development of the Drosophila eye. We have previously identified viriato (vito) as a dMyc-target gene encoding a nucleolar protein that is required for proper tissue growth in the developing eye. By carrying out a targeted in vivo double-RNAi screen to identify genes and pathways functioning with Vito during eye development, we found a strong genetic interaction between vito and members of the Dpp signaling pathway including the TGF-β receptors tkv (type I), put (type II), and the co-Smad medea (med). Analyzing the expression of the Dpp receptor Tkv and the activation pattern of the pathway’s transducer, p-Mad, we found that vito is required for a correct signal transduction in Dpp-receiving cells. Overall, we validate the use of double RNAi to find specific genetic interactions and, in particular, we uncover a link between the Dpp pathway and Vito, a nucleolar component. vito would act genetically downstream of Dpp, playing an important role in maintaining a sufficient level of Dpp activity for the promotion of eye disc growth and regulation of photoreceptor differentiation in eye development

Influence of uniform temperature variations on hybrid bonded joints with a circular or tubular cross-sectional area

Funding Information: The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Hugo C. Biscaia reports financial support was provided by Foundation for Science and Technology. Marta S. Carvalho reports financial support was provided by Foundation for Science and Technology. Ana P. Martins reports financial support was provided by Foundation for Science and Technology. Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The AuthorsThe use of lightweight structures is a current concern in several engineering domains. To obtain such types of structures, the bonding technique using Carbon Fibre-Reinforced Polymers (CFRP) has been most recently considered a primary option. If CFRP is known to have a high strength-to-weight ratio or high corrosion resistance, the bonding technique does not need to add other fixation components and it also prevents stress concentrations. However, when combined with, e.g. a metallic surface, the high difference between the thermal expansion coefficient of the CFRP composite and the metallic material may raise some issues when the adhesively bonded structure is subjected to thermal loading. Therefore, the present work presents an analytical model that facilitates the comprehension of the impact of temperature on a hybrid bonded joint with a circular or tubular cross-sectional area. The full debonding process of a double but bonded joint with a regular curvature is discussed thoroughly. Due to the susceptibility of current adhesives to lose their mechanical properties for relatively high temperatures, the vitreous transition temperature of the adhesives and their influence on the local adhesive model is considered in a deeper analysis. The Finite Element Method (FEM) was used to validate all the derived analytical equations, which were achieved due to the close predictions obtained from both ways, i.e. from the numerical simulations and the proposed closed-form solutions.publishersversionpublishe

Impacto da capacidade cognitiva e das atribuições causais no rendimento escolar na matemática

A capacidade cognitiva e a motivação académica têm sido frequentemente assumidas como as variáveis do aluno mais determinantes da sua aprendizagem e rendimento escolar. Neste estudo, operacionalizando a capacidade cognitiva através de uma bateria de testes de raciocínio e a motivação através de uma escala de atribuições causais, analisa-se o impacto de ambas as variáveis psicológicas no rendimento dos alunos na disciplina de Matemática. A amostra é formada por todos os alunos do 6.° ano de escolaridade de uma escola privada, com contrato de associação, do distrito de Braga. Os resultados mostram que a capacidade cognitiva se apresenta como o melhor preditor do rendimento escolar, havendo ainda parte da variância do rendimento na matemática associada, em sentido negativo, à atribuição causal do sucesso à sorte. Este dado sugere que alunos que não atribuem o seu rendimento ao acaso apresentam, em geral, melhores classificações escolares.The cognitive ability and academic motivation have often been assumed as the most determinant variables of student learning and their school performance. ln this study, the operationalization of the cognitive ability through a battery of tests of reasoning and motivation through a scale of causal attributions, alIow us analyze the impact of both psychological variables in the student performance in mathematics. The sample consists of all students in the 6th grade at a private school, integrated in public system, in the district of Braga. The results showed that cognitive ability remains on the best predictor of academic performance, and part of students ' mathematics results variance is related negatively to causal attribution of success to luck. This last aspect shows that students who do not attribute their academic performance to random reasons have, in general, better academic results

Co-processed olive oils with Thymus mastichina L. - New product optimization

Olive co-processing consists of the addition of ingredients either in the mill or in the malaxator. This technique allows selecting the type of olives, the ingredients with the greatest flavoring and bioactive potential, and the technological extraction conditions. A new product—a gourmet flavored oil—was developed by co-processing olives with Thymus mastichina L. The trials were performed using overripe fruits with low aroma potential (cv. ‘Galega Vulgar’; ripening index 6.4). Experimental conditions were dictated by a central composite rotatable design (CCRD) as a function of thyme (0.4-4.6%, w/w) and water (8.3-19.7%, w/w) contents used in malaxation. A flavored oil was also obtained by adding 2.5% thyme during milling, followed by 14% water addition in the malaxator (central point conditions of CCRD). The chemical characterization of the raw materials, as well as the analysis of the flavored and unflavored oils, were performed (chemical quality criteria, sensory analysis, major fatty acid composition, and phenolic compounds). Considering chemical quality criteria, the flavored oils have the characteristics of “Virgin Olive Oil” (VOO), but they cannot have this classification due to legislation issues. Flavored oils obtained under optimized co-processing conditions (thyme concentrations > 3.5-4.0% and water contents varying from 14 to 18%) presented higher phenolic contents and biologic value than the non-flavored VOO. In flavored oils, thyme flavor was detected with high intensity, while the defect of “wet wood”, perceived in VOO, was not detected. The flavored oil, obtained by T. mastichina addition in the mill, showed higher oxidative stability (19.03 h) than the VOO and the co-processed oil with thyme addition in the malaxator (14.07 h), even after six-month storage in the dark (16.6 vs. 10.3 h)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Toxicity Evaluation of Quantum Dots (ZnS and CdS) Singly and Combined in Zebrafish (Danio rerio)

This work was supported by the Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit- UCIBIO which is financed by national funds from FCT/MCTES (UID/Multi/04378/2019) and by the Associate Laboratory for Green Chemistry- LAQV which is financed by national funds from FCT/MCTES (UID/QUI/50006/2019) and by the Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre (MARE) which is financed by national funds from FCT/MCTES (UID/MAR/04292/2019).The exponential growth of nanotechnology has led to the production of large quantities of nanomaterials for numerous industrial, technological, agricultural, environmental, food and many other applications. However, this huge production has raised growing concerns about the adverse effects that the release of these nanomaterials may have on the environment and on living organisms. Regarding the effects of QDs on aquatic organisms, existing data is scarce and often contradictory. Thus, more information is needed to understand the mechanisms associated with the potential toxicity of these nanomaterials in the aquatic environment. The toxicity of QDs (ZnS and CdS) was evaluated in the freshwater fish Danio rerio. The fishes were exposed for seven days to different concentrations of QDs (10, 100 and 1000 µg/L) individually and combined. Oxidative stress enzymes (catalase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione S-transferase), lipid peroxidation, HSP70 and total ubiquitin were assessed. In general, results suggest low to moderate toxicity as shown by the increase in catalase activity and lipid peroxidation levels. The QDs (ZnS and CdS) appear to cause more adverse effects singly than when tested combined. However, LPO results suggest that exposure to CdS singly caused more oxidative stress in zebrafish than ZnS or when the two QDs were tested combined. Levels of Zn and Cd measured in fish tissues indicate that both elements were bioaccumulated by fish and the concentrations increased in tissues according to the concentrations tested. The increase in HSP70 measured in fish exposed to 100 µg ZnS-QDs/L may be associated with high levels of Zn determined in fish tissues. No significant changes were detected for total ubiquitin. More experiments should be performed to fully understand the effects of QDs exposure to aquatic biota.publishersversionpublishe

numerical modelling and validation

Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Author(s)This study investigates the Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) inspection of 3D-printed fibre-reinforced polymers, comparing the conventional Active Transient Thermography (ATT) technique with a novel variant known as Double Active Transient Thermography (DATT). Finite element models for the simulation of both inspection techniques are validated by evaluating two statistical measures to correlate the numerical results with the experimental responses. The thermal contrast obtained with DATT was approximately twice the one obtained with ATT, for all tested samples. Numerical models allowed an insight evaluation of the heat dissipation along the thickness of the specimens, specifically around the fibres and the defects. These validated numerical models evidenced a relevant tool to predict the results of thermal contrast and to optimize the inspection parameters.publishersversionpublishe

Environmentally friendlier wireless energy power systems: the coil on a paper approach

Paper is ubiquitous in everyday life and a low-cost environmentally friendly material. Thus, the printing of advanced conductive/magnetic nanomaterials on paper will allow the scalable production of flexible smart electronics, including energy-storage devices, sensors, inductors or antennas, among others, contributing towards more sustainable electronics. Particularly, wireless charging technologies are becoming essential for internet-of-things (IoT)-related electronic devices due to the ever-decreasing dimensions of portable/mobile devices that limits the quantity of energy that can be stored. Here, screen-printed paper-based coils and inductors operating on the 1MHz - 20MHz range are presented based on Poly(vynil alcohol)/Fe3O4 and Ag inks. The ability of the printed cores and inductors to be incorporated on flexible wireless power transfer modules (WPTM) is technologically demonstrated by wireless powering light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The achieved induction efficiency of 94% is the highest reported on printed WPTM. The printed coils are also characterized by mechanical, hydrophobic and electrical properties that are suitable for IoT and industry 4.0 applications.All authors thank the FCT- Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia the financial support in the context of the Strategic Funding UID/FIS/04650/2019 and under projects PTDC/EEI-SII/5582/2014, PTDC/BTM-MAT/28237/2017 and PTDC/EMD-EMD/28159/2017. Pedro Martins and Clarisse Ribeiro thank the FCT for the contracts under the Stimulus of Scientific Employment, Individual Support: CEECIND/03975/2017, and 2020.04163.CEECIND, respectively. Ricardo Brito-Pereira also acknowledges the FCT for the SFRH/BD/140698/2018 grant. Finally, the authors acknowledge funding by the Basque Government Industry and Education Department under the ELKARTEK, and PIBA (PIBA 2018-06) programs, respectively. Finally, funding from European Union’s Horizon 2020 Program for Research, ICT-02-2018 - Flexible and Wearable Electronics, Grant agreement no. 824339 – WEARPLEX is also acknowledgedinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio