GIS-Based Assessment of the Chestnut Expansion Potential: A Case-Study on the Marvão Productive Area, Portugal

Sweet chestnut is a relevant species in Europe for the production of timber and fruit, alongside environmental effects such as biodiversity of protection against soil erosion. In Portugal, chestnut is cultivated mainly for fruit production, in two areas, in the North and the South of the country, with moderate water deficit and low slope and at altitudes higher than 500 m. The current area (845 ha) of the southern so-called Marvão Protected Designation of Origin, of a fortyfold lower order of magnitude by comparison with the Northern productive area, has a significant expansion potential, given its similarity with contiguous areas in the same region. In this context, the main objective of the present work was the evaluation through geographic information analysis of that expansive potential, by comparison of physiographic profiling of the current production area with contiguous areas. A GIS-based characterization of current and potential chestnut areas in Marvão is presented. The methodology involved (i) digital profiling of the main classes/values of the geographical spatial ecological fingerprint considering topography, soil and microclimate variables in the areas currently occupied with sweet chestnut stands and (ii) the evaluation of the distribution of that environmental fingerprint in the whole Marvão productive area, for extending the cultivation to contiguous areas with a similar ecological fingerprint. An enlarged 9889 ha chestnut area was proposed, allocated for high forest stands aiming at agroforestry fruit production and coppiced stands for timber production and environmental protection, corresponding to 4590 ha and 5299 ha, respectively. Fruit production was proposed to field slopes of 0–4% and 4–8%, and altitudes between 400 m and 500 m. Presumable high-quality sites allocated to temporary dry/irrigated cultivations were also proposed for fruit production, in the same slope classes and altitudes higher than 500 m. Timber production and environmental protection were proposed for slopes within 812% and >12% ranges. This selection took into account the logistical feasibility facilitated in lower slopes for intensive mechanized management operations. This methodology permits a future field evaluation of site indexes, productivity, and correlations between environmental variables and stand biometryinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Time to blood culture positivity as a predictor of clinical outcome in patients with Candida albicans bloodstream infection

Background: Few studies have assessed the time to blood culture positivity as a predictor of clinical outcome in fungal bloodstream infections (BSIs). the purpose of this study was to evaluate the time to positivity (TTP) of blood cultures in patients with Candida albicans BSIs and to assess its impact on clinical outcome.Methods: A historical cohort study with 89 adults patients with C. albicans BSIs. TTP was defined as the time between the start of incubation and the time that the automated alert signal indicating growth in the culture bottle sounded.Results: Patients with BSIs and TTPs of culture of 36 h (n = 50) were compared. Septic shock occurred in 46.2% of patients with TTPs of 36 h (p = 0.56). A central venous catheter source was more common with a BSI TTP of = 20 at BSI onset, the development of at least one organ system failure (respiratory, cardiovascular, renal, hematologic, or hepatic), SOFA at BSI onset, SAPS II at BSI onset, and time to positivity were associated with death. By using logistic regression analysis, the only independent predictor of death was time to positivity (1.04; 95% CI, 1.0-1.1, p = 0.035), with the chance of the patient with C. albicans BSI dying increasing 4.0% every hour prior to culture positivity.Conclusion: A longer time to positivity was associated with a higher mortality for Candida albicans BSIs; therefore, initiating empiric treatment with antifungals may improve outcomes.Universidade Federal de São Paulo UNIFESP, Div Infect Dis, São Paulo, BrazilHosp Israelita Albert Einstein, Div Med Practice, São Paulo, BrazilVirginia Commonwealth, Univ Sch Med, Dept Internal Med, Richmond, VA USAUniversidade Federal de São Paulo UNIFESP, Div Infect Dis, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

The magnitude of syphilis: from prevalence to vertical transmission

Introduction: In 2013, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that 1.9 million pregnant women were infected with syphilis worldwide, of which 66.5% had adverse fetal effects in cases of untreated syphilis. Congenital syphilis contributes significantly to infant mortality, accounting for 305,000 perinatal deaths worldwide annually. Aim: To estimate the prevalence of syphilis in parturients, the incidence of congenital syphilis and the vertical transmission rate. Material and methods: a cross-sectional study with data collected from 2041 parturients who had undergone treatment between 2012 and 2014 in the maternity section of the Pedro Ernesto Hospital of the State University of Rio de Janeiro, in the metropolitan area of Rio de Janeiro. The inclusion criterion was positive VDRL and treponemal test in a hospital environment. Results: the prevalence of syphilis in pregnant women was 4.1% in 2012, 3.1% in 2013 and 5% in 2014, with official reporting of 15.6%, 25.0% and 48.1%, respectively. The incidence of congenital syphilis (CS) was 22/1,000 in live births (LB) in 2012; 17/1,000 LB in 2013 and 44.8/1,000 LB in 2014. CS underreporting during the period was 6.7%. Vertical transmission occurred in 65.8% of infants from infected mothers. It was concluded that, in 34.6% of the CS cases, maternal VDRL titers were = 1/4. Conclusion: Results demonstrate the magnitude of the disease, fragility of the reporting system in the assessment of the actual prevalence, impact on perinatal outcomes, and they are a warning about the real situation of syphilis, which is still underestimated in the State

[measure Of Disease Impact: Instrument Construct Validity In Patients With Coronary Artery Disease].

This study estimated the known groups construct validity for the Instrument to Measure the Impact of Coronary Disease on Patient's Everyday Life (IDCV) related to signs and symptoms, ventricular systolic function, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in 153 outpatients with coronary artery disease. Data was obtained through application of IDCV and Brazilian versions of the instruments The Medical Study 36-item Short Form Health Survey - SF-36 and the MacNew Heart Disease Health-related Quality of Life Questionnaire . Mann-Whitney test was used to verify the ability of IDCV in discriminating impact of signs and symptoms, LVEF and ventricular systolic dysfunction. Also, the Kruskal-Wallis test was used to verify the discrimination power of the IDCV in relation to HRQoL. It was observed that the IDCV discriminated the impact between variables scored in HRQOL quartiles (≤Q1, Q1-Q3, ≥Q3). The study findings contribute for improvement of IDCV in measurement of disease impact in coronary artery disease patients.47843-5

GEOTIC – Group of Information and Communication Technologies of the Geological Society of Portugal

Apresentam-se as actividades desenvolvidas pelo GEOTIC desde a sua constituição, em 1999, bem como duas sessões temáticas propostas para o VII Congresso Nacional de Geologia: um debate sobre a edição científica em Portugal face aos desafios do Science Citation Index®, e um workshop sobre a utilização da plataforma Moodle em cursos on-line e em trabalho colaborativo através da Internet.publishersversionpublishe

Geologia e Internet em Portugal

Apresenta-se uma síntese do desenvolvimento português de sítios na Internet com conteúdos de carácter geológico, desde 1995, altura em que as Universidades começaram a disponibilizar informação na Internet. É ainda muito escassa a informação geológica disponível na Internet, não obstante o crescimento exponencial de domínios PT nos últimos anos. Discutem-se as razões para este facto, bem como as vantagens e inconvenientes da publicação electrónica de conteúdos geológicos. Listam-se endereços dos sítios activos mais relevantes, com um breve comentário sobre os seus conteúdos.publishersversionpublishe

Standardization of blood smears prepared in transparent acetate : an alternative method for the microscopic diagnosis of malaria

Background: Due to students’ initial inexperience, slides are frequently broken and blood smears are damaged in microscopy training, leading to the need for their constant replacement. To minimize this problem a method of preparing blood smears on transparent acetate sheets was developed with the goal of implementing appropriate and more readily available teaching resources for the microscopic diagnosis of malaria. Methods: Acetate sheets derived from polyester were used to standardize the preparation and staining of thin and thick blood smears on transparent acetate sheets. Thick and thin blood smears were also prepared using the conventional method on glass slides. The staining was conducted using Giemsa staining for the thick and thin smears. Results: Microscopic examination (1,000x) of the thin and thick blood smears prepared on transparent acetate produced high-quality images for both the parasites and the blood cells. The smears showed up on a clear background and with minimal dye precipitation. It was possible to clearly identify the main morphological characteristics of Plasmodium, neutrophils and platelets. After 12 months of storage, there was no change in image quality or evidence of fungal colonization. Conclusion: Preparation of thin and thick blood smears in transparent acetate for the microscopic diagnosis of malaria does not compromise the morphological and staining characteristics of the parasites or blood cells. It is reasonable to predict the applicability of transparent acetate in relevant situations such as the training of qualified professionals for the microscopic diagnosis of malaria and the preparation of positive specimens for competency assessment (quality control) of professionals and services involved in the diagnosis of malaria

Cardiovascular dysfunction in obesity and new diagnostic imaging techniques: the role of noninvasive image methods

Obesity is a major public health problem affecting adults and children in both developed and developing countries. This condition often leads to metabolic syndrome, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. A large number of studies have been carried out to understand the pathogenesis of cardiovascular dysfunction in obese patients. Endothelial dysfunction plays a key role in the progression of atherosclerosis and the development of coronary artery disease, hypertension and congestive heart failure. Noninvasive methods in the field of cardiovascular imaging, such as measuring intima-media thickness, flow-mediated dilatation, tissue Doppler, and strain, and strain rate, constitute new tools for the early detection of cardiac and vascular dysfunction. These techniques will certainly enable a better evaluation of initial cardiovascular injury and allow the correct, timely management of obese patients. The present review summarizes the main aspects of cardiovascular dysfunction in obesity and discusses the application of recent noninvasive imaging methods for the early detection of cardiovascular alterations