Parâmetros genéticos da peeira em ovinos das raças Merina Branca e Merina Preta em Portugal

A peeira influencia negativamente diversos aspetos da ovinicultura e tem grande impacto económico e social em diversos países produtores de ovinos de ambos os hemisférios, particularmente na indústria da lã fina, amplamente dominada pelas raças Merinas. Com este trabalho pretendeu-se estimar componentes de variância associados à peeira em ovinos das raças Merina Branca (MB) e Merina Preta (MP), tendo sido realizado no âmbito das atividades previstas no Projeto GEN-RES-Alentejo, que tem como objetivo principal, contribuir para a melhoria da produtividade das explorações de ovinos no Alentejo, através da identificação, por metodologias genómicas de última geração, de marcadores genéticos associados à resistência à peeira e ao parasitismo gastrointestinal por nematodos. Utilizaram-se 745 registos de scores de peeira (positivo vs negativo) de 437 fêmeas inscritas nos Livros de Adultos (239♀MB e 198♀MP), recolhidos entre 2016 e 2018 em 3 criadores. A partir dos 437 animais com registos de score de peeira, construiu-se de forma ascendente um ficheiro de pedigrees, que incluiu toda a informação genealógica destes animais, obtendo-se no final um ficheiro com 1229 indivíduos (136♂ e 1093♀). Os registos disponíveis foram analisados segundo uma abordagem frequentista e depois bayesiana. Assim, inicialmente foram analisados por máxima verosimilhança restrita, com o software MTDFREML e com um critério de convergência de 10-9, através de um modelo animal com registos repetidos, que incluiu os efeitos fixos do criador*ano de avaliação do score, estação, raça e idade à avaliação (covariável linear e quadrática); como efeitos aleatórios foram considerados o valor genético do animal, o efeito ambiental permanente e o erro residual. Posteriormente, exatamente com mesmo tipo de modelo animal, efeitos fixos e aleatórios, os dados foram submetidos a análise com o software TM e por amostragem de Gibbs. As estimativas dos parâmetros genéticos e ambientais foram semelhantes segundo as duas metodologias, respetivamente, frequentista e bayesiana: variância genética, 0.12595 e 0.12781; variância ambiental permanente, 0.00000 e 0.00000; variância residual, 0.86336 e 0.85372; variância fenotípica, 0.98931 e 0.98153; heritabilidade, 0.127 e 0.130 e repetibilidade, 0.127 e 0.130. Os resultados obtidos neste trabalho, ainda que preliminares e baseados em pouca informação, permitiram demonstrar que existe algum determinismo genético associado à suscetibilidade/resistência à peeira. Consequentemente, é possível encarar com otimismo as ações a desenvolver no âmbito do projeto GEN-RES-Alentejo, designadamente, na identificação de marcadores genéticos relacionados com esta doença infeciosa de tão grande impacto nos ovinos e, num futuro próximo, a possibilidade das raças Merinas portuguesas poderem integrar novas metodologias de seleção nos respetivos programas de melhoramento genético

"Effect of diflubenzuron on the development of Pinus pinaster seedlings inoculated with ectomycorrhizal fungi".

Contaminação e Toxicologia AmbientaisMaster of Environmental Contamination and Toxicolog

The draft genome sequence of cork oak

Cork oak (Quercus suber) is native to southwest Europe and northwest Africa where it plays a crucial environmental and economical role. To tackle the cork oak production and industrial challenges, advanced research is imperative but dependent on the availability of a sequenced genome. To address this, we produced the first draft version of the cork oak genome. We followed a de novo assembly strategy based on high-throughput sequence data, which generated a draft genome comprising 23,347 scaffolds and 953.3 Mb in size. A total of 79,752 genes and 83,814 transcripts were predicted, including 33,658 high-confidence genes. An InterPro signature assignment was detected for 69,218 transcripts, which represented 82.6% of the total. Validation studies demonstrated the genome assembly and annotation completeness and highlighted the usefulness of the draft genome for read mapping of high-throughput sequence data generated using different protocols. All data generated is available through the public databases where it was deposited, being therefore ready to use by the academic and industry communities working on cork oak and/or related species.publishersversionpublishe

Portuguese recommendations for the use of methotrexate in rheumatic diseases - 2016 update

BACKGROUND: Methotrexate (MTX) is the first-line drug in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and the most commonly prescribed disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug. Moreover, it is also used as an adjuvant drug in patients under biologic therapies, enhancing the efficacy of biologic agents. OBJECTIVES: To review the literature and update the Portuguese recommendations for the use of MTX in rheumatic diseases first published in 2009. METHODS: The first Portuguese guidelines for the use of MTX in rheumatic diseases were published in 2009 and were integrated in the multinational 3E Initiative (Evidence Expertise Exchange) project. The Portuguese rheumatologists based on literature evidence and consensus opinion formulated 13 recommendations. At a national meeting, the recommendations included in this document were further discussed and updated. The document resulting from this meeting circulated to all Portuguese rheumatologists, who anonymously voted online on the level of agreement with the updated recommendations. RESULTS: Results presented in this article are mainly in accordance with previous guidelines, with some new information regarding hepatitis B infection during MTX treatment, pulmonary toxicity monitoring, hepatotoxicity management, association with hematologic neoplasms, combination therapy and tuberculosis screening during treatment. CONCLUSION: The present recommendations combine scientific evidence with expert opinion and attained desirable agreement among Portuguese rheumatologists. The regular update of these recommendations is essential in order to keep them a valid and useful tool in daily practice.publishersversionpublishe

Ibero–American Consensus on Low- and No-Calorie Sweeteners: Safety, Nutritional Aspects and Benefits in Food and Beverages

International scientific experts in food, nutrition, dietetics, endocrinology, physical activity, paediatrics, nursing, toxicology and public health met in Lisbon on 2–4 July 2017 to develop a Consensus on the use of low- and no-calorie sweeteners (LNCS) as substitutes for sugars and other caloric sweeteners. LNCS are food additives that are broadly used as sugar substitutes to sweeten foods and beverages with the addition of fewer or no calories. They are also used in medicines, health-care products, such as toothpaste, and food supplements. The goal of this Consensus was to provide a useful, evidence-based, point of reference to assist in efforts to reduce free sugars consumption in line with current international public health recommendations. Participating experts in the Lisbon Consensus analysed and evaluated the evidence in relation to the role of LNCS in food safety, their regulation and the nutritional and dietary aspects of their use in foods and beverages. The conclusions of this Consensus were: (1) LNCS are some of the most extensively evaluated dietary constituents, and their safety has been reviewed and confirmed by regulatory bodies globally including the World Health Organisation, the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Food Safety Authority; (2) Consumer education, which is based on the most robust scientific evidence and regulatory processes, on the use of products containing LNCS should be strengthened in a comprehensive and objective way; (3) The use of LNCS in weight reduction programmes that involve replacing caloric sweeteners with LNCS in the context of structured diet plans may favour sustainable weight reduction. Furthermore, their use in diabetes management programmes may contribute to a better glycaemic control in patients, albeit with modest results. LNCS also provide dental health benefits when used in place of free sugars; (4) It is proposed that foods and beverages with LNCS could be included in dietary guidelines as alternative options to products sweetened with free sugars; (5) Continued education of health professionals is required, since they are a key source of information on issues related to food and health for both the general population and patients. With this in mind, the publication of position statements and consensus documents in the academic literature are extremely desirable

ChlP-Seq reveals that QsMYB1 directly targets genes involved in lignin and suberin biosynthesis pathways in cork oak (Quercus suber)

Research ArticleBackground: Gene activity is largely controlled by transcriptional regulation through the action of transcription factors and other regulators. QsMYB1 is a member of the R2R3-MYB transcription factor family related to secondary growth, and in particular, with the cork development process. In order to identify the putative gene targets of QsMYB1 across the cork oak genome we developed a ChIP-Seq strategy. Results: Results provide direct evidence that QsMY1B targets genes encoding for enzymes involved in the lignin and suberin pathways as well as gene encoding for ABCG transporters and LTPs implicated in the transport of monomeric suberin units across the cellular membrane. These results highlight the role of QsMYB1 as a regulator of lignin and suberin biosynthesis, transport and assembly. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this work constitutes the first ChIP-Seq experiment performed in cork oak, a non-model plant species with a long-life cycle, and these results will contribute to deepen the knowledge about the molecular mechanisms of cork formation and differentiationinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Multiple star systems in the Orion nebula

This work presents an interferometric study of the massive-binary fraction in the Orion Trapezium cluster with the recently comissioned GRAVITY instrument. We observed a total of 16 stars of mainly OB spectral type. We find three previously unknown companions for theta(1) Ori B, theta(2) Ori B, and theta(2) Ori C. We determined a separation for the previously suspected companion of NU Ori. We confirm four companions for theta(1) Ori A, theta(1) Ori C, theta(1) Ori D, and theta(2) Ori A, all with substantially improved astrometry and photometric mass estimates. We refined the orbit of the eccentric high-mass binary theta(1) Ori C and we are able to derive a new orbit for theta(1) Ori D. We find a system mass of 21.7 M-circle dot and a period of 53 days. Together with other previously detected companions seen in spectroscopy or direct imaging, eleven of the 16 high-mass stars are multiple systems. We obtain a total number of 22 companions with separations up to 600 AU. The companion fraction of the early B and O stars in our sample is about two, significantly higher than in earlier studies of mostly OB associations. The separation distribution hints toward a bimodality. Such a bimodality has been previously found in A stars, but rarely in OB binaries, which up to this point have been assumed to be mostly compact with a tail of wider companions. We also do not find a substantial population of equal-mass binaries. The observed distribution of mass ratios declines steeply with mass, and like the direct star counts, indicates that our companions follow a standard power law initial mass function. Again, this is in contrast to earlier findings of flat mass ratio distributions in OB associations. We excluded collision as a dominant formation mechanism but find no clear preference for core accretion or competitive accretion

Evaluation of a quality improvement intervention to reduce anastomotic leak following right colectomy (EAGLE): pragmatic, batched stepped-wedge, cluster-randomized trial in 64 countries

Background Anastomotic leak affects 8 per cent of patients after right colectomy with a 10-fold increased risk of postoperative death. The EAGLE study aimed to develop and test whether an international, standardized quality improvement intervention could reduce anastomotic leaks. Methods The internationally intended protocol, iteratively co-developed by a multistage Delphi process, comprised an online educational module introducing risk stratification, an intraoperative checklist, and harmonized surgical techniques. Clusters (hospital teams) were randomized to one of three arms with varied sequences of intervention/data collection by a derived stepped-wedge batch design (at least 18 hospital teams per batch). Patients were blinded to the study allocation. Low- and middle-income country enrolment was encouraged. The primary outcome (assessed by intention to treat) was anastomotic leak rate, and subgroup analyses by module completion (at least 80 per cent of surgeons, high engagement; less than 50 per cent, low engagement) were preplanned. Results A total 355 hospital teams registered, with 332 from 64 countries (39.2 per cent low and middle income) included in the final analysis. The online modules were completed by half of the surgeons (2143 of 4411). The primary analysis included 3039 of the 3268 patients recruited (206 patients had no anastomosis and 23 were lost to follow-up), with anastomotic leaks arising before and after the intervention in 10.1 and 9.6 per cent respectively (adjusted OR 0.87, 95 per cent c.i. 0.59 to 1.30; P = 0.498). The proportion of surgeons completing the educational modules was an influence: the leak rate decreased from 12.2 per cent (61 of 500) before intervention to 5.1 per cent (24 of 473) after intervention in high-engagement centres (adjusted OR 0.36, 0.20 to 0.64; P < 0.001), but this was not observed in low-engagement hospitals (8.3 per cent (59 of 714) and 13.8 per cent (61 of 443) respectively; adjusted OR 2.09, 1.31 to 3.31). Conclusion Completion of globally available digital training by engaged teams can alter anastomotic leak rates. Registration number: NCT04270721 (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov)