Estado Confusional Agudo após Corticoterapia Inalada

Background: The connection between corticotherapy and neuropsychiatric symptoms is widely known, being one of the first questions we need to assess when presenting with first episode psychiatric symptoms or confusional state. Aims: To date, data on cases related to inhaled corticotherapy and neuropsychiatric effects is scarce. In this paper we describe a rare case in a young woman. Methods: The clinical case presented led us to try to understand the data published on the subject in order to discuss it in greater length. Results and Conclusions: We present and discuss a 27-year-old patient’s case, with no previous psychiatric disease, who was admitted to our Psychiatric ward after the onset of severe acute behavioural disturbance characterized by aggressiveness, visual and auditory hallucinatory activity, misidentification and altered conscience status. It was later found that seven days earlier she had been prescribed inhaled corticotherapy for a minor respiratory infection. A few days after corticotherapy withdrawal, the clinical symptoms improved significantly.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Predicting Psi-BN: computational insights into its mechanical, electronic, and optical characteristics

Computational materials are pivotal in advancing our understanding of distinct material classes and their properties, offering valuable insights in predicting novel structures and complementing experimental approaches. In this context, Psi-graphene is a stable two-dimensional carbon allotrope composed of 5-6-7 carbon rings theoretically predicted recently. Using density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we explored its boron nitride counterpart's mechanical, electronic, and optical characteristics (Psi-BN). Our results indicate that Psi-BN possesses a band gap of 4.59 eV at the HSE06 level. Phonon calculations and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations demonstrated that this material has excellent structural and dynamic stability. Moreover, its formation energy is -7.48 eV. Psi-BN exhibited strong ultraviolet activity, suggesting its potential as an efficient UV collector. Furthermore, we determined critical mechanical properties of Psi-BN, such as the elastic stiffness constants, Young's modulus (250-300 GPa), and Poisson ratio (0.7), providing valuable insights into its mechanical behavior.Comment: 13 pages, 7 figure

Estabilização proteica de vinhos brancos por adição de manoproteínas e impacto na qualidade

A instabilidade proteica é um defeito que pode conduzir à rejeição do vinho. A desnaturação e precipitação das proteínas instáveis, podem afetar a limpidez e/ou originar depósitos amorfos. A concentração e composição das proteínas, dependem da casta, condições climáticas, estado de maturação das uvas e da vinificação. A colagem com bentonite é o processo mais comum na prevenção desta instabilidade, mas apresenta limitações, particularmente quando aplicada em doses elevadas. Assim, têm sido estudadas alternativas, como por exemplo as manoproteínas

Effect of different fining agents and additives in white wine protein stability

Proteins in white wine could become insoluble and precipitate causing the appearance of a haze in bottled wine. Protein instability may be due to intrinsically or extrinsically factor such as protein molecular weight, isoelectric point, ionic strength, alcohol degree and wine pH or storage temperature. These modifications may occur during aging, storage or when diverse wines are blended. The type and concentration of proteins in the wine depends on grape variety, maturation degree and winemaking operations (pre-fem1entative grape maceration, application of tannins, enzymes or bentonite fining). Usually, the treatment for wine protein instability is sodium bentonite fining. The adsorption of wine proteins onto bentonite is due to the cationic exchange capacity of bentonite, which carries a net negative charge and the wine proteins are mostly positive charged at wine pH, and thus can be exchanged onto bentonite. Sometimes even with high level of sodium bentonite wines do not stabilize. Thus, the main purpose of this work is to understand the interaction of different types of bentonites, tannins, carboxylmethylcellulose (CMC) and mannoproteins on white wine protein stability, to get new approaches to stabilize them. Some trials were performed in four white wines with high protein instability. Preliminary results showed that sodium bentonite and mannoproteins increase protein stability, in opposition, CMC and tannins seems to increase turbidity after stability tests, which means more instability. Final results could provide important information to the wine industry to select alternative treatments to remove unstable proteins to maintain or improve wine quality

Performances dos láparos e características dos ninhos tratados com uma ou duas aplicações de desinfectante

O material mais usado para a elaboração dos ninhos em cunicultura são as aparas de madeira e a palha. Para melhorar a sanidade desses ninhos e reduzir a mortalidade dos láparos é aconselhável a utilização de produtos desinfectantes. Neste trabalho comparam-se as performances dos láparos e ninhadas, bem como a carga microbiana dos ninhos elaborados com palha ou aparas de madeira, ambos tratados com um desinfectante usual na cunicultura que foi aplicado em dose única (no dia das adopções; tratamento 1) ou em dose dupla (dia de adopções e repetição aos 7 dias de vida; tratamento 2). As 84 ninhadas (42 de cada tratamento) foram pesadas ao 1º (após nivelamento), 20º e 33º (desmame) dias de idade. Aos 11 dias (data da inseminação artificial) foi efectuada a recolha do material do ninho (8 de cada tratamento) para determinação da contagem total de bactérias, coliformes totais, de Escherichia coli e do pH. Os pesos das ninhadas e dos láparos não foram influenciados pelo material do ninho, verificando-se ao desmame um peso da ninhada de 7879 e8086g e dos láparos de 881 e 872g, para uma ou duas aplicações, respectivamente. Todavia, ao 20º dia o peso dos láparos do tratamento 1 era inferior (P<0,05) aos dos láparos do tratamento 2 (330 vs. 351g). A mortalidade total dos láparos na maternidade também diferiu significativamente, variando entre os 6,0% para o tratamento 1 e os 1,9% para o 2, sendo esse efeito mais evidente nos primeiros 20 dias de vida. A contagem do total de bactérias, de E. coli e de coliformes totais não diferiu significativamente entre tratamentos, tal como o valor de pH. Contudo, decorridos 23 dias após o parto, verificou-se uma tendência (P=0,07) para um menor valor de pH no material dos ninhos com duas aplicações do desinfectante. De acordo com estes resultados parece ser vantajoso a aplicação dupla de desinfectante, pois a mortalidade dos láparos na maternidade foi reduzida.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

An intelligent home automation control system based on A novel heat pump and wireless sensor networks

One of technology's main goals is to providing comfort to humans. However, in order to be an aid, it has to be easy to install, use and maintain. The ever growing complexity of technological systems can only be achieved by converging different technologies. This is usually expressed as Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS), previews the symbiosis of several technologies in order to make them more accessible. This paper attempts to demonstrate the integration between two technologies such as: Heat-pump System and Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) to provide a new control mechanism for new building generations so-called smart houses. The proposed control architecture benefits from our developed WSN hardware platform. It enables the user to control and monitor the ventilation system using our developed mobile application and/or a personal computer. Also, the performance of the proposed hardware platform is measured in three different environments in order to observer the coverage area of the WSN.Tiago Gomes is supported by FCT, the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (grant SFRH/BD/90162/2012). This work is supported by FEDER through COMPETE and national funds through FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology in the framework of the project FCOMP-OI-0124-FEDER-022674

OPTEXPLOR – new application for water resources management for private water supply utilities

This article presents the steps made for the development of a new water management system (WMS) for a private water utility in the south of Portugal, and its main results. The WMS is composed of a set of models representing the water resources, surface and groundwater, water quality models, economic models, and water allocation optimization models. The system was developed at the request of the regional water utility (Águas do Algarve, S.A.), which is responsible for distributing water to the entire Algarve region (most touristic area in Portugal, with about ten million tourists per year, and a local population of about four hundred thousand). Results clearly show that independently of the amount of water available, inter-annual exploration is always the best solution, if possible. When water scarcity is high, as in consecutive dry years, the water utility will need to call municipalities to use their systems to complement supply. The level of supply deficit is higher, in any case, for annual exploration management, and so are exploration costs. These results clearly show that water resources management needs careful inter-annual planning, even for a private water supply utility with very limited control over water exploration by other competing users