Pretreated Agro-Industrial Effluents as a Source of Nutrients for Tomatoes Grown in a Dual Function Hydroponic System: Tomato Quality Assessment

In a zero-waste approach for the agro-industrial sector, this study aimed to evaluate the reuse of cheese whey wastewater (chemical oxygen demand = 2.1 g L−1) pretreated by immediate one-step lime precipitation followed by natural carbonation as a nutritive solution for tomato production in hydroponic systems. Pretreated effluent, diluted with groundwater (1:6) and supplemented with nutrients, was utilized to irrigate different hydroponic systems designed to assess the influence of tomato rooting type (free/confined−setup_A) and the feed’s solution level (with/without water deep−setup_B). Plants and fruit development, fruit physicochemical characteristics and sensory analysis, and effluent quality after reuse were analyzed. Good quality tomato production with high crop yield was obtained. The highest marketable tomato weight per plant (682 g) was observed in setup_B with a deep-bed system, but setup_A, with free or confined rooting, presented similar values. The type of rooting, within setup_A or water deep within setup_B, did not significantly influence plant and fruit characteristics. The highest maturity and flavor indexes were observed for setup_A with free rooting. Regarding sensory analysis, setup_A often scored the highest in terms of overall appreciation with free or confined rooting. The reuse of cheese whey wastewater in hydroponics reduced freshwater consumption for crop production, allowed for a treated final effluent and prevented soil degradation in a sustainable circular economy methodology.This research was funded by the InsectERA (C632327738-00466948) and Carbo2Soil (PRR-C05-i03-I-000030) projects, financed by PRR (Recovery and Resilience Plan) and by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, FCT, project UIDB/00195/2020, research contract CEECINST/00016/2021/CP2828/CT0006, awarded to Annabel Fernandes under the scope of the CEEC Institutional 2021, and a Ph.D. grant (2020.04822.BD) awarded to A. Afonso

Multi-step subcritical water extracts of fucus vesiculosus l. And codium tomentosum stackhouse: Composition, health-benefits and safety

PO-CI-01-0145FEDER-030240Mental health and active aging are two of the main concerns in the 21st century. To search for new neuroprotective compounds, extracts of Codium tomentosum Stackhouse and Fucus vesiculosus L. were obtained through multi-step (four step) subcritical water extraction using a temperature gradient. The safety assessment of the extracts was performed by screening pharmaceutical compounds and pesticides by UHPLC-MS/MS, and iodine and arsenic levels by ICP-MS. Although the extracts were free of pharmaceutical compounds and pesticides, the presence of arsenic and high iodine contents were found in the first two extraction steps. Thus, the health-benefits were only evaluated for the fractions obtained in steps 3 and 4 from the extraction process. These fractions were tested against five brain enzymes implicated in Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and major depression etiology as well as against reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, having been observed a strong enzyme inhibition and radical scavenging activities for the step 4 fractions from both seaweed species. Regarding the variation of the chemical composition during the extraction, step 1 fractions were the richest in phenolic compounds. With the increase in temperature, Maillard reaction, caramelization and thermo-oxidation occurred, and the resulting products positively affected the antioxidant capacity and the neuroprotective effects.publishersversionpublishe

Nanostructured LiFe5O8 by a biogenic method for applications from electronics to medicine

The authors are grateful for the FEDER funds through the COMPETE 2020 Program and National Funds through FCT-Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology under the project UID/CTM/50025/2019, and Romanian Ministry of Education and Research, under Romanian National Nucleu Program LAPLAS VI.The physical properties of the cubic and ferrimagnetic spinel ferrite LiFe5O8 has made it an attractive material for electronic and medical applications. In this work, LiFe5O8 nanosized crystallites were synthesized by a novel and eco-friendly sol-gel process, by using powder coconut water as a mediated reaction medium. The dried powders were heat-treated (HT) at temperatures between 400 and 1000◦C, and their structure, morphology, electrical and magnetic characteristics, cytotoxicity, and magnetic hyperthermia assays were performed. The heat treatment of the LiFe5O8 powder tunes the crystallite sizes between 50 nm and 200 nm. When increasing the temperature of the HT, secondary phases start to form. The dielectric analysis revealed, at 300 K and 10 kHz, an increase of ε′ (≈10 up to ≈14) with a tan δ almost constant (≈0.3) with the increase of the HT temperature. The cytotoxicity results reveal, for concentrations below 2.5 mg/mL, that all samples have a non-cytotoxicity property. The sample heat-treated at 1000◦C, which revealed hysteresis and magnetic saturation of 73 emu g−1 at 300 K, showed a heating profile adequate for magnetic hyperthermia applications, showing the potential for biomedical applications.publishersversionpublishe

De novo human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 decoy NL-CVX1 protects mice from severe disease after severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 infection

© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.The emergence of novel variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) underscores the need to investigate alternative approaches to prevent infection and treat patients with coronavirus disease 2019. Here, we report the preclinical efficacy of NL-CVX1, a de novo decoy that blocks virus entry into cells by binding with nanomolar affinity and high specificity to the receptor-binding domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Using a transgenic mouse model of SARS-CoV-2 infection, we showed that a single prophylactic intranasal dose of NL-CVX1 conferred complete protection from severe disease following SARS-CoV-2 infection. Multiple therapeutic administrations of NL-CVX1 also protected mice from succumbing to infection. Finally, we showed that infected mice treated with NL-CVX1 developed both anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and memory T cells and were protected against reinfection a month after treatment. Overall, these observations suggest NL-CVX1 is a promising therapeutic candidate for preventing and treating severe SARS-CoV-2 infections.This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreements number 852985.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

De novo human angiotensin - converting enzyme 2 Decoy NL-CVX1 protects mice from severe disease after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection

The emergence of novel variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) underscores the need to investigate alternative approaches to prevent infection and treat patients with coronavirus disease 2019. Here, we report the preclinical efficacy of NL-CVX1, a de novo decoy that blocks virus entry into cells by binding with nanomolar affinity and high specificity to the receptor-binding domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Using a transgenic mouse model of SARS-CoV-2 infection, we showed that a single prophylactic intranasal dose of NL-CVX1 conferred complete protection from severe disease following SARS-CoV-2 infection. Multiple therapeutic administrations of NL-CVX1 also protected mice from succumbing to infection. Finally, we showed that infected mice treated with NL-CVX1 developed both anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and memory T cells and were protected against reinfection a month after treatment. Overall, these observations suggest NL-CVX1 is a promising therapeutic candidate for preventing and treating severe SARS-CoV-2 infections.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

CUIDADOS DA EQUIPE DE ENFERMAGEM NA PUNÇÃO INTRAVENOSA PERIFÉRICA SEGURA EM IDOSOS HOSPITALIZADOS

RESUMO OBJETIVO: descrever os cuidados da equipe de Enfermagem na punção intravenosa periférica segura em idosos hospitalizados. MÉTODO: pesquisa qualitativa conduzida em um hospital geral público no interior da Bahia no ano de 2014. Realizaram-se entrevistas semiestruturadas com nove profissionais de Enfermagem da clínica médica, a partir de roteiro previamente elaborado. As entrevistas foram analisadas utilizando-se o método da análise de conteúdo. RESULTADOS: emergiram as categorias analíticas: 1. Consideração sobre o processo de envelhecimento; 2. Condição clínica e o preparo da pessoa idosa para o acesso venoso periférico; 3. Seleção do local para o acesso venoso periférico; 4. Escolha do dispositivo intravascular. CONCLUSÃO: a punção intravenosa periférica segura está relacionada à avaliação prévia das condições clínicas do idoso, seleção do local e escolha do dispositivo intravascular. Os cuidados realizados pelos profissionais não são sistematizados ou padronizados, o que pode contribuir para a ocorrência de eventos adversos

Covid-19 misinformation in Portuguese-speaking countries: agreement with content and associated factors

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, a complex phenomenon called the “infodemic” has emerged, compromising coping with the pandemic. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of agreement with misinformation about COVID-19 and to identify associated factors. A web survey was carried out in Portuguese-speaking countries in two stages: 1. the identification of misinformation circulating in the included countries; 2. a multicentric online survey with residents of the included countries. The outcome of the study was agreement or disagreement with misinformation about COVID-19. Multivariate analyzes were conducted using the Poisson regression model with robust variance, a logarithmic link function, and 95% confidence intervals. The prevalence of agreement with misinformation about COVID-19 was 63.9%. The following factors increased the prevalence of this outcome: having a religious affiliation (aPR: 1454, 95% CI: 1393–1517), having restrictions on leisure (aPR: 1230, 95% CI: 1127–1342), practicing social isolation (aPR: 1073, 95% CI: 1030–1118), not avoiding agglomeration (aPR: 1060, 95% CI: 1005–1117), not seeking/receiving news from scientific sources (aPR: 1153, 95% CI: 1068–1245), seeking/receiving news from three or more non-scientific sources (aPR: 1114, 95% CI: 1049–1182), and giving credibility to news carried by people from social networks (aPR: 1175, 95% CI: 1104–1251). There was a high prevalence of agreement with misinformation about COVID-19. The quality, similarity, uniformity, and acceptance of the contents indicate a concentration of themes that reflect “homemade”, simple, and easy methods to avoid infection by SARS-CoV-2, compromising decision-making and ability to cope with the disease.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Influenza severe cases in hospitals, between 2014 and 2016 in Portugal

Rede Portuguesa de Laboratórios para o Diagnóstico da GripeBackground: Since 2009, the Portuguese Laboratory Network (PLNID) for Influenza Diagnosis has integrated 15 Laboratories in mainland and Atlantic Islands of Azores and Madeira. This PLNID added an important contribute to the National Influenza Surveillance Program regarding severe and hospitalized influenza cases. The present study aims to describe influenza viruses detected in influenza like illness (ILI) cases: outpatients (Outp), hospitalized (Hosp), and intensive care units (ICU), between 2014 and 2016. Methods: The PLNID performs influenza virus diagnosis by biomolecular methodologies. Weekly reports to the National Influenza Reference Laboratory ILI cases tested for influenza. Reports include data on detecting viruses, hospital assistance, antiviral therapeutics, and information on death outcome. Were reported during two winter seasons 8059 ILI cases,being 3560 cases in 2014/15 (1024 in Outp, 1750 Hosp, and 606 in ICU) and 4499 cases in 2015/2016 (1933 in Outp, 1826 Hosp, and 740 in ICU). Results: The higher percentage of influenza positive cases were detected in Outp in both seasons, 18% during 2014/15 and 20% in 2015/16. In 2014/15,influenza cases were more frequent in individuals older than 65 years old and these required more hospitalizations,even in ICU. In 2015/16,the influenza cases were mainly detected in individuals between 15-64 years old. A higher proportion of influenza positive cases with hospitalization in ICU were observed in adults between 45-64 years old.During the study period,the predominant circulating influenza viruses were different in the two seasons: influenza B and A(H3) co-circulated in 2014/15,and influenza A(H1)pdm09 was predominant during 2015/16. Even when influenza A is notthe dominant virus, A(H3) and A(H1)pdm09 subtypes correlate with higher detection rate in hospitalized cases (Hosp and UCI), with higher frequencies in adults older than 45. Influenza B,detected in higher proportion in outpatients, was frequently relatedwith influenza cases in younger age groups: 0-4 and 5-14 years old. Conclusions: This study highlights the correlation of theinfluenza virus type/subtype that circulates in each season with the possible need for hospitalization and intensive care in special groups of the population. Circulation of influenza A subtypes can cause more frequentdisease in individuals older than 45, with need of hospitalization including intensive care. On the other hand, influenza B is more frequently associated with less severe cases and with infection in children and younger adults. Influenza B circulation might predict lower number of hospitalizations.The identification of influenza type in circulation,byPLNID ineach season, could guide action planning measures in population health care.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio