Metrologia primária de vibração por laser: avaliação dos efeitos de balanceio na exactidão das medidas de aceleração

Na calibração primária de vibração por laser, o efeito de balanceio do movimento é um aspecto crítico e sistemático a considerar quando se pretende efectuar medidas de elevada exactidão. A compreensão do impacto deste efeito no desempenho de medições de amplitude de aceleração é fundamental para a definição e a aproximação que se deverá efectuar. Neste trabalho são apresentados resultados de estudos efectuados na determinação da influência introduzida por dois modelos de excitadores, Bruel & Kjaer, na determinação da amplitude de aceleração para um valor nominal de 100 m.s-2 e para uma gama de frequência entre 1 e 9 kHz, considerando uma excitação sinusoidal. Utilizou-se um sistema interferométrico baseado em detecção heterodina, apropriado para regimes de elevadas frequências. Efectuaram-se medições considerando vários pontos de incidência do feixe laser na superfície de referência do acelerómetro-padrão, o que possibilitou uma caracterização do efeito de balanceio e avaliação da respectiva componente a considerar no balanço de incerteza expandida associado

Aplicações desenvolvidas no ambito da metrologia eléctrica e de vibração no INETI

São apresentados diversos módulos desenvolvidos em ambiente LabView, para controlo de instrumentação, processamento e tratamento estatístico de dados e determinação de incertezas, aplicados aos domínios da Metrologia Eléctrica e de Vibração no INETI. É efectuada uma breve síntese do contexto técnico em que cada uma das aplicações se insere assim como uma descrição dos principais aspectos associados a cada módulo

Critical appraisal of systematic reviews of intervention studies in periodontology using AMSTAR 2 and ROBIS tools

Systematic reviews of intervention studies are used to support treatment recommendations. The aim of this study was to assess the methodological quality and risk of bias of systematic reviews of intervention studies in in the field of periodontology using AMSTAR 2 and ROBIS.Systematic reviews of randomized and non-randomized clinical trials, published between 2019 and 2020, were searched at MedLine, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library, LILACS with no language restrictions between October 2019 to October 2020. Additionally, grey literature and hand search was performed. Paired independent reviewers screened studies, extracted data and assessed the methodological quality and risk of bias through the AMSTAR 2 and ROBIS tools.One hundred twenty-seven reviews were included. According to AMSTAR 2, the methodological quality was mainly critically low (64.6%) and low (24.4%), followed by moderate (0.8%) and high (10.2%). According to ROBIS, 90.6% were at high risk of bias, followed by 7.1% low, and 2.4% unclear risk of bias. The risk of bias decreased with the increased in the impact factor of the journal.Current systematic reviews of intervention studies in periodontics were classified as low or critically low methodological quality and high risk of bias. Both tools led to similar conclusions. Better adherence to established reporting guidelines and stricter research practices when conducting systematic reviews are needed

USO DE LINEZOLIDA NO TRATAMENTO DE TUBERCULOSE MULTIRRESISTENTE

Introduction: Tuberculosis is a relatively simple and inexpensive disease to diagnose, in most cases, it can be cured with well-tolerated, effective, and low-cost treatments. However, multidrug-resistant tuberculosis remains a major challenge. The study aims to evaluate the level of effectiveness of linezolid in the treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. Methods: This is an integrative review, in which the guiding question was "Is linezolid effective in the treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis?". The search for articles occurred in the main databases (PubMed, Scielo, and Google Scholar) using the terms "tuberculosis," "linezolid" and "drug-resistant" combined with Boolean operators. Results and discussion: linezolid, both as a substitute for drugs in traditional therapy and in addition to new treatments for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, has been shown to lead to positive outcomes. However, the dose should be individualized to each patient, due to the occurrence of adverse effects, mainly peripheral neuropathy, and myelosuppression. Conclusion: the use of linezolid in the treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis effectively reduces the time of drug intervention and, especially, in resolving the pathological picture. However, a cautious analysis of the administered dose should be performed since the medication has shown a high occurrence of adverse events.La tuberculosis es una enfermedad relativamente sencilla y barata de diagnosticar, que en la mayoría de los casos puede curarse con tratamientos bien tolerados, eficaces y de bajo coste. Sin embargo, la tuberculosis multirresistente sigue siendo un reto importante. El estudio pretende evaluar el nivel de eficacia del linezolid en el tratamiento de la tuberculosis multirresistente. Métodos: Se trata de una revisión integradora, en la que la pregunta norteadora fue "¿Linezolida es eficaz en el tratamiento de la tuberculosis multirresistente?". La búsqueda de artículos se realizó en las principales bases de datos (PubMed, Scielo y Google Scholar) a partir de los términos "tuberculosis", "linezolid" y "drug-resistant" combinados entre sí por operadores booleanos. Resultados y discusión: Se ha demostrado que el linezolid, tanto como sustituto de los fármacos de la terapia tradicional como añadido a los nuevos tratamientos para la tuberculosis multirresistente, produce resultados positivos. Sin embargo, la dosis debe individualizarse para cada paciente, debido a la aparición de efectos adversos, principalmente neuropatía periférica y mielosupresión. Conclusión: el uso de linezolida en el tratamiento de la tuberculosis multirresistente es eficaz en la reducción del tiempo de intervención medicamentosa y, principalmente, en la resolución del cuadro patológico. Entretanto, deve ser realizada análise cautelosa da dose administrada, visto que a medicação mostrou alta ocorrência de eventos adversos.A tuberculose é uma doença relativamente simples e barata de diagnosticar, na maioria dos casos pode ser curada com tratamentos bem tolerados, eficazes e de baixo custo. No entanto, a tuberculose multirresistente continua a ser um grande desafio. O estudo tem como objetivo avaliar o nível de eficácia da linezolida no tratamento de tuberculose multirresistente. Metodologia: Trata-se de uma revisão integrativa, em que a questão norteadora foi “Linezolida é eficaz no tratamento de tuberculose multirresistente?”. A busca pelos artigos ocorreu nas principais bases de dados (PubMed, Scielo e Google Scholar) a partir dos termos “tuberculosis”, "linezolid" e “drug-resistant” combinados entre si por operadores booleanos. Resultados e discussão: a linezolida, tanto em substituição a medicamentos da terapia tradicional quanto em adição aos novos tratamentos de tuberculose multirresistente, se mostrou capaz de levar a desfechos positivos. Entretanto, a dose deve ser individualizada a cada paciente, devido a ocorrência de efeitos adversos, principalmente neuropatia periférica e mielossupressão. Conclusão: o uso de linezolida no tratamento de tuberculose multirresistente é eficaz na redução do tempo de intervenção medicamentosa e, principalmente, na resolução do quadro patológico. Entretanto, deve ser realizada análise cautelosa da dose administrada, visto que a medicação mostrou alta ocorrência de eventos adversos.A tuberculose é uma doença relativamente simples e barata de diagnosticar, na maioria dos casos pode ser curada com tratamentos bem tolerados, eficazes e de baixo custo. No entanto, a tuberculose multirresistente continua a ser um grande desafio. O estudo tem como objetivo avaliar o nível de eficácia da linezolida no tratamento de tuberculose multirresistente. Metodologia: Trata-se de uma revisão integrativa, em que a questão norteadora foi “Linezolida é eficaz no tratamento de tuberculose multirresistente?”. A busca pelos artigos ocorreu nas principais bases de dados (PubMed, Scielo e Google Scholar) a partir dos termos “tuberculosis”, "linezolid" e “drug-resistant” combinados entre si por operadores booleanos. Resultados e discussão: a linezolida, tanto em substituição a medicamentos da terapia tradicional quanto em adição aos novos tratamentos de tuberculose multirresistente, se mostrou capaz de levar a desfechos positivos. Entretanto, a dose deve ser individualizada a cada paciente, devido a ocorrência de efeitos adversos, principalmente neuropatia periférica e mielossupressão. Conclusão: o uso de linezolida no tratamento de tuberculose multirresistente é eficaz na redução do tempo de intervenção medicamentosa e, principalmente, na resolução do quadro patológico. Entretanto, deve ser realizada análise cautelosa da dose administrada, visto que a medicação mostrou alta ocorrência de eventos adversos

Metabolic Peculiarities of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis Dimorphism as Demonstrated by iTRAQ Labeling Proteomics

Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM), a systemic mycosis with a high incidence in Latin America, is caused by thermodimorphic fungi of the Paracoccidioides genus. The contact with host occurs by the inhalation of conidia or mycelial propagules which once reaching the pulmonary alveoli differentiate into yeast cells. This transition process is vital in the pathogenesis of PCM allowing the fungus survival in the host. Thus, the present work performed a comparative proteome analysis of mycelia, mycelia-to-yeast transition, and yeast cells of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. For that, tryptic peptides were labeled with iTRAQ and identified by LC–MS/MS and computational data analysis, which allowed the identification of 312 proteins differentially expressed in different morphological stages. Data showed that P. brasiliensis yeast cells preferentially employ aerobic beta-oxidation and the tricarboxylic acid cycle accompanied by oxidative phosphorylation for ATP production, in comparison to mycelia and the transition from mycelia-to-yeast cells. Furthermore, yeast cells show a metabolic reprogramming in amino acid metabolism and in the induction of virulence determinants and heat shock proteins allowing adaptation to environmental conditions during the increase of the temperature. In opposite of that, the alcoholic fermentation found to P. lutzii, at least under laboratory conditions, is strongly favored in mycelium compared to yeast cells. Thereby, the data strongly support substantial metabolic differences among members of the Paracoccidioides complex, when comparing the saprobiotic mycelia and the yeast parasitic phases

Global age-sex-specific fertility, mortality, healthy life expectancy (HALE), and population estimates in 204 countries and territories, 1950-2019 : a comprehensive demographic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background: Accurate and up-to-date assessment of demographic metrics is crucial for understanding a wide range of social, economic, and public health issues that affect populations worldwide. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 produced updated and comprehensive demographic assessments of the key indicators of fertility, mortality, migration, and population for 204 countries and territories and selected subnational locations from 1950 to 2019. Methods: 8078 country-years of vital registration and sample registration data, 938 surveys, 349 censuses, and 238 other sources were identified and used to estimate age-specific fertility. Spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression (ST-GPR) was used to generate age-specific fertility rates for 5-year age groups between ages 15 and 49 years. With extensions to age groups 10–14 and 50–54 years, the total fertility rate (TFR) was then aggregated using the estimated age-specific fertility between ages 10 and 54 years. 7417 sources were used for under-5 mortality estimation and 7355 for adult mortality. ST-GPR was used to synthesise data sources after correction for known biases. Adult mortality was measured as the probability of death between ages 15 and 60 years based on vital registration, sample registration, and sibling histories, and was also estimated using ST-GPR. HIV-free life tables were then estimated using estimates of under-5 and adult mortality rates using a relational model life table system created for GBD, which closely tracks observed age-specific mortality rates from complete vital registration when available. Independent estimates of HIV-specific mortality generated by an epidemiological analysis of HIV prevalence surveys and antenatal clinic serosurveillance and other sources were incorporated into the estimates in countries with large epidemics. Annual and single-year age estimates of net migration and population for each country and territory were generated using a Bayesian hierarchical cohort component model that analysed estimated age-specific fertility and mortality rates along with 1250 censuses and 747 population registry years. We classified location-years into seven categories on the basis of the natural rate of increase in population (calculated by subtracting the crude death rate from the crude birth rate) and the net migration rate. We computed healthy life expectancy (HALE) using years lived with disability (YLDs) per capita, life tables, and standard demographic methods. Uncertainty was propagated throughout the demographic estimation process, including fertility, mortality, and population, with 1000 draw-level estimates produced for each metric. Findings: The global TFR decreased from 2·72 (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 2·66–2·79) in 2000 to 2·31 (2·17–2·46) in 2019. Global annual livebirths increased from 134·5 million (131·5–137·8) in 2000 to a peak of 139·6 million (133·0–146·9) in 2016. Global livebirths then declined to 135·3 million (127·2–144·1) in 2019. Of the 204 countries and territories included in this study, in 2019, 102 had a TFR lower than 2·1, which is considered a good approximation of replacement-level fertility. All countries in sub-Saharan Africa had TFRs above replacement level in 2019 and accounted for 27·1% (95% UI 26·4–27·8) of global livebirths. Global life expectancy at birth increased from 67·2 years (95% UI 66·8–67·6) in 2000 to 73·5 years (72·8–74·3) in 2019. The total number of deaths increased from 50·7 million (49·5–51·9) in 2000 to 56·5 million (53·7–59·2) in 2019. Under-5 deaths declined from 9·6 million (9·1–10·3) in 2000 to 5·0 million (4·3–6·0) in 2019. Global population increased by 25·7%, from 6·2 billion (6·0–6·3) in 2000 to 7·7 billion (7·5–8·0) in 2019. In 2019, 34 countries had negative natural rates of increase; in 17 of these, the population declined because immigration was not sufficient to counteract the negative rate of decline. Globally, HALE increased from 58·6 years (56·1–60·8) in 2000 to 63·5 years (60·8–66·1) in 2019. HALE increased in 202 of 204 countries and territories between 2000 and 2019

Global burden of 369 diseases and injuries in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background: In an era of shifting global agendas and expanded emphasis on non-communicable diseases and injuries along with communicable diseases, sound evidence on trends by cause at the national level is essential. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) provides a systematic scientific assessment of published, publicly available, and contributed data on incidence, prevalence, and mortality for a mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive list of diseases and injuries. Methods: GBD estimates incidence, prevalence, mortality, years of life lost (YLLs), years lived with disability (YLDs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) due to 369 diseases and injuries, for two sexes, and for 204 countries and territories. Input data were extracted from censuses, household surveys, civil registration and vital statistics, disease registries, health service use, air pollution monitors, satellite imaging, disease notifications, and other sources. Cause-specific death rates and cause fractions were calculated using the Cause of Death Ensemble model and spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression. Cause-specific deaths were adjusted to match the total all-cause deaths calculated as part of the GBD population, fertility, and mortality estimates. Deaths were multiplied by standard life expectancy at each age to calculate YLLs. A Bayesian meta-regression modelling tool, DisMod-MR 2.1, was used to ensure consistency between incidence, prevalence, remission, excess mortality, and cause-specific mortality for most causes. Prevalence estimates were multiplied by disability weights for mutually exclusive sequelae of diseases and injuries to calculate YLDs. We considered results in the context of the Socio-demographic Index (SDI), a composite indicator of income per capita, years of schooling, and fertility rate in females younger than 25 years. Uncertainty intervals (UIs) were generated for every metric using the 25th and 975th ordered 1000 draw values of the posterior distribution. Findings: Global health has steadily improved over the past 30 years as measured by age-standardised DALY rates. After taking into account population growth and ageing, the absolute number of DALYs has remained stable. Since 2010, the pace of decline in global age-standardised DALY rates has accelerated in age groups younger than 50 years compared with the 1990–2010 time period, with the greatest annualised rate of decline occurring in the 0–9-year age group. Six infectious diseases were among the top ten causes of DALYs in children younger than 10 years in 2019: lower respiratory infections (ranked second), diarrhoeal diseases (third), malaria (fifth), meningitis (sixth), whooping cough (ninth), and sexually transmitted infections (which, in this age group, is fully accounted for by congenital syphilis; ranked tenth). In adolescents aged 10–24 years, three injury causes were among the top causes of DALYs: road injuries (ranked first), self-harm (third), and interpersonal violence (fifth). Five of the causes that were in the top ten for ages 10–24 years were also in the top ten in the 25–49-year age group: road injuries (ranked first), HIV/AIDS (second), low back pain (fourth), headache disorders (fifth), and depressive disorders (sixth). In 2019, ischaemic heart disease and stroke were the top-ranked causes of DALYs in both the 50–74-year and 75-years-and-older age groups. Since 1990, there has been a marked shift towards a greater proportion of burden due to YLDs from non-communicable diseases and injuries. In 2019, there were 11 countries where non-communicable disease and injury YLDs constituted more than half of all disease burden. Decreases in age-standardised DALY rates have accelerated over the past decade in countries at the lower end of the SDI range, while improvements have started to stagnate or even reverse in countries with higher SDI. Interpretation: As disability becomes an increasingly large component of disease burden and a larger component of health expenditure, greater research and developm nt investment is needed to identify new, more effective intervention strategies. With a rapidly ageing global population, the demands on health services to deal with disabling outcomes, which increase with age, will require policy makers to anticipate these changes. The mix of universal and more geographically specific influences on health reinforces the need for regular reporting on population health in detail and by underlying cause to help decision makers to identify success stories of disease control to emulate, as well as opportunities to improve. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. © 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 licens

BacHBerry: BACterial Hosts for production of Bioactive phenolics from bERRY fruits

BACterial Hosts for production of Bioactive phenolics from bERRY fruits (BacHBerry) was a 3-year project funded by the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) of the European Union that ran between November 2013 and October 2016. The overall aim of the project was to establish a sustainable and economically-feasible strategy for the production of novel high-value phenolic compounds isolated from berry fruits using bacterial platforms. The project aimed at covering all stages of the discovery and pre-commercialization process, including berry collection, screening and characterization of their bioactive components, identification and functional characterization of the corresponding biosynthetic pathways, and construction of Gram-positive bacterial cell factories producing phenolic compounds. Further activities included optimization of polyphenol extraction methods from bacterial cultures, scale-up of production by fermentation up to pilot scale, as well as societal and economic analyses of the processes. This review article summarizes some of the key findings obtained throughout the duration of the project