Pulmonary mycobiome of patients with suspicion of respiratory fungal infection – an exploratory study

Objective: This pilot study aimed to characterize the pulmonary mycobiome of patients with suspicion of fungal infection of the respiratory tract as well as to identify potentially pathogenic fungi colonizing/infecting their lungs. Methods: A cohort of 10 patients was analyzed, including HIV+ patients and patients with active infection caused by Mycobacterium species. Their respiratory samples (bronchoalveolar lavage fluid/ bronchial secretions) were pre-treated with lyticase and proteinase K; DNA was extracted using the High Pure PCR Template Preparation kit following the manufacturer’s instructions. The internal transcribed spacer region 1 (ITS1) and calmodulin gene were amplified by PCR and the resulting amplicons were sequenced using the Illumina MiSeq platform with pair-end reads of 150 bp. The obtained results were analyzed using the PIPITS pipeline as described by Gweon et al. [1]. Operational taxonomic units (OTU) to which less than 0.1% of the total reads attributed were disregarded. Results: Thirty-seven different OTU were identified from which two belonged to the Plantae kingdom, 11 had less than the 0.1% threshold of the total reads and were therefore disregarded. The remaining 24 different OTU (grouped in 17 phylotypes), were considered as part of the pulmonary mycobiome of patients. Two phyla were identified: Basidiomycota (33.3%) and Ascomycota (54.2%). Regarding the Basidiomycota phylum, reads were classified in three classes (Agaricomycetes, Tremellomycetes and Walleomycetes), while for the Ascomycota phylum four different taxonomical classes were identified: Pneumocystidomycetes, Dothideomycetes, Eurotiomycetes and Saccharomycetes, with the latter being the most frequent class. Twelve fungal genera were identified, being Candida the most frequently detected. The median number of fungal genera detected in patients’ pulmonary mycobiome was six (ranging from two up to nine). The genus Papilotrema and the potentially pathogenic genera Cryptococcus and Pneumocystis were exclusively found in the pulmonary mycobiome of HIV+ + patients. Other potentially pathogenic fungi such as Aspergillus spp., Trichosporon spp., Saccharomyces spp. and Schizophyllum spp. were also detected. Conclusion: This pilot study illustrates how the pulmonary mycobiome is rich and highly variable in patients with fungal infections. The obtained results suggest that the described metagenomic analysis may possess a great ability to quickly and effectively detect potentially pathogenic fungi in the mycobiome of patients, making it a promising future diagnostic tool. Thus, further optimization, standardization and clinical validation of these NGS methodologies should be warranted in the future.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Controlo fuzzy semi-activo para aparelhos de amortecimento variável na protecção sísmica

Trabalho apresentado no 10º Congresso Nacional de Sismologia e Engenharia Sísmica, 20-22 abril de 2016, Ponta Delgada, Açores, PortugalNo controlo estrutural, a lógica fuzzy, também denominada de lógica difusa, apresenta um potencial interessante no que respeita à mitigação das vibrações causadas por sismos. No presente artigo expõem-se os conceitos onde este tipo de controlo assenta, bem como os vários passos constituintes da elaboração de um algoritmo fuzzy. É apresentado, descrito e testado um algoritmo simples usando controlo fuzzy para aplicação num aparelho semi-activo com amortecimento variável para controlo de estruturas sob a acção sísmica. Com base nos dados relativos aos deslocamentos e velocidades do sistema, as funções de pertença dos resultados estabelecem o valor do amortecimento a ser seleccionado para o aparelho. Os ensaios numéricos foram efectuados utilizando um acelerograma artificial representativo da Acção Sísmica Portuguesa num modelo de um grau de liberdade. Os resultados são depois comparados com protecção passiva tradicional usando um dissipador viscoso, permitindo tecer comparações entre os dois tipos de protecção.In the structural control, fuzzy logic, presents an interesting potential in terms of mitigating vibrations caused by earthquakes. The present article exposes the concepts on which this type of control is based, as well as the various preparation steps of a fuzzy algorithm. A simple algorithm using fuzzy control for use in a semi-active device with variable damping to control structures under seismic action is presented, described and tested. Based on system’s displacement and velocity, the membership functions of the results establish the damping value to be applied into the device. The numerical tests used an artificial accelerogram representative of the Portuguese Seismic Action in a model of a single degree of freedom. The results were then compared to the traditional passive protection using viscous dampers

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Adolescence, pregnancy, and maternity: self-perception and the relationship with work

The present study is a result of/ qualitative research conducted with poor adolescent workers from São Paulo, Brazil, investigating the process of social formation of young adolescents as workers and individuals from their relations with the workplace. In addition to work, other spheres of sociability - especially family and the school - were part of the investigation, taking into account that understanding the relationship between young people and work implies the discussion of the relations established with the other spheres they are part of, since they are untied to the act of working, but rather, they give it meaning. From the/ research, this article tries to understand the relations established among adolescence, pregnancy, maternity, family, and work. The analysis indicates new forms of understanding the coexistence of these elements in the perception regarding the transition to adult life.Este trabalho é resultado de uma pesquisa qualitativa, desenvolvida com jovens trabalhadores, adolescentes carentes de São Paulo. Investigou o processo de constituição social do jovem adolescente, como trabalhador e como indivíduo, a partir de suas relações no local de trabalho. Além do trabalho, outras esferas de sociabilidade - em especial, a família e a escola - fizeram parte da investigação, tendo em vista que a compreensão da relação do jovem com o trabalho passa pela necessidade de discussão das relações estabelecidas nas e com as outras esferas das quais participam, uma vez que não estão desvinculadas do ato de trabalhar, ao contrário, fornecem-lhe sentido. Este artigo parte dessa pesquisa para tentar entender as relações estabelecidas entre a adolescência, a gravidez, a maternidade, a família e o trabalho. A análise aponta para novas formas de se compreender a coexistência desses elementos na elaboração das percepções concernentes à transição para a vida adulta.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)UNIFESPFAPESP: 01/13503-3SciEL

School Climate as a Key Factor to Improve Academic Outcomes: A Task for School Leadership

Given the pivotal role played by school principals in school effectiveness Sammons 2008 Souza 2006 this study asks how principals work can affect schools outcomes Based in the concepts of school leadership Leithwod 2009 Lima 2001 and school climate Aguerre 2004 Brunet 1992 it was developed a survey with new questionnaires that were tested and applied to a sample of 42 municipal public schools in Rio de Janeiro Brazil Through statistic approach it was investigated possible associations between the principals activity and both the teachers work and students proficiency The data analysis indicates that a recognized and proactive principal specially creating a positive environment to academic practices is an important element for school outcomes The study intended to analyze which aspects related to principals job leadership relationship management etc could be associated to two important school outcomes teachers job satisfaction and students proficiency In doing so seeks to enlarge the discussion about school leadership and its effects to school outcomes by proposing a new quantitative research instrument and presenting the results of an exploratory study with important clues to future researches on the school leadership fiel

Wavefront optics and retinal image quality

With the increasing importance of optical aberrations in both vision research and clinical practice, it becomes necessary for vision scientists to have a thorough understanding of the concepts behind wavefront optics. Therefore, in this review, we provide some basic wave optics concepts useful to understand wavefront analysis, and describe the application of Zernike polynomials in the decomposition of aberrations. A general description of the human eye optical structure is given, followed by a more detailed analysis of the optical components of the eye and optical aberrations, and their secondary effect on overall optical quality. We further provide an overview of the current corneal and ocular wavefront sensing methods