Inhibition-based biosensor for cyanide detection – a preliminary study

Abstract in proceedings of the Fourth International Congress of CiiEM: Health, Well-Being and Ageing in the 21st Century, held at Egas Moniz’ University Campus in Monte de Caparica, Almada, from 3–5 June 2019.This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Differences between FEV6, FVC and VC at the diagnosis of obstructive ventilatory defect

Introduction: The diagnosis of airway obstruction can be made through FEV1/FVC ratio <0.7 or FEV1/VC ratio < lower limit of normality (LLN). Several authors advocate that FEV1/FEV6 ratio is an alternative to diagnosing obstructive ventilatory defect, while others have determined that the best cut-off for this ratio (best combined sensitivity and specificity) is 0.73. Objective: To evaluate the non-inferiority of FEV1/FEV6 ratio < 0.73 when compared to FEV1/ FVC ratio < 0.7 and FEV1/VC < LLN in diagnosing airway obstruction. Methods: A retrospective analysis of the medical records from patients who underwent spirometry or plethysmography in a university central hospital from June 1st to December 31st, 2018 was carried out. Only medical records which included FEV1/FVC < 0.7 or FEV1/VC < LLN were selected, and these results were compared to FEV1/FEV6 ratio. Results: A total of 526 patients with obstructive ventilatory defect were identified by one of the two ratios described. Of these, 95.1%, 87.4% and 88.6% were obstructive by FEV1/FVC, FEV1/ VC, and FEV1/FEV6 ratio, respectively. The positive predictive value (PPV) of FEV1/FEV6 in relation to FEV1/FVC ratio was 99.6% (p < 0.001) with a diagnostic efficacy of 92.8%, whereas the PPV of FEV1/FEV6 in relation to FEV1/VC was 91.0% (p 70% (mild obstruction) and in individuals aged >50 years. Conclusions: FEV1/FEV6 < 0.73 may be a good alternative ratio, as it is non-inferior to FEV1/VC and FEV1/FVC in diagnosing obstructive ventilatory defect.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Produtividade econômica e componentes da produção de espigas verdes de milho em função da adubação nitrogenada.

Foi avaliado, durante dois anos, o efeito de doses de nitrogênio (N) na produtividade de espigas verdes de milho e em componentes da sua produção. Cinco doses de N (0, 60, 120, 180 e 240 kg ha-1) aplicadas em cobertura foram testadas num delineamento experimental de blocos casualizados, com quatro repetições. Foram avaliadas a produção e o número de espigas comerciais com palha por hectare, peso das espigas com e sem palha, comprimento e diâmetro de espigas sem palha e relação espiga com palha/palha. Aumentos na produtividade de espigas comerciais com palha com a aplicação de N foram encontrados, sendo estimadas as máximas produtividades de 13,52 t ha-1 com a dose de 157 kg ha-1 de N (primeiro ano) e de 14,86 t ha-1 com a dose de 177 kg ha-1 de N (segundo ano). Os aumentos na produtividade de espigas não foram devido aos aumentos do número de espigas por área e do comprimento destas, que não foram afetados pela adubação nitrogenada. Diferentemente da relação espiga/palha, o peso e o diâmetro das espigas foram influenciados pela elevação das doses de N. Foi proposta uma tabela de recomendação de adubação nitrogenada nos moldes de preços preestabelecidos de N e de espigas

Acute Parotitis: A Rare Complication of Fine Needle Aspiration in Warthin Tumour

Salivary gland tumours are a group of neoplasms with considerable heterogeneity regarding their histology and biological behaviour. Warthin tumour (WT) is the second most common benign parotid tumour. Options for tissue diagnosis include fine needle aspiration (FNA) and ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy. Complications related to FNA are rare. We present the case of a 49-year-old man admitted with parotitis after FNA and discuss management and an alternative investigative approach when WT is strongly suspected

Theory of mind in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Introduction. Theory of mind (TM) is involved in social cognition, as it evaluates our ability to impute our mental states to the others in order to predict and explain behaviour. In the literature, it has been noticed that children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) show some impairments of TM when compared with children not neurodevelopmental impaired. Our goal in this study was to compare the TM in two groups: schooler children with normal development and schooler children with ADHD. Subjects and methods. A total of 35 children, aged between 6 and 12 years, were recruited: 17 with ADHD and 18 not neurodevelopmental impaired. TM was evaluated using an assessment method validated for the Portuguese population: Turtle on the Island-Battery of Assessment of Executive Functions in Children. Results. We obtained two comparable groups concerning sociodemographic data. There were no significant differences between the two groups regarding TM. Conclusion. The TM assessment in Portuguese children did not reveal significant impairment regarding this cognitive skill in children with ADHD

Evaluation of the agricultural potential of the serpentinite rock as a soil remineralizer.

Magnesium is one of the essential elements for the plant growth. However, when the supply of magnesium is required exclusively, few economically feasible options are available. Serpentinite represents an alternative source of magnesium, although little is known about its potential and effi ciency under tropical soil conditions. This work aimed to evaluate the use of serpentinite as a soil remineralizer, as well as magnesium fertilizer. The study was conducted in a greenhouse, using a completely randomized design, with seven treatments and four replications, as follows: three levels of serpentinite, mix of serpentinite and phonolite, and the controls with dolomitic limestone and without fertilization. Two plant species (Zea mays L. corn hybrid BRS ? 1055 and Phaseolus vulgaris L. common bean variety BRS ? Estilo) and two contrasting soils (clayey and sandy texture), were used in pots. Results showed that serpentinite?s free silica and toxic element contents fi tted the legal requirements. No statistically signifi cant difference was observed for the plant dry matter weight production in the serpentinite and dolomitic limestone control, as well as in the pure serpentinite and the mix with phonolite treatments. The serpentinite was able to supply and to fullfil magnesium requirements for growth and development of corn and bean plants