Food web topology and nested keystone species complexes

Important species may be in critically central network positions in ecological interaction networks. Beyond quantifying which one is the most central species in a food web, a multi-node approach can identify the key sets of the most central n species as well. However, for sets of different size n, these structural keystone species complexes may differ in their composition. If larger sets contain smaller sets, higher nestedness may be a proxy for predictive ecology and efficient management of ecosystems. On the contrary, lower nestedness makes the identification of keystones more complicated. Our question here is how the topology of a network can influence nestedness as an architectural constraint. Here, we study the role of keystone species complexes in 27 real food webs and quantify their nestedness. After quantifying their topology properties, we determine their keystones species complexes, calculate their nestedness and statistically analyze the relationship between topological indices and nestedness. A better understanding of the cores of ecosystems is crucial for efficient conservation efforts and to know which networks will have more nested keystone species complexes would be a great help for prioritizing species that could preserve the ecosystem’s structural integrity

Sistemas de informação na indústria 4.0 : mecanismos de apoio à transferência de dados para conhecimento em ambientes Lean

The paradigm that presently emerges in the organizational context, known as Industry 4.0 (I4.0) or Fourth Industrial Revolution, promises to bring principles of connectivity and flexibility to the companies that embrace it. Industry 4.0 enhances the efficiency in adapting in real time to the customers’ requirements, through the establishment of an intelligent shop floor capable of answering in a flexible and customized way to market changes. However, during the last three decades, it is known that the adoption of the Lean philosophy was absorbed by the industrial environment, with results that proved to be exuberant, considering the simplicity of the tools. In this way, the I4.0 implementation must be prepared to preserve the existing manufacturing systems, proceeding, whenever possible, to upgrade them on a Lean excellence basis. It is said that information systems will be decisive in the foundation of the I4.0 paradigm. Of these, MES systems, with greater connection to the shop floor, will tend to be aligned with existing practices, contributing, through their connectivity, to the introduction of knowledge management practices and data visualization mechanisms. In the specification and architecture phase of these systems, understanding the processes will be crucial. Thus, their documentation is an organizational pillar, with BPMN and UML being able to guide it. However, and in addition to its usefulness in the processes’ mapping, BPMN is also likely to be applied in capturing tacit knowledge, which can be a foundation for the constitution of knowledge repositories, impacting organizational excellence. It is in this context that the present work is implanted, aiming at the creation of guidelines and mechanisms that facilitate the implementation of I4.0 strategies in Lean industrial environments. The adopted methodology first went through an exhaustive literature review, in order to find possible bilateral effects between I4.0 technologies and lean tools. Then, the development of some applications aligned with the I4.0 paradigm, as a technological engine, and the Lean philosophy, as a tool for eliminating waste and / or creating value, was contemplated. From the various development experiences in an industrial context and considering the evidence reported in the literature, this study proposes a Lean 4.0 framework oriented to the shop floor.O paradigma que atualmente emerge no contexto organizacional, conhecido como Indústria 4.0 (I4.0) ou Quarta Revolução Industrial, promete trazer princípios de conectividade e flexibilidade às empresas que a adotam. A Indústria 4.0 potencia a eficácia no ajuste em tempo real aos requisitos dos clientes, através da constituição de um chão de fábrica inteligente e capaz de responder de forma flexível e customizada às mudanças do mercado. Contudo, durante as últimas três décadas, sabe-se que a adoção da filosofia Lean foi absorvida pelo meio industrial, com resultados que se demonstraram exuberantes, tendo em conta a simplicidade das ferramentas. Deste modo, a implementação I4.0 deve ser feita no sentido da preservação dos sistemas de manufatura já existentes, procedendo, desde que possível, ao seu upgrade numa base de excelência Lean. Conta-se que os sistemas de informação serão decisivos na fundação do paradigma I4.0. Destes, os sistemas MES, com maior conexão ao chão de fábrica, tenderão a ser alinhados com as práticas já existentes, contribuindo, através da sua conectividade, para a introdução de práticas de gestão do conhecimento e mecanismos de visualização de dados. Na fase de especificação e arquitetura destes sistemas, o entendimento dos processos será crucial. Assim, a documentação dos mesmos é um pilar organizacional, estando o BPMN e a UML capazes de a orientar. Porém, e a somar à sua utilidade na ilustração de processos, o BPMN está igualmente passível de ser aplicado na captação de conhecimento tácito, o que por si pode ser uma base para a constituição de repositórios de conhecimento, contribuindo para a excelência organizacional. É neste contexto que o presente trabalho se insere, tendo como objetivo a criação de linhas orientadoras e mecanismos que facilitem a implementação de estratégias I4.0 em ambientes industriais Lean. A metodologia adotada passou, primeiramente, por uma exaustiva revisão da literatura, por forma a encontrar possíveis efeitos bilaterais entre tecnologias I4.0 e ferramentas lean. De seguida, contemplou-se o desenvolvimento de alguns aplicativos alinhados ao paradigma I4.0, enquanto motor tecnológico, e à filosofia Lean, enquanto ferramenta de eliminação de desperdícios e/ou criação de valor. Das diversas experiências de desenvolvimento em contexto industrial e considerando as evidências reportadas na literatura o presente estudo propõe uma framework Lean 4.0 orientado ao chão de fábrica.Mestrado em Engenharia e Gestão Industria

Impacto prognóstico da elevação de troponina em doentes submetidos a endarterectomia carotídea sob anestesia regional - Um estudo prospectivo

Background Myocardial injury after noncardiac surgery (MINS) occurs in 15% of patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy (CEA) with general anesthesia. Short and long-term risk of myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke have been strongly associated with the presence of MINS, with an associated mortality rate superior to 10% in the first year. Due to the absence of studies concerning CEA with regional anesthesia (RA), the present study aimed to evaluate the incidence of MINS in patients with RA and its prognostic value on cardiovascular events or death. Materials and methods From January 2009 to January 2018, 156 patients from a Portuguese tertiary care medical center who underwent CEA under RA were retrieved from a prospectively gathered database. Troponin I or high-sensitive troponin I values were systematically measured in the postoperative period and studied as a binary outcome in a logistic regression model. Survival analysis was used to study the impact of MINS in time-dependent clinical outcomes such as stroke and MI. Results The incidence of MINS after CEA was 15.3%. Multivariate analysis confirmed that chronic heart failure was strongly associated with MINS (OR: 4.458, 95% CI: 1689-11.708, P < 0.001). A previously diagnosed MINS was associated with the long-term risk of MI and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) with hazard ratios (HR) of 3.318 (95% CI: 0.97-13.928, Breslow: P = 0.025) and 1.955 (95% CI: 1.01-4.132, Breslow: P = 0.046), respectively. Conclusions MINS is a long-term predictor of MI and MACE. Troponin assessment after CEA should be routinely monitored in patients with a cardiovascular risk superior to 5%. Further studies concerning prophylaxis and management of MINS should be carried on, focusing on the effect of anesthetic procedure in postoperative troponin elevation.Background Myocardial injury after noncardiac surgery (MINS) occurs in 15% of patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy (CEA) with general anesthesia. Short and long-term risk of myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke have been strongly associated with the presence of MINS, with an associated mortality rate superior to 10% in the first year. Due to the absence of studies concerning CEA with regional anesthesia (RA), the present study aimed to evaluate the incidence of MINS in patients with RA and its prognostic value on cardiovascular events or death. Materials and methods From January 2009 to January 2018, 156 patients from a Portuguese tertiary care medical center who underwent CEA under RA were retrieved from a prospectively gathered database. Troponin I or high-sensitive troponin I values were systematically measured in the postoperative period and studied as a binary outcome in a logistic regression model. Survival analysis was used to study the impact of MINS in time-dependent clinical outcomes such as stroke and MI. Results The incidence of MINS after CEA was 15.3%. Multivariate analysis confirmed that chronic heart failure was strongly associated with MINS (OR: 4.458, 95% CI: 1689-11.708, P < 0.001). A previously diagnosed MINS was associated with the long-term risk of MI and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) with hazard ratios (HR) of 3.318 (95% CI: 0.97-13.928, Breslow: P = 0.025) and 1.955 (95% CI: 1.01-4.132, Breslow: P = 0.046), respectively. Conclusions MINS is a long-term predictor of MI and MACE. Troponin assessment after CEA should be routinely monitored in patients with a cardiovascular risk superior to 5%. Further studies concerning prophylaxis and management of MINS should be carried on, focusing on the effect of anesthetic procedure in postoperative troponin elevation

Impact of infant feeding on the development of preterm gut microbiota

Background: Preterm infants are especially vulnerable to dysbiosis since their early gut microbiota is less abundant and diverse. When the first microbial colonizers reach infants’ gut remains an open question. It is assumed that maternal microbiota can influence the infants’ gut colonization, making it a critical player in the offspring’s immune and endocrine systems, as well as in metabolic health. Infant feeding has been reported as a major factor influencing the gut microbiota. Thus, studying the preterm infant gut microbiota is a research priority to complement nutritional neonatal care. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of different types of infant-feeding on the gut microbiota preterm infants. In addition, it was evaluated the preterm infants’ meconium colonization and the influence of vertical microbiota transmission. Methodology: The FEEDMI Trial is an observational longitudinal study that included very preterm infants (≤ 32 weeks of gestational age), hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit of Maternidade Dr. Alfredo da Costa. A total of four meconium and fecal samples from preterm infants were collected. Mothers were also asked to collect their fecal samples. Bacterial DNA present was extracted from samples and specific bacterial groups were quantified by RT-PCR. Results: In total, 453 fecal samples were processed from 117 preterm infants and their mothers. 88% of meconium samples were colonized. Proteobacteria and Firmicutes were the most abundant phyla during the first 26th postnatal days of infants. Meconium microbiota of preterm infants born between 28 and 32 weeks gestation showed stronger correlations with their mothers’ microbiota, as well as infants born by cesarean. Maternal factors significantly influenced the offspring’s microbiota, specially the pre-gestational body mass index. Mode of delivery had a limited impact on infants’ meconium with C-section promoting a greater amount of E. coli. Infant feeding takes time to influence the gut microbiota of preterm infants. When adjusted for gestational age, antibiotherapy and maternal diet, mothers’ own milk (MOM) promoted a healthier gut microbiota with higher levels of total bacteria and Bifidobacterium compared to donor human milk (DHM) and formula. Nevertheless, these differences were lower in DHM than formula fed infants. It was also observed lower levels of Firmicutes in infants fed with formula after adjusting for the same factors. Conclusions: The findings of this thesis suggest that infants’ meconium may have bacterial DNA prior to birth and maternal factors may have a central role in this process. Furthermore, this thesis highlights the importance of human milk on gut microbiota composition of infants prematurely-delivered with MOM promoting higher levels of total bacteria and Bifidobacterium, which may be translated in future healthier outcomes.Introdução: Os bebés prematuros são especialmente vulneráveis a disbiose intestinal, uma vez que o seu microbiota é pouco abundante e diverso. O momento em que os primeiros microrganismos colonizam o intestino do recém-nascido é uma questão em aberto. Sabe-se que o microbiota materno pode influenciar a colonização do intestino dos bebés, tendo um papel crucial no desenvolvimento dos sistemas imunitário e endócrino, assim como na saúde metabólica dos mesmos. A alimentação tem sido descrita como um dos fatores mais importantes que influencia o microbiota da criança. Neste sentido, estudar o microbiota intestinal de bebés prematuros é uma prioridade para complementar os cuidados alimentares neonatais. Objetivo: O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a influência dos diferentes tipos de alimentação infantil no microbiota intestinal de bebés prematuros. Mais ainda, foi analisada a colonização microbiana do mecónio destes bebés e a influência da transmissão vertical. Metodologia: O FEEDMI é um estudo observacional e longitudinal que inclui bebés muito prematuros (≤ 32 semanas de gestação) hospitalizados nos cuidados intensivos neonatais da Maternidade Dr. Alfredo da Costa. Foram recolhidas quatro amostras de mecónio e fezes de bebés prematuros. Às mães também foi pedido que fizessem uma recolha das suas fezes e que respondessem a um questionário de frequência alimentar. O ADN bacteriano foi extraído das amostras e grupos específicos de bactérias foram quantificados por RT-PCR. Resultados: No total, foram processadas 453 amostras fecais de 117 bebés prematuros e das suas mães. 88% das amostras de mecónio estavam colonizadas. Proteobacteria e Firmicutes foram os filos mais abundantes durante os primeiros 26 dias. O microbiota do mecónio de bebés nascidos entre as 28 e 32 mostrou ter correlações mais fortes com o microbiota das suas mães, assim com nos bebés nascidos por cesariana. A via de parto teve um efeito reduzido no mecónio dos bebés, sendo que a cesariana promoveu quantidades mais elevadas de E. coli. A influência da alimentação infantil no microbiota dos bebés prematuros não é imediata. Quando ajustado para idade gestacional, antibioterapia e dieta materna, o leite da própria mãe (LPM) promoveu um microbiota intestinal mais saudável com quantidades mais elevadas de bactérias totais e Bifidobacterium, quando comparado com o leite de dadora (LD) e formula. Contudo, estas diferenças foram inferiores nos prematuros alimentados com LD do que com formula. Também foram observados quantidades inferiores de Firmicutes nos bebés alimentados com fórmula, quando ajustado para os mesmos fatores. Conclusão: Os resultados desta tese sugerem que o mecónio poderá ter ADN bacteriano antes do nascimento e fatores maternos podem ter um papel central neste processo. Mais ainda, esta tese evidência a importância do LPM na composição do microbiota intestinal de bebés nascidos prematuramente

The use of digital storytelling tools in the production of multimedia news reports

This project aims at examining a number of influences on the changes that have occurred across storytelling in journalism. Particularly, how and why the ways of telling stories in journalism have been transformed throughout time. Further, how the incorporation of digital storytelling tools into the construction of non-fiction narratives has altered and influenced the perception of journalists towards stories. Another objective is to understand how journalists work with narrative and design building so as to create pieces that involve, engage and retain the audience. Finally, as a result of these changes, predict where journalism may be headed as technology further develops and new media elements emerge. This study then presents the analysis of multimedia news projects from the Portuguese Público and Expresso as well as the American The New York Times. Professionals from these three media organizations were interviewed to examine how news topics are chosen, project planning is undertaken, and reports built. The methodological approach is based on the categorization of digital news packaging developed by Richard Koci Hernandez and Jeremy Rue

Ecological modelling to describe the role of light on microbial interactions in Ulva spp. with implications in aquaculture

Dissertação de mestrado em BioinformaticsCom a população mundial a aumentar e as quotas de pesca a estagnar, são necessárias novas formas de produzir alimentos de origem marinha sem comprometer o ambiente. Uma destas formas é através da Aquacultura Multi-Trófica Integrada num Sistema de Recirculação de Água (IMTA-RAS). Um dos maiores problemas das produções intensivas é o dos agentes patogénicos ou oportunistas que podem causar uma taxa de mortalidade dos peixes da ordem dos 75% ou mesmo superior. Num sistema do tipo IMTA-RAS, são necessárias pelo menos duas espécies, uma alimentada (como os peixes) e outra extrativa (como, por exemplo, as algas) capaz de remover os nutrientes orgânicos e inorgânicos da água. Neste trabalho, consideramos Ulva ohnoi, uma espécie que tem atraído grande atenção devido à sua facilidade de cultivo, produtividade, elevado teor proteico, e outros nutrientes essenciais. As comunidades bacterianas associadas a Ulva spp. desempenham um papel funcional importante tanto na morfogénese como na reprodução de algas. Uma espécie bacteriana específica encontrada na superfície de Ulva, Phaeobacter gallaeciensis, pode produzir um antibiótico natural atuando contra agentes patogénicos oportunistas como o agente patogénico dos peixes, Vibrio anguillarum. No entanto, a retenção de Phaeobacter gallaeciensis na superfície das algas é afetada pelas condições de funcionamento do sistema IMTA. Mais especificamente, na intensidade da luz. Aqui propusemos a formulação de um modelo ecológico para ter em conta esses efeitos e descrever como a intensidade da luz afeta as interações entre espécies: alga - microbioma bacteriano - Phaeobacter. Para este propósito, primeiro foi realizada uma experiência para obter dados de crescimento das espécies com diferentes intensidades de luz. Os dados foram então utilizados para identificar iterativamente um modelo Lotka-Volterra. Foi realizada uma análise de identificabilidade, o que levou a um modelo reduzido. Posteriormente, utilizando uma abordagem de estimativa de parâmetros multi-experimental, foram estimados os tipos de interações e a sua dependência da intensidade luminosa. Os resultados finais revelam que a taxa de crescimento das algas depende da intensidade da luz. No entanto, intensidades mais elevadas podem ser prejudiciais. Além disso, as melhores condições de crescimento das algas parecem ser as piores para a retenção de Phaeobacter. Embora estes resultados necessitem de mais validação experimental, concluímos que a intensidade da luz deve ser seleccionada para obter bons compromissos entre o crescimento das algas e a produção de antibióticos naturais.With the world’s population increasing and fishing quotas stagnating, new ways to produce marine food without compromising the environment are needed. One of these ways is through Integrated Multi Trophic Aquaculture in a water Recirculation System (IMTA-RAS). One of the greatest problems of intensive productions is the opportunistic pathogens that can cause a mortality rate of fish on the order of 75% or even higher. In an IMTA-RAS type of system, at least two species are needed, one fed (like fish) and other extractive (like, for example, algae) capable of removing organic and inorganic nutrients from the water. In this work, we considered Ulva ohnoi, a species that has attracted important attention due to its ease of cultivation, productivity, high protein content, and other essential nutrients. The bacterial communities associated with Ulva spp. play an important functional role in both morphogenesis and algae reproduction. A particular bacterial species found on the surface of Ulva, Phaeobacter gallaeciensis, can produce a natural antibiotic acting against opportunistic pathogens as fish pathogen, Vibrio anguillarum. However, the retention of Phaeobacter gallaeciensis on the surface of the algae is affected by the operating conditions of the IMTA system. More specifically, on light intensity. Here we proposed the formulation of an ecological model to account for those effects and describe how light intensity affects the interactions between species: algae - bacterial microbiome - Phaeobacter. For this purpose, an experiment was first performed to obtain species growth data at different light intensities. The data were then used to iteratively identify a Lotka-Volterra model. Identifiability analysis was performed, which led to a reduced model. Afterwards, using a multi-experiment parameter estimation approach, the types of interactions and their dependence on the light intensity were estimated. The final results reveal that the algae growth rate depends on the light intensity. However, higher intensities can be detrimental. In addition, the best algae growth conditions appear to be the worst for retention of Phaeobacter. Although these results need further experimental validation, we concluded that light intensity must be selected to obtain good compromises between algae growth and the production of natural antibiotics

Sequential Allocation and Balancing Prognostic Factors in a Psychiatric Clinical Trial

In controlled clinical trials, each of several prognostic factors should be balanced across the trial arms. Traditional restricted randomization may be proved inadequate especially with small sample sizes. In psychiatric disorders such as obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), small trials prevail. Therefore, procedures to minimize the chance of imbalance between treatment arms are advisable. This paper describes a minimization procedure specifically designed for a clinical trial that evaluates treatment efficacy for OCD patients. Aitchison&#x27;s compositional distance was used to calculate vectors for each possibility of allocation in a covariate adaptive method. Two different procedures were designed to allocate patients in small blocks or sequentially one-by-one. Partial results of this allocation procedure as well as simulated ones are shown. In the clinical trial for which this procedure was developed, the balancing between treatment arms was achieved successfully. Simulations of results considering different arrival order of patients showed that most of the patients are allocated in a different treatment arm if arrival order is modified. Results show that a random factor is maintained with the random arrival order of patients. This specific procedure allows the use of a large number of prognostic factors for the allocation decision and was proved adequate for a psychiatric trial design

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Application of carbon nanomaterials in wastewater treatment

Dissertação de mestrado em BiotechnologyWastewater pollution is one of the most serious problems worldwide. The rapid industrialization and significant rise in the population leads to the contamination of water resources with different micropollutants such as azo dyes and pharmaceuticals. Current wastewater treatment technologies are not effective in the reduction of these compounds, resulting in the dissemination of them in soils, crops, surface water, groundwater and even in drinking water, leading to negative effects in public health and in aquatic life. Anaerobic treatments have been described for the biodegradation of micropollutants, however, the reactions proceed slowly due to the recalcitrant nature of the compounds, which is a limitation for the application of anaerobic bioprocesses. Therefore, adding to the reaction materials or compounds that act as redox mediator (RM), in order to accelerate the degradation reactions, it is intended to overcome that barrier. Some carbon materials (CM) have been described as good RM for the reduction of different micropollutants. In this work, different carbon nanotubes (CNT) with modified surface chemistry, namely oxidized CNT with HNO3 (CNT_HNO3) and ball milling CNT (CNT_MB_M), as well as magnetic CNT, impregnated with 2% of iron (CNT@2%Fe; CNT@2%Fe_HNO3 and CNT@2%Fe_MB_M), were prepared. The new CM were tested as RM in the biological Acid Orange 10 (AO10) removal with granular sludge (GS) over 29 h of reaction. In addition, commercial CNT were used as RM in ciprofloxacin (CIP) biological removal with GS, along three cycles of 24 h of the addition of the antibiotic, in order to understand the mechanisms of the removal of this pharmaceutical, since in the first two cycles the adsorption of the compound to the CNT and GS difficulted the interpretation. Biologic decolourisation of AO10, after 29h in the presence of CM, shows improvements when compared with the control without CM (removal of 29 ±3 %), thus the materials used act as RM in the biologic reaction. The best CM tested was the CNT_MB_M, leading to 98±1 % of biological AO10 removal at the rate of 2.94±0.18 d-1. Abiotic assays do not present any dye removal. The results obtained with the presence of CM@2%Fe do not showed improvement in the rate of the reaction and do not allows the degradation under abiotic conditions as well, which contradicts the results of a previous study, where iron was shown to also participate in the electron transfer, so improving the rates. The methane production was not affected by the presence of different CM. Biological assay of CIP removal in the presence of CNT (biotic.CNT.CIP), after three cycles, showed 88±4 % of removal of the pharmaceutical. The removal in the abiotic conditions, although much less, show adsorption of CIP on CNT (29±3 %) and in the blank condition without CNT (blank.CIP) was showed 68±6 % removal due to adsorption on GS. The obtained results evidence that the removal of CIP occurs by three mechanisms: adsorption on GS, adsorption on CNT, and CIP biological reduction. However, the effect of CNT as RM on the reduction of CIP was not evident.A poluição das águas é um dos mais sérios problemas em todo o mundo. A rápida industrialização e o aumento significativo da população levam à contaminação dos recursos de água com diferentes micropoluentes, tais como, corantes azo e fármacos. As atuais tecnologias de tratamento de águas residuais não são efetivas na redução destes compostos, resultando na sua disseminação nos solos, terrenos agrícolas, águas superficiais e subterrâneas e até na água potável, resultando em efeitos negativos para a saúde pública e na vida aquática. Tratamentos anaeróbios têm sido descritos para a biodegradação de micropoluentes, contudo estas reações decorrem lentamente devido à natureza recalcitrante dos compostos, sendo uma limitação para a aplicação dos bioprocessos anaeróbios. Deste modo, é adicionada à reação materiais ou compostos que atuam como mediadores redox (RM), de modo a acelerar a reação de degradação, pretendendo-se ultrapassar esta barreira. Vários materiais de carbono (CM) têm sido descritos como bons RM para a redução de diferentes micropoluentes. Neste trabalho, diferentes nanotubos de carbono (CNT) com modificações na química da superfície, nomeadamente CNT oxidados com HNO3 (CNT_HNO3) e CNT ball milling (CNT_MB_M), bem como CNT magnéticos, impregnados com 2% de ferro (CNT@2%Fe, CNT@2%Fe_HNO3 e CNT@2%Fe_MB_M), foram preparados. Os novos CM foram testados como RM na remoção biológica do Acid Orange 10 (AO10) com biomassa granular (GS) durante 29h de reação. Adicionalmente, CNT comerciais foram utilizados como RM na remoção biológica da ciprofloxacina (CIP) com GS, durante três ciclos de adição do antibiótico, de forma a compreender os mecanismos de remoção deste fármaco, sendo que nos primeiros dois ciclos a adsorção do composto aos CNT e à GS dificultam a interpretação. A descoloração biológica do AO10, após 29h na presença de CM, mostraram melhorias comparativamente ao controlo sem CM (remoção de 29 ±3 %), por isso os materiais usados atuam como RM na reação biológica. Os melhores CM testados foram os CNT_MB_M, levando a 98±1 % de remoção de AO10 à velocidade de 2.94±0.18 d-1. Ensaios abióticos não apresentam qualquer remoção do corante. Os resultados obtidos na presença de CM@2%Fe não apresentaram melhorias na velocidade de reação e também não permitem a degradação em condições abióticas, contradizendo resultados de estudos anteriores, onde foi verificado que o ferro também participa na transferência eletrónica, aumentando as velocidades de reação. A produção de metano não é afetada pela presença de diferentes CM. Ensaios biológicos de remoção da CIP na presença de CNT (biotic.CNT.CIP), após três ciclos, revelaram 88±4 % de remoção do fármaco. A remoção em condições abióticas, apesar de muito menor, mostra a adsorção da CIP aos CNT (29±3 %) e na condição branco sem CNT (blank.CIP) foi apresentada uma remoção de 68±6 % devido à adsorção na GS. Os resultados obtidos evidenciam que a remoção da CIP ocorre por três mecanismos: adsorção à GS, adsorção aos CNT e redução biológica. Contudo, o efeito dos CNT como RM na redução da CIP não é evidente