Assessment of ammonia and greenhouse gas emissions from broiler houses in Portugal

ABSTRACT: Broiler husbandry is a significant source of ammonia (NH3), nitrous oxide (N2O), carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) emissions but scarce studies have been made under Mediterranean conditions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the NH3, N2O, CO2 and CH4 emissions on commercial broiler houses under Portuguese winter conditions. The study was made on a commercial broiler farm located in central Portugal. Three tunnel ventilated broiler houses with similar equipment and production practices were selected. The outdoor and indoor environmental conditions, gas concentrations and ventilation rates of each broiler house were measured during 42 days of growing cycle. Results showed that the maximum concentrations of NH3, N2O, CO2 and CH4 did not exceed the threshold values recommended to maintain indoor air quality on broiler houses. The average emission rates from broiler houses under winter conditions were 0.13 ± 0.04, 0.041 ± 0.002, 96.2 ± 8.8 and 0.226 ± 0.013 g day−1 bird−1 (22.0 ± 7.3, 6.7 ± 0.3, 16,028 ± 1465 and 37.7 ± 2.1 g day−1 LU−1) for NH3, N2O, CO2 and CH4, respectively. Furthermore, NH3 and N2O emission rates of this study are in the same range than measurements from most European countries, but CH4 emission rate seems higher to those reported for Mediterranean countries.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Circulating micro-rna profiles according to atherosclerotic disease expression. A contribute to phenotype characterization and insights into pathophysiology.

Background:Atherosclerosis involving multiple territories is frequently encountered in clinical practice and is associated with a higher morbidity and risk of mortality compared with a localized, single-territorial atherosclerosis. Multi-territorial atherosclerosis may have a different pathophysiology fromthat of single-territorial atherosclerosis, although little is known aboutthe mechanisms that regulate the atherosclerosis extent tosingle or multiple arterial beds. In fact, the heterogeneity in the systemic extent of atherosclerosis is only partially attributable to acquired cardiovascular risk factors and genetic Mendelian inheritance, and post-transcriptionalfactors (microRNAs) and inflammatorymediatorsmaycontribute independently to such heterogeneity. MicroRNAs are small non-coding molecules of ribonucleic acid that regulate the gene expression at the post-transcriptional leveland participate in different pathwaysassociated with atherogenesis and atherosclerotic disease expression. Regarding the inflammatory mediators, soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L) and tumor necrosis factor alpha(TNF-α)are two proinflammatory and proatherogenic biomarkerswith distinct mechanismsof actionand bothareregulated in vitro by microRNAs. Knowledge on the signature of circulating microRNAs and inflammatory markers in single-and multi-territorial atherosclerosis may contribute to not only a better understanding of pathophysiology but also clinical care, since such mediators may potentially be used as diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets.Aims:The main objectiveof this research project was to assess whether the expression of circulating microRNAs is associated with the systemic extent of atherosclerosis to a single (coronary) or multiple (coronary and extra-coronary) arterial territories.In addition, we assessed: whetherthe expression of circulating microRNAs is associated with the severity of atherosclerosis in different arterial territories; whether the expression of circulating microRNAs is associated with the presence ofcardiovascular risk factors, including cigarette smoking; whether the expression of inflammatory biomarkers, specifically sCD40L and TNF-α,is associated with the atherosclerosis extent to a single or multiple arterial territoriesand with the severity of atherosclerosis in different arterial territories; and whether thereis an association between the expression of circulating microRNAs andinflammatory biomarkersin patients with atherosclerosis. 2Methods:Participants wereprospectively recruited and divided into five age-and sex-matched groups: control, with no coronary, lower extremity (LE), or carotid atherosclerosis; group 1, with isolated coronary atherosclerosis; group 2, with coronary and LE atherosclerosis; group 3, with coronary and carotid atherosclerosis; and group 4, with atherosclerosis of the coronary, LE, and carotid territories.Native obstructive atherosclerosis was the defining criterion for the presence of disease in each territory and group assignment. All the participants were screened for atherosclerotic disease in the three territories. The relative expression levels of six candidate microRNAs(miR-21, miR-27b, miR-29a, miR-126, miR-146a, and miR-218)wereassessed. The selection criteria of candidate microRNAs werethe distinct biological roles inatherosclerosis regulation, based on experimental studies,and their reported dysregulation in patients with single-territorialatherosclerosis.Serum levels of sCD40L and TNF-αwere assessed by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Results:A total of 94 participants were included: 26 control participants, 20 with isolated coronary atherosclerosis (group 1), 18 with coronary and LE atherosclerosis (group 2), 12 with coronary and carotid atherosclerosis (group 3), and 18 with atherosclerosis of the coronary, LE, and carotid territories(group 4). The clinical, demographic, and laboratory data and parameters of coronary atherosclerosis severity were well-balanced among groups 1 to 4. Lower expression levels of miR-27b and miR-146awere associated with the presence of multi-territorial atherosclerosis, particularly if involving the coronary, LE, and carotid territories,and with higherseverity of atherosclerosisin the threeterritories. The coexistence of atherosclerosis in the three territories was independently associated with the miR-27b and miR-146aexpression levels and both microRNAs presented an area under the receiver operating characteristics curve ≥ 0.75 to predictatherosclerosis of the three territories.Regarding the association between microRNAs expression and cardiovascular risk factors, multivariate modelsindicated thatcigarette smoking was associated with the presence of LE atherosclerosis, cigarette smoking was associated with miR-27b downregulation, and miR-27b downregulation was associated with the presence of LE atherosclerosis.Active smokers, but not prior smokers,presented a downregulation of miR-27b.Regarding the expression of inflammatory biomarkers, higher sCD40L levels were associated withan increased systemic extent of atherosclerosis to multiple territories, specifically the coronary and LE territories, and increased severity of atherosclerosis in thoseterritories. Priorsurgicalrevascularization of the coronary and/or LEarteries was associated with lower sCD40L levels.RegardingTNF-α, metabolic and post-transcriptional (miR-146a) factorswere 3associated with TNF-αlevelsin patients with coronary atherosclerosis. miR-146aexpression levels were negatively correlated with TNF-αlevelsand thisassociation was independent of other metabolic and inflammatory parameters.Conclusions: Theexpression levels of miR-27b and miR-146awere associated with the presence of multi-territorial atherosclerosis, particularly if involving the coronary, LE, and carotid territories,and with the severity of atherosclerosis in the threeterritories. Both microRNAs showed reasonable accuracy for predicting multi-territorial atherosclerosisinvolving the coronary, LE, and carotid territories. Of these microRNAs, miR-27b appeared to be a mediator of cigarette smoking-induced toxicity, specifically LE atherosclerosis. The sCD40L levels were associated with the systemic extent of atherosclerosis to multiple territories, particularly the coronary and LE territories,and atherosclerosis severity in thoseterritories, showingalsoa distinct expression according to prior arterial revascularization. Finally, TNF-αlevels were inverselycorrelated with miR-146aexpression levels. These dataprovide a post-transcriptional (microRNA) and inflammatory signature of multi-territorial atherosclerosis and point to the relevance of such mediators in the regulation of the systemic extent of atherosclerosis. Moreover, miR-27b and miR-146aare promising noninvasive biomarkers for refining the stratification of systemic atherosclerotic burden, and likely it also applies to sCD40L. These biomarkers may therefore contribute to the tailoring of primary prevention strategies

A aplicabilidade de ferramentas de modelação no estudo da distribuição potencial de espécies florestais nos Açores

A secção UAciência é coordenada pelo Professor Universitário Armindo Rodrigues.[…]. O avanço ao nível da capacidade computacional disponibilizou uma diversidade de métodos num número crescente de publicações direcionadas ao estudo e aplicação deste tipo de modelos e também numa variedade crescente de métodos de modelação. Nos Açores, a abundância crescente de dados relativos a distribuição das espécies, como sejam o Inventario Florestal ou o Portal da Biodiversidade dos Açores, a diversidade geomorfológica do arquipélago e os diferentes padrões espaciais que é possível encontrar em diferentes ilhas e em diferentes espécies, contribuem para que o arquipélago seja um ótimo laboratório natural para a comparação de diferentes abordagens de modelação, bem como, para testar possíveis constrangimentos técnicos. Duas abordagens que foram e ainda continuam a ser utilizadas, uma delas baseia-se, no conceito de nicho ecológico, e a outra num conceito mais difícil de compreender, a chamada entropia (desordem). […].info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A Clinical Overview

Funding Information: Funding: The APC was supported by the National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.The first 1000 days of life are very sensitive to any event that alters health programming, and they represent a window for intervention to improve population health. Pregnant women, fetuses, and infants are particularly vulnerable to exposure to food contaminated with mycotoxins. This review aimed to gather data from the literature on mycotoxins exposure during intrauterine life and early childhood, and associated health risks, as assessed through human biomonitoring and mycotoxins occurrence in foods, in different continents. Maternal internal exposure to aflatoxins is associated with fetal growth restriction, while exposure to fumonisins increases the risk of offspring’s neural tube defects. Mycotoxin contamination of breast milk is reported worldwide, but data on adverse effects of the lactational transfer of mycotoxins on infant health are lacking. Young children are exposed to mycotoxins through contaminated infant formulas and baby foods. Both external and internal exposure to aflatoxins and fumonisins in children are reported to be associated with growth impairment. In low-income settings, where other co-factors can affect growth, this association should be interpreted with caution. Further studies on human biomonitoring of mother–infant pairs and young children are needed to guide management strategies aiming to minimize mycotoxin exposure at critical developmental stages.publishersversionpublishe

Mycotoxin Exposure during the First 1000 Days of Life and Its Impact on Children’s Health: A Clinical Overview

This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Biomonitoring and Risk Assessment of Mycotoxins.ReviewThe first 1000 days of life are very sensitive to any event that alters health programming, and they represent a window for intervention to improve population health. Pregnant women, fetuses, and infants are particularly vulnerable to exposure to food contaminated with mycotoxins. This review aimed to gather data from the literature on mycotoxins exposure during intrauterine life and early childhood, and associated health risks, as assessed through human biomonitoring and mycotoxins occurrence in foods, in different continents. Maternal internal exposure to aflatoxins is associated with fetal growth restriction, while exposure to fumonisins increases the risk of offspring’s neural tube defects. Mycotoxin contamination of breast milk is reported worldwide, but data on adverse effects of the lactational transfer of mycotoxins on infant health are lacking. Young children are exposed to mycotoxins through contaminated infant formulas and baby foods. Both external and internal exposure to aflatoxins and fumonisins in children are reported to be associated with growth impairment. In low-income settings, where other co-factors can affect growth, this association should be interpreted with caution. Further studies on human biomonitoring of mother–infant pairs and young children are needed to guide management strategies aiming to minimize mycotoxin exposure at critical developmental stages.Key Contribution: Exposure to mycotoxins in early life; impact of mycotoxin exposure on fetal and children’s healthThanks are due to FCT/MCTES for the financial support for the early MYCO project (PTDC/DTP-MEDTOX/28762/2017) and to CESAM (UIDP/50017/2020+UIDB/50017/2020+ LA/P/0094/2020), through national funds.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Business process modeling languages: a comparative framework

Underlying any Business Process Management (BPM) project is the need to represent business processes, using an appropriate language. In this paper, based on a thorough review of the relevant literature, we made a comparative analysis of five business process modeling languages, widely used in the context of BPM projects. The main objective is to understand the strengths and major limitations of each one, in order to draw a comparative perspective between them. For this purpose, we have created a comparative framework in which each one of the languages are characterized regarding a number of relevant criteria. Finally, a prototype specifically developed to support this framework, is presented. The purpose of this prototype is to assist users in choosing a suitable business process modeling language, according to their specific needs.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A literature review and clinical approach

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) remains the most common severe complication of preterm birth, and nutrition plays a crucial role in lung growth and repair. A practical nutritional approach for infants at risk of BPD or with established BPD is provided based on a comprehensive literature review. Ideally, infants with BPD should receive a fluid intake of not more than 135‒150 mL/kg/day and an energy intake of 120‒150 kcal/kg/day. Providing high energy in low volume remains a challenge and is the main cause of growth restriction in these infants. They need a nutritional strategy that encompasses early aggressive parenteral nutrition and the initiation of concentrated feedings of energy and nutrients. The order of priority is fortified mother’s own milk, followed by fortified donor milk and preterm enriched formulas. Functional nutrient supplements with a potential protective role against BPD are revisited, despite the limited evidence of their efficacy. Specialized nutritional strategies may be necessary to overcome difficulties common in BPD infants, such as gastroesophageal reflux and poorly coordinated feeding. Planning nutrition support after discharge requires a multidisciplinary approach to deal with multiple potential problems. Regular monitoring based on anthropometry and biochemical markers is needed to guide the nutritional intervention.publishersversionpublishe

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) may predispose metabolic diseases in later life. Changes in fat-free mass (FFM) and fat mass (FM) may explain this metabolic risk. This review studied the effect of IUGR on body composition in early infancy. Five databases and included studies from all countries published from 2000 until August 2021 were searched. Participants were IUGR or small-for-gestational age (SGA) infants, and the primary outcomes were FFM and FM. Eighteen studies met the inclusion criteria, of which seven were included in the meta-analysis of primary outcomes. Overall, intrauterine growth-restricted and SGA infants were lighter and shorter than normal intrauterine growth and appropriate-for-gestational age infants, respectively, from birth to the latest follow up. They had lower FFM [mean difference -429.19 (p = 0.02)] and FM [mean difference -282.9 (p < 0.001)]. The issue of whether lower FFM and FM as reasons for future metabolic risk in IUGR infants is intriguing which could be explored in further research with longer follow-up. This review, the first of its kind can be useful for developing nutrition targeted interventions for IUGR infants in future.publishersversionpublishe

Technical Note : assessing predictive capacity and conditional independence of landslide predisposing factors for shallow landslide susceptibility models

The aim of this study is to identify the landslide predisposing factors' combination using a bivariate statistical model that best predicts landslide susceptibility. The best model is one that has simultaneously good performance in terms of suitability and predictive power and has been developed using variables that are conditionally independent. The study area is the Santa Marta de Penaguião council (70 km2) located in the Northern Portugal. In order to identify the best combination of landslide predisposing factors, all possible combinations using up to seven predisposing factors were performed, which resulted in 120 predictions that were assessed with a landside inventory containing 767 shallow translational slides. The best landslide susceptibility model was selected according to the model degree of fitness and on the basis of a conditional independence criterion. The best model was developed with only three landslide predisposing factors (slope angle, inverse wetness index, and land use) and was compared with a model developed using all seven landslide predisposing factors. Results showed that it is possible to produce a reliable landslide susceptibility model using fewer landslide predisposing factors, which contributes towards higher conditional independence

Visualização em tempo real de um modelo esparso de mistura paramétrica para síntese da BTF

As funções de textura bidirecionais (Bidirectional Texture Functions - BTF) permitem visualizações de alta qualidade de materiais reais, que exibem detalhes complexos na sua aparência, e que não podem ser fielmente representados por funções paramétricas mais simples. Representações fíeis deste tipo de materiais requerem grandes quantidades de dados, dificultando a sua visualização em tempo real. A compressão de BTFs constitui um compromisso entre qualidade visual e tempo de síntese. Este artigo apresenta um visualizador a correr integralmente no GPU, usando um motor de ray tracing, de uma representação recente para BTFs, o Modelo Esparso de Mistura Paramétrica (Sparse Parametric Mixture Model - SPMM). A escalabilidade com o número de BTFs e o número de luzes é também estudado.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologi