| 1. |
- Amaral, Rita, et al.
(författare)
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Profiling Persistent Asthma Phenotypes in Adolescents : A Longitudinal Diagnostic Evaluation from the INSPIRERS Studies
- 2021
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Ingår i: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. - : MDPI. - 1661-7827 .- 1660-4601. ; 18:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We aimed to identify persistent asthma phenotypes among adolescents and to evaluate longitudinally asthma-related outcomes across phenotypes. Adolescents (13-17 years) from the prospective, observational, and multicenter INSPIRERS studies, conducted in Portugal and Spain, were included (n = 162). Latent class analysis was applied to demographic, environmental, and clinical variables, collected at a baseline medical visit. Longitudinal differences in clinical variables were assessed at a 4-month follow-up telephone contact (n = 128). Three classes/phenotypes of persistent asthma were identified. Adolescents in class 1 (n = 87) were highly symptomatic at baseline and presented the highest number of unscheduled healthcare visits per month and exacerbations per month, both at baseline and follow-up. Class 2 (n = 32) was characterized by female predominance, more frequent obesity, and uncontrolled upper/lower airways symptoms at baseline. At follow-up, there was a significant increase in the proportion of controlled lower airway symptoms (p < 0.001). Class 3 (n = 43) included mostly males with controlled lower airways symptoms; at follow-up, while keeping symptom control, there was a significant increase in exacerbations/month (p = 0.015). We have identified distinct phenotypes of persistent asthma in adolescents with different patterns in longitudinal asthma-related outcomes, supporting the importance of profiling asthma phenotypes in predicting disease outcomes that might inform targeted interventions and reduce future risk.
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| 2. |
- Batista-Santos, Paula, et al.
(författare)
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Is salt stress tolerance in Casuarina glauca Sieb. ex Spreng. associated with its nitrogen-fixing root-nodule symbiosis? An analysis at the photosynthetic level
- 2015
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Ingår i: Plant physiology and biochemistry (Paris). - : Elsevier BV. - 0981-9428 .- 1873-2690. ; 96, s. 97-109
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Casuarina glauca is an actinorhizal tree which establishes root-nodule symbiosis with N-2-fixing Frankia bacteria. This plant is commonly found in saline zones and is widely used to remediate marginal soils and prevent desertification. The nature of its ability to survive in extreme environments and the extent of Frankia contribution to stress tolerance remain unknown. Thus, we evaluated the ability of C. glauca to cope with salt stress and the influence of the symbiosis on this trait. To this end, we analysed the impact of salt on plant growth, mineral contents, water relations, photosynthetic-related parameters and nonstructural sugars in nodulated vs. non-nodulated plants. Although the effects on photosynthesis and stomatal conductance started to become measurable in the presence of 200 mM NaCl, photochemical (e.g., photosynthetic electron flow) and biochemical (e.g., activity of photosynthetic enzymes) parameters were only strongly impaired when NaCl levels reached 600 mM. These results indicate the maintenance of high tissue hydration under salt stress, probably associated with enhanced osmotic potential. Furthermore, the maintenance of photosynthetic assimilation potential (A(max)), together with the increase in the quantum yield of down-regulated energy dissipation of PSII (Y-NPQ), suggested a down-regulation of photosynthesis instead of photo-damaging effects. A comparison of the impact of increasing NaCl levels on the activities of photosynthetic (RubisCO and ribulose-5 phosphate kinase) and respiratory (pyruvate kinase and NADH-dependent malate dehydrogenase) enzymes vs. photosynthetic electron flow and fluorescence parameters, revealed that biochemical impairments are more limiting than photochemical damage. Altogether, these results indicate that, under controlled conditions, C glauca tolerates high NaCl levels and that this capacity is linked to photosynthetic adjustments.
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| 3. |
- Jacome, Cristina, et al.
(författare)
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Feasibility and Acceptability of an Asthma App to Monitor Medication Adherence : Mixed Methods Study
- 2021
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Ingår i: JMIR mhealth and uhealth. - : JMIR Publications. - 2291-5222. ; 9:5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Poor medication adherence is a major challenge in asthma, and objective assessment of inhaler adherence is needed. The InspirerMundi app aims to monitor adherence while providing a positive experience through gamification and social support. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of the InspirerMundi app to monitor medication adherence in adolescents and adults with persistent asthma (treated with daily inhaled medication). Methods: A 1-month mixed method multicenter observational study was conducted in 26 secondary care centers from Portugal and Spain. During an initial face-to-face visit, physicians reported patients' asthma therapeutic plan in a structured questionnaire. During the visits, patients were invited to use the app daily to register their asthma medication intakes. A scheduled intake was considered taken when patients registered the intake (inhaler, blister, or other drug formulation) by using the image-based medication detection tool. At 1 month, patients were interviewed by phone, and app satisfaction was assessed on a 1 (low) to 5 (high) scale. Patients were also asked to point out the most and least preferred app features and make suggestions for future app improvements. Results: A total of 107 patients (median 27 [P25-P75 14-40] years) were invited, 92.5% (99/107) installed the app, and 73.8% (79/107) completed the 1-month interview. Patients interacted with the app a median of 9 (P25-P75 1-24) days. At least one medication was registered in the app by 78% (77/99) of patients. A total of 53% (52/99) of participants registered all prescribed inhalers, and 34% (34/99) registered the complete asthma therapeutic plan. Median medication adherence was 75% (P25-P75 25%-90%) for inhalers and 82% (P25-P75 50%-94%) for other drug formulations. Patients were globally satisfied with the app, with 75% (59/79) scoring >= 4,; adherence monitoring, symptom monitoring, and gamification features being the most highly scored components; and the medication detection tool among the lowest scored. A total of 53% (42/79) of the patients stated that the app had motivated them to improve adherence to inhaled medication and 77% (61/79) would recommend the app to other patients. Patient feedback was reflected in 4 major themes: medication-related features (67/79, 85%), gamification and social network (33/79, 42%), symptom monitoring and physician communication (21/79, 27%), and other aspects (16/79, 20%). Conclusions: The InspirerMundi app was feasible and acceptable to monitor medication adherence in patients with asthma. Based on patient feedback and to increase the registering of medications, the therapeutic plan registration and medication detection tool were redesigned. Our results highlight the importance of patient participation to produce a patient-centered and engaging mHealth asthma app.
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Householder, John Ethan, et al.
(författare)
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One sixth of Amazonian tree diversity is dependent on river floodplains
- 2024
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Ingår i: NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION. - 2397-334X. ; 8, s. 901-911
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Amazonia's floodplain system is the largest and most biodiverse on Earth. Although forests are crucial to the ecological integrity of floodplains, our understanding of their species composition and how this may differ from surrounding forest types is still far too limited, particularly as changing inundation regimes begin to reshape floodplain tree communities and the critical ecosystem functions they underpin. Here we address this gap by taking a spatially explicit look at Amazonia-wide patterns of tree-species turnover and ecological specialization of the region's floodplain forests. We show that the majority of Amazonian tree species can inhabit floodplains, and about a sixth of Amazonian tree diversity is ecologically specialized on floodplains. The degree of specialization in floodplain communities is driven by regional flood patterns, with the most compositionally differentiated floodplain forests located centrally within the fluvial network and contingent on the most extraordinary flood magnitudes regionally. Our results provide a spatially explicit view of ecological specialization of floodplain forest communities and expose the need for whole-basin hydrological integrity to protect the Amazon's tree diversity and its function.
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| 7. |
- Jacome, Cristina, et al.
(författare)
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Monitoring Adherence to Asthma Inhalers Using the InspirerMundi App : Analysis of Real-World, Medium-Term Feasibility Studies
- 2021
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Medical Technology. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 2673-3129. ; 3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Poor medication adherence is a major challenge in asthma and objective assessment of inhaler adherence is needed. InspirerMundi app aims to monitor inhaler adherence while turning it into a positive experience through gamification and social support.Objective: We assessed the medium-term feasibility of the InspirerMundi app to monitor inhaler adherence in real-world patients with persistent asthma (treated with daily inhaled medication). In addition, we attempted to identify the characteristics of the patients related to higher app use.Methods: Two real-world multicenter observational studies, with one initial face-to-face visit and a 4-month telephone interview, were conducted in 29 secondary care centers from Portugal. During an initial face-to-face visit, patients were invited to use the app daily to register their asthma medication intakes. A scheduled intake was considered taken when patients took a photo of the medication (inhaler, blister, or others) using the image-based medication detection tool. Medication adherence was calculated as the number of doses taken as a percentage of the number scheduled. Interacting with the app =30 days was used as the cut-off for higher app use.Results: A total of 114 patients {median 20 [percentile 25 to percentile 75 (P25-P75) 16-36] years, 62% adults} were invited, 107 (94%) installed the app and 83 (73%) completed the 4-month interview. Patients interacted with the app for a median of 18 [3-45] days, translated on a median use rate of 15 [3-38]%. Median inhaler adherence assessed through the app was 34 [4-73]% when considering all scheduled inhalations for the study period. Inhaler adherence assessed was not significantly correlated with self-reported estimates. Median adherence for oral and other medication was 41 [6-83]% and 43 [3-73]%, respectively. Patients with higher app use were slightly older (p = 0.012), more frequently taking medication for other health conditions (p = 0.040), and more frequently prescribed long-acting muscarinic antagonists (LAMA, p = 0.024). After 4 months, Control of Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma Test (CARAT) scores improved (p < 0.001), but no differences between patients interacting with the app for 30 days or less were seen.Conclusions: The InspirerMundi app was feasible to monitor inhaler adherence in patients with persistent asthma. The persistent use of this mHealth technology varies widely. A better understanding of characteristics related to higher app use is still needed before effectiveness studies are undertaken.
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| 8. |
- Luize, Bruno Garcia, et al.
(författare)
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Geography and ecology shape the phylogenetic composition of Amazonian tree communities
- 2024
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Ingår i: JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY. - 0305-0270 .- 1365-2699. ; 51:7, s. 1163-1184
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aim: Amazonia hosts more tree species from numerous evolutionary lineages, both young and ancient, than any other biogeographic region. Previous studies have shown that tree lineages colonized multiple edaphic environments and dispersed widely across Amazonia, leading to a hypothesis, which we test, that lineages should not be strongly associated with either geographic regions or edaphic forest types. Location: Amazonia. Taxon: Angiosperms (Magnoliids; Monocots; Eudicots). Methods: Data for the abundance of 5082 tree species in 1989 plots were combined with a mega-phylogeny. We applied evolutionary ordination to assess how phylogenetic composition varies across Amazonia. We used variation partitioning and Moran's eigenvector maps (MEM) to test and quantify the separate and joint contributions of spatial and environmental variables to explain the phylogenetic composition of plots. We tested the indicator value of lineages for geographic regions and edaphic forest types and mapped associations onto the phylogeny. Results: In the terra firme and v & aacute;rzea forest types, the phylogenetic composition varies by geographic region, but the igap & oacute; and white-sand forest types retain a unique evolutionary signature regardless of region. Overall, we find that soil chemistry, climate and topography explain 24% of the variation in phylogenetic composition, with 79% of that variation being spatially structured (R-2 = 19% overall for combined spatial/environmental effects). The phylogenetic composition also shows substantial spatial patterns not related to the environmental variables we quantified (R-2 = 28%). A greater number of lineages were significant indicators of geographic regions than forest types. Main Conclusion: Numerous tree lineages, including some ancient ones (>66 Ma), show strong associations with geographic regions and edaphic forest types of Amazonia. This shows that specialization in specific edaphic environments has played a long-standing role in the evolutionary assembly of Amazonian forests. Furthermore, many lineages, even those that have dispersed across Amazonia, dominate within a specific region, likely because of phylogenetically conserved niches for environmental conditions that are prevalent within regions.
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| 9. |
- Marto, João Pedro, et al.
(författare)
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Safety and Outcome of Revascularization Treatment in Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke and COVID-19: The Global COVID-19 Stroke Registry.
- 2023
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Ingår i: Neurology. - 1526-632X. ; 100:7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- COVID-19-related inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and coagulopathy may increase the bleeding risk and lower the efficacy of revascularization treatments in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). We aimed to evaluate the safety and outcomes of revascularization treatments in patients with AIS and COVID-19.This was a retrospective multicenter cohort study of consecutive patients with AIS receiving intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) and/or endovascular treatment (EVT) between March 2020 and June 2021 tested for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection. With a doubly robust model combining propensity score weighting and multivariate regression, we studied the association of COVID-19 with intracranial bleeding complications and clinical outcomes. Subgroup analyses were performed according to treatment groups (IVT-only and EVT).Of a total of 15,128 included patients from 105 centers, 853 (5.6%) were diagnosed with COVID-19; of those, 5,848 (38.7%) patients received IVT-only and 9,280 (61.3%) EVT (with or without IVT). Patients with COVID-19 had a higher rate of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (SICH) (adjusted OR 1.53; 95% CI 1.16-2.01), symptomatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (SSAH) (OR 1.80; 95% CI 1.20-2.69), SICH and/or SSAH combined (OR 1.56; 95% CI 1.23-1.99), 24-hour mortality (OR 2.47; 95% CI 1.58-3.86), and 3-month mortality (OR 1.88; 95% CI 1.52-2.33). Patients with COVID-19 also had an unfavorable shift in the distribution of the modified Rankin score at 3 months (OR 1.42; 95% CI 1.26-1.60).Patients with AIS and COVID-19 showed higher rates of intracranial bleeding complications and worse clinical outcomes after revascularization treatments than contemporaneous non-COVID-19 patients receiving treatment. Current available data do not allow direct conclusions to be drawn on the effectiveness of revascularization treatments in patients with COVID-19 or to establish different treatment recommendations in this subgroup of patients with ischemic stroke. Our findings can be taken into consideration for treatment decisions, patient monitoring, and establishing prognosis.The study was registered under ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT04895462.
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| 10. |
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| 11. |
- Rodrigues, Clarinda, et al.
(författare)
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Antecedents to Brand Hate Among Generation Y : A Consumer Cross-Cultural Study
- 2017
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Ingår i: 10th Annual Conference of the EuroMed Academy of Business. - : EuroMed Press. - 9789963711567 ; , s. 1456-1464
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Previous research highlights that brand experiences impact on how consumers relate emotionally to brands. Nevertheless, research on negative brand experiences is scarce, particularly in the field of brand hate. In order to fulfill the identified research gap, this paper aims to investigate the negative aspects of brand relationships by focusing on the antecedents of brand hate among Generation Y. Moreover, it explores weak innovativeness, perceived quality, brand social responsibility and brand personality impact on brand hate. More precisely, it attends to the mediating effect of brand experience on brand hate. A survey with Apple and Samsung was conducted among Swedish and Portuguese consumers. The model has been tested using SEM. Our findings show that the effects of the antecedents of brand hate in general vary for both brands and countries.
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| 12. |
- Rodrigues, Clarinda, et al.
(författare)
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Brand love matters to Millennials : the relevance of mystery, sensuality and intimacy to neo-luxury brands
- 2019
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Ingår i: Journal of Product & Brand Management. - : Emerald Group Publishing Limited. - 1061-0421. ; 28:7, s. 830-848
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the mediating effect of brand love on purchase intention and word-of-mouth through mystery, sensuality and intimacy as brand image dimensions in the context of neo-luxury brands. It also explores the moderating effect of duration and intensity of consumer-brand relationships on brand image dimensions.Design/methodology/approachThe data collection was done via an online survey of a representative group of Millennials. Data analysis was performed using structural equation modeling and multi-group analysis.FindingsThe paper suggests that brand love mediates the relationship between brand image, purchase intention and word-of-mouth for both Apple and Michael Kors brands. This study also identifies differences in the effects of intimacy, sensuality and mystery on brand love. Additionally, it is demonstrated that the moderation effect of intensity and duration of consumer-brand relationships varies among the two neo-luxury brands.Research limitations/implicationsFurther research should aim at investigating other categories of products and services in the field of neo-luxury, as this study focus on fashion and mobile brands. Other antecedents and outcomes of brand love should also be evaluated, as well as other moderating variables.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the fast-growing consumer-brand relationships literature by exploring the role of brand love in the context of the emergent neo-luxury paradigm. It also intends to provide a better understanding of how to build and nurture an effective brand image through a multidisciplinary approach that combines mystery, sensuality and intimacy.
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| 13. |
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| 14. |
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| 15. |
- Rodrigues, Clarinda, et al.
(författare)
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I can’t stop hating you : an anti-brand-community perspective on Apple brand hate
- 2021
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Ingår i: Journal of Product & Brand Management. - : Emerald Group Publishing Limited. - 1061-0421. ; 30:8, s. 1115-1133
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- PurposeThis paper aims to the literature on negative consumer-brand relationships by advancing knowledge on the key triggers of brand hate of global and prominent brands. It investigates for the first time the role of brand in triggering brand hate, as well as behavioral and emotional brand hate outcomes, i.e. willingness to punish and negative brand engagement. Additionally, it explores the impact of product ownership and previous love feelings in the formation of brand hate.Design/methodology/approachThe data collection was conducted on two Apple anti-brand communities after the given consent of its administrators. Data analysis was performed using structural equation modeling.FindingsThe paper suggests that brand hate is a construct with four first-order formative triggers (symbolic incongruity, ideological incompatibility, negative past experience and brand inauthenticity). It also demonstrates that brand hate is a dichotomous concept that comprises negative emotional dimensions (i.e. negative brand engagement) and behavioral dimensions (i.e. brand aversion, negative word-of-mouth and willingness to punish brands). Finally, it shows how brand hate differs among users vs non-users and passionate vs non-passionate consumers of Apple.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the literature on negative consumer-brand relationships by advancing knowledge on the key triggers and outcomes of brand hate of global and prominent brands. More importantly, it demonstrates empirically that brand hate does not occur at a specific point of time and may result in transient hatred motivated by emotion-eliciting events (e.g. using a product) or as a long-term consumer-brand relationship that changed from love to hatred.
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| 16. |
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| 17. |
- Rodrigues, Clarinda, et al.
(författare)
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Role of brand experience and brand authenticity in creating brand love : a cross-cultural comparative study
- 2018
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Ingår i: 2018 Global Marketing Conference at Tokyo Proceedings. - Tokyo : Global Alliance of Marketing and Management Associations. ; , s. 1447-1447
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- In recent years brands have come under the spotlight for delivering unique and authentic brand experiences. Consumers find themselves looking for brands that add experiential value to their daily life, from a sensory, behavioral, intellectual and relational perspective (Brakus et al., 2009). Moreover, there is a growing demand for brands that are able to deliver their brand promise authentically (Morhart et al., 2015; Schallehn et al., 2014). On this background, our research was conducted in order to examine the role of brand experience and brand authenticity in generating brand love. In addressing this issue, the present study attempts to perform a test on research hypotheses by empirically validating the proposed conceptual model in a cross-country context (Japan and Portugal) for the brands Apple and Samsung. Additionally, it analyses the moderating effect of self-authenticity in relation to brand experience and brand authenticity. Data collection was done using a structured questionnaire to final consumers, who are owners of Apple and Samsung devices. A total of 574 valid questionnaires were collected regarding Apple brand (Japan = 300; Portugal = 274). Following the testing of the structural equation model, results demonstrate the correlation between brand authenticity and brand experience and show that the greater the self-authenticity, the higher is the effect of brand authenticity on brand love. It is worth noting however that the direct and moderating effects are different for Apple and Samsung in Japan and Portugal. This accounts for the cultural differences in how consumers perceive the experiential and authentic brand value propositions and how they relate emotionally to brands. Our study also provides important managerial implications by helping brand managers to understand how to drive passionate and intense feelings towards brands and to target consumers who are looking for compelling, meaningful and authentic brand experiences.
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| 18. |
- Rodrigues, Mariana Teixeira, et al.
(författare)
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Lysicamine Reduces Protein Kinase B (AKT) Activation and Promotes Necrosis in Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer
- 2023
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Ingår i: Pharmaceuticals. - : MDPI. - 1424-8247. ; 16:12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is an aggressive form of thyroid cancer (TC), accounting for 50% of total TC-related deaths. Although therapeutic approaches against TC have improved in recent years, the survival rate remains low, and severe adverse effects are commonly reported. However, unexplored alternatives based on natural compounds, such as lysicamine, an alkaloid found in plants with established cytotoxicity against breast and liver cancers, offer promise. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the antineoplastic effects of lysicamine in papillary TC (BCPAP) and ATC (HTH83 and KTC-2) cells. Lysicamine treatment reduced cell viability, motility, colony formation, and AKT activation while increasing the percentage of necrotic cells. The absence of caspase activity confirmed apoptosis-independent cell death. Necrostatin-1 (NEC-1)-mediated necrosome inhibition reduced lysicamine-induced necrosis in KTC-2, suggesting necroptosis induction via a reactive oxygen species (ROS)-independent mechanism. Additionally, in silico analysis predicted lysicamine target proteins, particularly those related to MAPK and TGF-beta signaling. Our study demonstrated lysicamine's potential as an antineoplastic compound in ATC cells with a proposed mechanism related to inhibiting AKT activation and inducing cell death.
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| 19. |
- Rodrigues, Paula, et al.
(författare)
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The importance of self in brand love in consumer-luxury brand relationships
- 2018
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Ingår i: Journal of Customer Behavior. - : Westburn Publishers. - 1475-3928 .- 1477-6421. ; 17:3, s. 189-210
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of selfcongruencyand self-brand integration on three dimensions of luxury perceptions:prestigious perception of a brand, luxury brand perception, and overall luxurybrand perception. It also aims to investigate the moderating effect of these threedimensions of luxury perceptions on brand love. Data collection was done using astructured questionnaire completed by end-users of luxury brands. A total of 304valid questionnaires were collected and the data was analysed using a structuralequation modelling methodology. The data confirms all the hypotheses raised inthe proposed conceptual model. This study is the first to empirically demonstratethat luxury brand perceptions positively mediate the effect of self-congruencyand self-brand integration on brand love. The results of this study will helppractitioners to understand how to approach consumers in the luxury fashionsegment and how to strengthen consumer-brand relationships.
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| 20. |
- Scotti-Campos, Paula, et al.
(författare)
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Antioxidative ability and membrane integrity in salt-induced responses of Casuarina glauca Sieber ex Spreng. in symbiosis with N-2-fixing Frankia Thr or supplemented with mineral nitrogen
- 2016
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Ingår i: Journal of plant physiology (Print). - : Elsevier BV. - 0176-1617 .- 1618-1328. ; 196-197, s. 60-69
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The actinorhizal tree Casuarina glauca tolerates extreme environmental conditions, such as high salinity. This species is also able to establish a root-nodule symbiosis with N-2-fixing bacteria of the genus Frankia. Recent studies have shown that C. glauca tolerance to high salt concentrations is innate and linked to photosynthetic adjustments. In this study we have examined the impact of increasing NaCl concentrations (200, 400 and 600 mM) on membrane integrity as well as on the control of oxidative stress in branchlets of symbiotic (NOD+) and non-symbiotic (KNO3+) C. glauca. Membrane selectivity was maintained in both plant groups at 200 mM NaCl, accompanied by an increase in the activity of antioxidative enzymes (superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione reductase and catalase). Regarding cellular membrane lipid composition, linolenic acid (C18:3) showed a significant decline at 200 mM NaCl in both NOD+ and KNO3+ plants. In addition, total fatty acids (TFA) and C18:2 also decreased in NOD+ plants at this salt concentration, resulting in malondialdehyde (MDA) production. Such initial impact at 200 mM NaCl is probably due to the fact that NOD+ plants are subjected to a double stress, i.e., salinity and low nitrogen availability. At 400 mM NaCl a strong reduction of TFA and C18:3 levels was observed in both plant groups. This was accompanied by a decrease in the unsaturation degree of membrane lipids in NOD+. However, in both NOD+ and KNO3+ lipid modifications were not reflected by membrane leakage at 200 or 400 mM, suggesting acclimation mechanisms at the membrane level. The fact that membrane selectivity was impaired only at 600 mM NaCl in both groups of plants points to a high tolerance of C. glauca to salt stress independently of the symbiotic relation with Frankia.
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| 21. |
- ter Steege, Hans, et al.
(författare)
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Mapping density, diversity and species-richness of the Amazon tree flora
- 2023
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Ingår i: COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY. - 2399-3642. ; 6:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Using 2.046 botanically-inventoried tree plots across the largest tropical forest on Earth, we mapped tree species-diversity and tree species-richness at 0.1-degree resolution, and investigated drivers for diversity and richness. Using only location, stratified by forest type, as predictor, our spatial model, to the best of our knowledge, provides the most accurate map of tree diversity in Amazonia to date, explaining approximately 70% of the tree diversity and species-richness. Large soil-forest combinations determine a significant percentage of the variation in tree species-richness and tree alpha-diversity in Amazonian forest-plots. We suggest that the size and fragmentation of these systems drive their large-scale diversity patterns and hence local diversity. A model not using location but cumulative water deficit, tree density, and temperature seasonality explains 47% of the tree species-richness in the terra-firme forest in Amazonia. Over large areas across Amazonia, residuals of this relationship are small and poorly spatially structured, suggesting that much of the residual variation may be local. The Guyana Shield area has consistently negative residuals, showing that this area has lower tree species-richness than expected by our models. We provide extensive plot meta-data, including tree density, tree alpha-diversity and tree species-richness results and gridded maps at 0.1-degree resolution. A study mapping the tree species richness in Amazonian forests shows that soil type exerts a strong effect on species richness, probably caused by the areas of these forest types. Cumulative water deficit, tree density and temperature seasonality affect species richness at a regional scale.
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| 22. |
- Abrevaya, Ximena C., et al.
(författare)
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Protective Effects of Halite to Vacuum and Vacuum-Ultraviolet Radiation : A Potential Scenario during a Young Sun Superflare
- 2023
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Ingår i: Astrobiology. - : Mary Ann Liebert Inc. - 1531-1074 .- 1557-8070. ; 23:3, s. 245-268
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Halite (NaCl mineral) has exhibited the potential to preserve microorganisms for millions of years on Earth. This mineral was also identified on Mars and in meteorites. In this study, we investigated the potential of halite crystals to protect microbial life-forms on the surface of an airless body (e.g., meteorite), for instance, during a lithopanspermia process (interplanetary travel step) in the early Solar System. To investigate the effect of the radiation of the young Sun on microorganisms, we performed extensive simulation experiments by employing a synchrotron facility. We focused on two exposure conditions: vacuum (low Earth orbit, 10-4 Pa) and vacuum-ultraviolet (VUV) radiation (range 57.6-124 nm, flux 7.14 W/m2), with the latter representing an extreme scenario with high VUV fluxes comparable to the amount of radiation of a stellar superflare from the young Sun. The stellar VUV parameters were estimated by using the very well-studied solar analog of the young Sun, κ1 Cet. To evaluate the protective effects of halite, we entrapped a halophilic archaeon (Haloferax volcanii) and a non-halophilic bacterium (Deinococcus radiodurans) in laboratory-grown halite. Control groups were cells entrapped in salt crystals (mixtures of different salts and NaCl) and non-trapped (naked) cells, respectively. All groups were exposed either to vacuum alone or to vacuum plus VUV. Our results demonstrate that halite can serve as protection against vacuum and VUV radiation, regardless of the type of microorganism. In addition, we found that the protection is higher than provided by crystals obtained from mixtures of salts. This extends the protective effects of halite documented in previous studies and reinforces the possibility to consider the crystals of this mineral as potential preservation structures in airless bodies or as vehicles for the interplanetary transfer of microorganisms.
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| 23. |
- Almeida, Nuno A.F., et al.
(författare)
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Pressure dependent luminescence in titanium dioxide particles modified with europium ions
- 2016
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Ingår i: Sensors and actuators. B, Chemical. - : Elsevier BV. - 0925-4005 .- 1873-3077. ; 234, s. 137-144
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Particles of titanium dioxide were prepared in the presence of europium ions (TiO2:Eu) by a solvothermal method and thermal annealed in air at 500 °C. The spectroscopic properties of TiO2:Eu particles were analyzed indicating that the Eu3+ ions are likely distributed at the surface or near the surface of the titanium dioxide particles. The photoluminescence analysis showed that the intraionic emission was strongly sensitive to reduced pressure conditions, as seen by its absence under vacuum conditions. The ion emission was re-established as soon as the atmosphere was restored. Additionally, the ion integrated emission intensity follows a linearly dependence with pressure in the range of 150 to 800 mbar revealing a high sensitivity to small variations in pressure, which is an unprecedented result. This innovation will allow the study of new technologies in the area of low vacuum sensors where TiO2:Eu may act as the active element of an optical sensor for a pressure device.
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| 24. |
- Almeida, Teresa, et al.
(författare)
-
Isc1p plays a key role in hydrogen peroxide resistance and chronological lifespan through modulation of iron levels and apoptosis.
- 2008
-
Ingår i: Molecular biology of the cell. - 1939-4586. ; 19:3, s. 865-76
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The inositolphosphosphingolipid phospholipase C (Isc1p) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae belongs to the family of neutral sphingomyelinases that generates the bioactive sphingolipid ceramide. In this work the role of Isc1p in oxidative stress resistance and chronological lifespan was investigated. Loss of Isc1p resulted in a higher sensitivity to hydrogen peroxide that was associated with an increase in oxidative stress markers, namely intracellular oxidation, protein carbonylation, and lipid peroxidation. Microarray analysis showed that Isc1p deficiency up-regulated the iron regulon leading to increased levels of iron, which is known to catalyze the production of the highly reactive hydroxyl radicals via the Fenton reaction. In agreement, iron chelation suppressed hydrogen peroxide sensitivity of isc1Delta mutants. Cells lacking Isc1p also displayed a shortened chronological lifespan associated with oxidative stress markers and aging of parental cells was correlated with a decrease in Isc1p activity. The analysis of DNA fragmentation and caspase-like activity showed that Isc1p deficiency increased apoptotic cell death associated with oxidative stress and aging. Furthermore, deletion of Yca1p metacaspase suppressed the oxidative stress sensitivity and premature aging phenotypes of isc1Delta mutants. These results indicate that Isc1p plays an important role in the regulation of cellular redox homeostasis, through modulation of iron levels, and of apoptosis.
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| 25. |
- Bernal, Ximena E., et al.
(författare)
-
Empowering Latina scientists
- 2019
-
Ingår i: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 363:6429, s. 825-826
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
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| 26. |
- Bousquet, Jean, et al.
(författare)
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Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) Phase 4 (2018) : Change management in allergic rhinitis and asthma multimorbidity using mobile technology
- 2019
-
Ingår i: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. - : Elsevier. - 0091-6749 .- 1097-6825. ; 143:3, s. 864-879
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) has evolved from a guideline by using the best approach to integrated care pathways using mobile technology in patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) and asthma multimorbidity. The proposed next phase of ARIA is change management, with the aim of providing an active and healthy life to patients with rhinitis and to those with asthma multimorbidity across the lifecycle irrespective of their sex or socioeconomic status to reduce health and social inequities incurred by the disease. ARIA has followed the 8-step model of Kotter to assess and implement the effect of rhinitis on asthma multimorbidity and to propose multimorbid guidelines. A second change management strategy is proposed by ARIA Phase 4 to increase self-medication and shared decision making in rhinitis and asthma multimorbidity. An innovation of ARIA has been the development and validation of information technology evidence-based tools (Mobile Airways Sentinel Network [MASK]) that can inform patient decisions on the basis of a self-care plan proposed by the health care professional.
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| 27. |
- Bustamante, Mercedes, et al.
(författare)
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Ten new insights in climate science 2023
- 2023
-
Ingår i: Global Sustainability. - : CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS. - 2059-4798. ; 7
-
Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Non-technical summary We identify a set of essential recent advances in climate change research with high policy relevance, across natural and social sciences: (1) looming inevitability and implications of overshooting the 1.5 degrees C warming limit, (2) urgent need for a rapid and managed fossil fuel phase-out, (3) challenges for scaling carbon dioxide removal, (4) uncertainties regarding the future contribution of natural carbon sinks, (5) intertwinedness of the crises of biodiversity loss and climate change, (6) compound events, (7) mountain glacier loss, (8) human immobility in the face of climate risks, (9) adaptation justice, and (10) just transitions in food systems.Technical summary The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Assessment Reports provides the scientific foundation for international climate negotiations and constitutes an unmatched resource for researchers. However, the assessment cycles take multiple years. As a contribution to cross- and interdisciplinary understanding of climate change across diverse research communities, we have streamlined an annual process to identify and synthesize significant research advances. We collected input from experts on various fields using an online questionnaire and prioritized a set of 10 key research insights with high policy relevance. This year, we focus on: (1) the looming overshoot of the 1.5 degrees C warming limit, (2) the urgency of fossil fuel phase-out, (3) challenges to scale-up carbon dioxide removal, (4) uncertainties regarding future natural carbon sinks, (5) the need for joint governance of biodiversity loss and climate change, (6) advances in understanding compound events, (7) accelerated mountain glacier loss, (8) human immobility amidst climate risks, (9) adaptation justice, and (10) just transitions in food systems. We present a succinct account of these insights, reflect on their policy implications, and offer an integrated set of policy-relevant messages. This science synthesis and science communication effort is also the basis for a policy report contributing to elevate climate science every year in time for the United Nations Climate Change Conference.Social media summary We highlight recent and policy-relevant advances in climate change research - with input from more than 200 experts.
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| 28. |
- Cooper, Declan L.M., et al.
(författare)
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Consistent patterns of common species across tropical tree communities
- 2024
-
Ingår i: Nature. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 625:7996, s. 728-734
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Trees structure the Earth’s most biodiverse ecosystem, tropical forests. The vast number of tree species presents a formidable challenge to understanding these forests, including their response to environmental change, as very little is known about most tropical tree species. A focus on the common species may circumvent this challenge. Here we investigate abundance patterns of common tree species using inventory data on 1,003,805 trees with trunk diameters of at least 10 cm across 1,568 locations 1–6 in closed-canopy, structurally intact old-growth tropical forests in Africa, Amazonia and Southeast Asia. We estimate that 2.2%, 2.2% and 2.3% of species comprise 50% of the tropical trees in these regions, respectively. Extrapolating across all closed-canopy tropical forests, we estimate that just 1,053 species comprise half of Earth’s 800 billion tropical trees with trunk diameters of at least 10 cm. Despite differing biogeographic, climatic and anthropogenic histories 7, we find notably consistent patterns of common species and species abundance distributions across the continents. This suggests that fundamental mechanisms of tree community assembly may apply to all tropical forests. Resampling analyses show that the most common species are likely to belong to a manageable list of known species, enabling targeted efforts to understand their ecology. Although they do not detract from the importance of rare species, our results open new opportunities to understand the world’s most diverse forests, including modelling their response to environmental change, by focusing on the common species that constitute the majority of their trees.
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| 29. |
- Costa, Raquel, et al.
(författare)
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Regional differences in the quality of maternal and neonatal care during the COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal : Results from the IMAgiNE EURO study
- 2022
-
Ingår i: International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics. - : Wiley. - 0020-7292 .- 1879-3479. ; 159:S1, s. 137-153
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: To compare women's perspectives on the quality of maternal and newborn care (QMNC) around the time of childbirth across Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics 2 (NUTS-II) regions in Portugal during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Women participating in the cross-sectional IMAgiNE EURO study who gave birth in Portugal from March 1, 2020, to October 28, 2021, completed a structured questionnaire with 40 key WHO standards-based quality measures. Four domains of QMNC were assessed: (1) provision of care; (2) experience of care; (3) availability of human and physical resources; and (4) reorganizational changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Frequencies for each quality measure within each QMNC domain were computed overall and by region. Results: Out of 1845 participants, one-third (33.7%) had a cesarean. Examples of high-quality care included: low frequencies of lack of early breastfeeding and rooming-in (8.0% and 7.7%, respectively) and informal payment (0.7%); adequate staff professionalism (94.6%); adequate room comfort and equipment (95.2%). However, substandard practices with large heterogeneity across regions were also reported. Among women who experienced labor, the percentage of instrumental vaginal births ranged from 22.3% in the Algarve to 33.5% in Center; among these, fundal pressure ranged from 34.8% in Lisbon to 66.7% in Center. Episiotomy was performed in 39.3% of noninstrumental vaginal births with variations between 31.8% in the North to 59.8% in Center. One in four women reported inadequate breastfeeding support (26.1%, ranging from 19.4% in Algarve to 31.5% in Lisbon). One in five reported no exclusive breastfeeding at discharge (22.1%; 19.5% in Lisbon to 28.2% in Algarve). Conclusion: Urgent actions are needed to harmonize QMNC and reduce inequities across regions in Portugal.
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| 30. |
- de Barros Viana Hissa, Leticia, et al.
(författare)
-
Regrowing forests contribution to law compliance and carbon storage in private properties of the Brazilian Amazon
- 2019
-
Ingår i: Land use policy. - : Elsevier BV. - 0264-8377 .- 1873-5754. ; 88
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The viability of the climate pledges made by Brazil at the COP21 in Paris, 2015, heavily depends on the success of the country policies related to forest governance. Particularly, there are high expectations that the enforcement of the Brazilian Forest Code (BFC) will drive large-scale forest recovery and carbon mitigation. In this study, we quantified the potential role that ongoing forest regeneration may play in offsetting deficits from private properties with less vegetation cover than determined by the BFC, considering different law implementation settings. Focusing on the Amazon Biome, we overlaid property level data from a mandatory registry ( approximate to 250,000 properties) onto land cover maps to quantify on-site forest deficit offsets by ongoing forest recovery. Similarly, we estimated the share of regrowing forests in private properties potentially eligible for offsite deficit compensation (i.e. via market-based forest certificates trade). Regrowing forests could reduce, on-site, 3.2 Mho of forests deficits, decreasing non-compliance from private properties by 35%. Likewise, forest certificates availability increased by 3.4 Mha when we included regrowing forests in the calculations. This means an increase in the forest certificate offer-demand ratio from 0.9 to 2.0. On the one hand, trading certificates issued from recovering forests may represent a low-cost strategy for compliance with the BFC, a pathway for achieving restoration targets, and an additional source of income for landholders. To meet this potential, it is necessary to better conceptualize second-growth forests, advancing the poor definitions presented by the BFC, and offer an operational basis for their protection. On the other hand, including regrowing forests' certificates in compensation schemes may further restrain the potential of the trading mechanism for conservation of unprotected old-growth forests and lead to positive net carbon emissions. We highlight that the BFC implementation must be carefully regulated to maximize synergies between compliance and forest resources conservation and enhancement.
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| 31. |
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| 32. |
- Ferreira-Leitão, Viridiana, et al.
(författare)
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An approach to the utilisation of CO2 as impregnating agent in steam pretreatment of sugar cane bagasse and leaves for ethanol production.
- 2010
-
Ingår i: Biotechnology for Biofuels. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1754-6834. ; 3:1
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The conditions for steam pretreatment of sugar cane bagasse and leaves were studied using CO2 as an impregnating agent. The following conditions were investigated: time (5 to 15 min) and temperature (190 to 220 degrees C). The pretreatment was assessed in terms of glucose and xylose yields after enzymatic hydrolysis and inhibitor formation (furfural and hydroxymethylfurfural) in the pretreatment. Results from pretreatment using SO2 as impregnating agent was used as reference. RESULTS: For sugar cane bagasse, the highest glucose yield (86.6% of theoretical) was obtained after pretreatment at 205 degrees C for 15 min. For sugar cane leaves the highest glucose yield (97.2% of theoretical) was obtained after pretreatment at 220 degrees C for 5 min. The reference pretreatment, using impregnation with SO2 and performed at 190 degrees C for 5 min, resulted in an overall glucose yield of 79.7% and 91.9% for bagasse and leaves, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Comparable pretreatment performance was obtained with CO2 as compared to when SO2 is used, although higher temperature and pressure were needed. The results are encouraging as some characteristics of CO2 are very attractive, such as high availability, low cost, low toxicity, low corrosivity and low occupational risk.
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| 33. |
- Gouveia-Figueira, Sandra, et al.
(författare)
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Antioxidant Capacity, Cytotoxicity and Antimycobacterial Activity of Madeira Archipelago Endemic Helichrysum Dietary and Medicinal Plants
- 2014
-
Ingår i: Antioxidants. - : MDPI. - 2076-3921. ; 3:4, s. 713-729
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The potential bioactivity of dietary and medicinal endemic Helichrysum plants from Madeira Archipelago was explored, for the first time, in order to supply new information for the general consumer. In vitro antioxidant properties were investigated using DPPH, ABTS(+), FRAP and beta-Carotene assays, and the total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) were also determined. Although the results generally showed a large variation among the three analyzed plants, the methanolic extracts showed the highest antioxidant capacity. Exception is made for H. devium n-hexane extract that showed good radical scavenger capacity associated to compounds with good reducing properties. In the Artemia salina toxicity assay and antimycobaterial activity, H. devium was the most potent plant with the lowest LD50 at 216.7 ± 10.4 and MIC ≤ 50mug·mL(-1). Chemometric evaluation (Principal Component Analysis-PCA) showed close interdependence between the ABTS, TPC and TFC methods and allowed to group H. devium samples.
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| 34. |
- Isento, João N.G., et al.
(författare)
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Vehicular Delay-Tolerant Networks? A Novel Solution for Vehicular Communications
- 2013
-
Ingår i: IEEE Intelligent Transportation Systems Magazine. - Piscataway, N.J. : IEEE Press. - 1939-1390. ; 5:4, s. 10-19
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Vehicular Delay-Tolerant Networks (VDTNs) is a breakthrough based DTN-based solution to provide vehicular communications under challenging scenarios characterized by long delays and sporadic connections. VDTN uses a store-carry-and-forward paradigm, inspirited from Delay Tolerant Networks, which allows forward bundles to asynchronously reach the destination hop by hop over traveling vehicles equipped with short-range Wi-Fi devices. The proposed VDTN architecture assumes out-of-band signaling with control and data planes separation. VDTNs also assume datagrams aggregation under the network layer in large size packets, called bundles, following an IP over VDTN approach. This paper presents VDTN networks focusing on their layered architecture, bundle aggregation and de-aggregation mechanisms, network protocols, scheduling and dropping policies, fragmentation mechanisms, and the created tools for VDTNs performance evaluation, demonstration, and validation. © 2009-2012 IEEE.
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| 35. |
- Kattge, Jens, et al.
(författare)
-
TRY plant trait database - enhanced coverage and open access
- 2020
-
Ingår i: Global Change Biology. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 1354-1013 .- 1365-2486. ; 26:1, s. 119-188
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Plant traits-the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants-determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait-based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits-almost complete coverage for 'plant growth form'. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait-environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives.
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| 36. |
- Kehoe, Laura, et al.
(författare)
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Make EU trade with Brazil sustainable
- 2019
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Ingår i: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 364:6438, s. 341-
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
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| 37. |
- Leitao, Jorge, et al.
(författare)
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Prevalence and risk factors of fatty liver in Portuguese adults
- 2020
-
Ingår i: European Journal of Clinical Investigation. - : WILEY. - 0014-2972 .- 1365-2362. ; 50:6
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Prevalence of fatty liver (FL) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) depends mainly on obesity, diabetes and genetic factors. FL and NAFLD prevalence was evaluated in Portuguese adult population and correlated with several risk factors and related mortality data, within the same period. Materials and methods A cross-sectional, population-based multicenter study, voluntary and randomly selected in 834 Portuguese adults (18-79 years). Participants were evaluated after 12-hour fasting. Anthropometric data, past history including alcohol consumption, and associated diseases were registered. Blood samples were collected for biochemical testing. Dietary intake was evaluated using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Presence of FL was evaluated using ultrasound, and NAFLD was diagnosed after exclusion of other causes for liver disease. Results Adjusted prevalence of FL and NAFLD was 37.8% and 17.0%, respectively. FL individuals were older, more frequently males, with increased probability of having obesity, diabetes or harmful alcohol consumption (HAC). NAFLD individuals were also older, but had a similar sex distribution and an increased probability of obesity and diabetes. In both groups, no differences were found regarding dietary pattern or physical activity. During the same time period, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) liver-related deaths in Portugal were 0.105/100 000, while alcohol-related liver disease mortality was 6.790/100 000. Conclusion The large spectrum of FL was present in more than one third of the population, although only less than half could be classified as NAFLD. Other significant risk factors, such as HAC, are probably implicated in FL, explaining the low NASH-related mortality compared with the high alcohol-related mortality during the same time period.
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| 38. |
- Melo, Clarissa L., et al.
(författare)
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Integration results of soil CO2 flux and subsurface gases in the Ressacada Pilot site, Southern Brazil
- 2017
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Ingår i: 13th International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies, GHGT-13. - : Elsevier. ; , s. 3793-3804
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The first CO2 monitoring field lab at the Ressacada Farm, in the Southern region of Brazil, started in 2011 and until 2015 offered an excellent opportunity to run controlled CO2 releases experiments in soil and shallow subsurface through vertical injection wells. This paper focus on the presentation and comparison of the results obtained at the last campaign realized at this site in August 2015. The results integrate a time-lapse monitoring experiment of CO2 migration in both saturated and unsaturated sand-rich sediments and soil, using soil CO2 flux measurements and subsurface gas analyses through CO2 concentrations (ppm) and carbon isotope ratios (delta C-13 of CO2). The CO2 flux results in the studied area showed an increase in the flux values according to the increasing of injection rate and along the campaign are directed to the southwest portion of the area. However, even by injecting large amounts of CO2, fluxes are greatly reduced when it rains. The gas analysis also showed an increase in CO2 concentrations according to the increasing of the injection rate mainly in the superficial levels of the monitoring wells (0.5m and 2m depth). The delta C-13 of CO2 found on the 3rd injection day showed the presence of CO2 injected and demonstrate that the sampling methodology with vacutainer vial was effective, since there is no atmospheric contamination. The correlation of isotopic analysis were consistent with the results of concentrations and CO2 fluxes and thus, it is clear that the CO2 breakthrough occurred from the 3rd day of injection, while were obtained the largest CO2 fluxes, the higher gas concentrations in the subsurface, as well as the industrial origin of delta C-13 of CO2.
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| 39. |
- Morais de Lima, Ana Paula, et al.
(författare)
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Framework for Planning and Evaluation of Nature-Based Solutions for Water in Peri-Urban Areas
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Sustainability. - : MDPI. - 2071-1050. ; 14:13
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Recent efforts to achieve social, economic, and environmental goals related to sustainability emphasize the importance of nature-based solutions (NBS), as grey infrastructure alone is insufficient to address current challenges. The majority of frameworks proposed in the literature fail to address the full potential of NBS, neglecting long-term results, unintended consequences, co-benefits, and their contribution to achieving global environmental agreements, such as the Agenda 2030, especially for water management in a peri-urban context. Here we present an innovative framework that can be applied to both NBS project planning and evaluation for several water-based challenges, giving practitioners and researchers a tool not only to evaluate ongoing projects but also to guide new ones. The framework considers three main stages of a NBS project: (1) context assessment, (2) NBS implementation and adaptation process, and (3) NBS results. This tool has the potential to be used to evaluate whether NBS projects are aligned with sustainability dimensions through a set of adaptable sustainability indicators. The framework can also highlight how the NBS targets are related to the sustainable development goals (SGD) and contribute to catalyzing the 2030 Agenda. The framework is an important tool for water management and other NBS types.
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| 40. |
- Morgado, Leonel, et al.
(författare)
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Cities in citizens' hands
- 2015
-
Ingår i: Proceedings Of The 6Th International Conference On Software Development And Technologies For Enhancing Accessibility And Fighting Info-Exclusion. - : Elsevier BV. ; , s. 430-438
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- We propose a new paradigm for public participation in urban planning, a field which presents significant challenges for public understanding and participation. Our approach is based on leveraging the rich diversity of meaning associated with cultural gestures, traditions, folklore, and rituals, and using them in augmented reality systems, in order for citizens' to explore, understand, and communicate the complex, systemic ideas and concepts associated with urban planning. At an immediate level, this approach holds the potential for enabling increased public awareness of what is at stake in urban planning - both on the part of citizens and on the part of public officials, policy-makers, and decision-makers - and consequently enhancing understanding and improving participation in public life and citizenship. It may also open up a new field of research and development in human-computer interaction, to leverage the richness of meaning and modes of expression which exist in various cultures and societies, rather than ignoring them and imposing dumbed-down or prescribed command methods. Thus, it aims to facilitate new levels of empowerment of users in the use of digital systems and data. The active utilization of cultural meaning in gestures, rituals, and social practices may also support and promote better inclusion and participation of minority groups and migrant communities in contemporary, technology-rich life. (c) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.
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| 41. |
- Ortega-Gómez, Sonia, et al.
(författare)
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Outdoor Against Cancer Connects Us (OACCUs) Project : A European initiative promoting healthy lifestyle among young cancer survivors
- 2024
-
Ingår i: Physical Activity, Exercise and Cancer. - : Asociacion Espanola de Analisis del Rendimiento Deportivo. - 3020-478X. ; 1:2, s. 53-61
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: The main project objectives will be to characterize the lifestyle behaviours of young cancer survivors (YCS) and to examine the associations of physical activity, balanced nutrition and sustainability and nature behaviours with mental well-being and quality of life.Methods: The present cross-sectional project will include YCS between 15 to 39 years from Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden. Sociodemographic aspects and disease history will be collected. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire and The International Fitness Scale will be applied to assess physical activity and sedentary levels; and self-reported fitness, respectively. The questionnaire on adherence to the Mediterranean diet will evaluate healthy diet habits, and a short set of questions will cover the environmental quality of residence of the participants, as well as their outdoor habits. In addition, the EQ‐5D‐5L instrument will measure health-related quality of life, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale will collect depression and anxiety symptoms.Results: It is hypothesised that positive lifestyle behaviours, such as increasing physical activity and following balanced nutrition, may correlate with improved mental well-being and quality of life in YCS. These findings have the potential to deepen our understanding of the intricate interplay between cancer, lifestyle and mental health
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| 42. |
- Papadopoulos, Nikolaos G, et al.
(författare)
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Research needs in allergy: an EAACI position paper, in collaboration with EFA.
- 2012
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Ingår i: Clinical and translational allergy. - : Wiley. - 2045-7022. ; 2:1
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- ABSTRACT: In less than half a century, allergy, originally perceived as a rare disease, has become a major public health threat, today affecting the lives of more than 60 million people in Europe, and probably close to one billion worldwide, thereby heavily impacting the budgets of public health systems. More disturbingly, its prevalence and impact are on the rise, a development that has been associated with environmental and lifestyle changes accompanying the continuous process of urbanization and globalization. Therefore, there is an urgent need to prioritize and concert research efforts in the field of allergy, in order to achieve sustainable results on prevention, diagnosis and treatment of this most prevalent chronic disease of the 21st century.The European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) is the leading professional organization in the field of allergy, promoting excellence in clinical care, education, training and basic and translational research, all with the ultimate goal of improving the health of allergic patients. The European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients' Associations (EFA) is a non-profit network of allergy, asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD) patients' organizations. In support of their missions, the present EAACI Position Paper, in collaboration with EFA, highlights the most important research needs in the field of allergy to serve as key recommendations for future research funding at the national and European levels.Although allergies may involve almost every organ of the body and an array of diverse external factors act as triggers, there are several common themes that need to be prioritized in research efforts. As in many other chronic diseases, effective prevention, curative treatment and accurate, rapid diagnosis represent major unmet needs. Detailed phenotyping/endotyping stands out as widely required in order to arrange or re-categorize clinical syndromes into more coherent, uniform and treatment-responsive groups. Research efforts to unveil the basic pathophysiologic pathways and mechanisms, thus leading to the comprehension and resolution of the pathophysiologic complexity of allergies will allow for the design of novel patient-oriented diagnostic and treatment protocols. Several allergic diseases require well-controlled epidemiological description and surveillance, using disease registries, pharmacoeconomic evaluation, as well as large biobanks. Additionally, there is a need for extensive studies to bring promising new biotechnological innovations, such as biological agents, vaccines of modified allergen molecules and engineered components for allergy diagnosis, closer to clinical practice. Finally, particular attention should be paid to the difficult-to-manage, precarious and costly severe disease forms and/or exacerbations. Nonetheless, currently arising treatments, mainly in the fields of immunotherapy and biologicals, hold great promise for targeted and causal management of allergic conditions. Active involvement of all stakeholders, including Patient Organizations and policy makers are necessary to achieve the aims emphasized herein.
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| 43. |
- Paula, Maicke C. G., et al.
(författare)
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Performance Evaluation of a Real Vehicular Delay-Tolerant Network Testbed
- 2015
-
Ingår i: International Journal of Distributed Sensor Networks. - New York, NY : Hindawi Publishing Corporation. - 1550-1329 .- 1550-1477. ; 2015
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Vehicular Delay-Tolerant Networks (VDTNs) are a breakthrough based DTN solution used to provide vehicular communications under challenging scenarios, characterized by long delays and sporadic connections. Using the store-carry-and-forward paradigm, this technology allows in-transit bundles to asynchronously reach the destination hop by hop over traveling vehicles equipped with short-range wireless devices. The VDTN architecture assumes out-of-band signaling with control and data planes separation and follows an IP over VDTN approach. This paper presents a real-world VDTN prototype evaluated through a safety application and a Traffic Jam Information Service. It also demonstrates the real deployment of this new vehicular communication approach. The real testbed is an important contribution since some complex issues presented in vehicular communication systems can be studied more accurately in real-world environments than in a laboratory approach. The results confirm that real deployment of VDTNs is doable and can be seen as a very promising technology for vehicular communications, although it requires appropriated technologies for outline interferences and quality of service support. © 2015 Maicke C. G. Paula et al.
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| 44. |
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| 45. |
- Proenca, Audrey Menegaz, et al.
(författare)
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Genomic, biochemical, and phylogenetic evaluation of bacteria isolated from deep-sea sediment harboring methane hydrates
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Archives of Microbiology. - : Springer. - 0302-8933 .- 1432-072X. ; 204:4
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Over half of the organic carbon on Earth's surface is trapped in marine sediment as methane hydrates. Ocean warming causes hydrate dissociation and methane leakage to the water column, rendering the characterization of microbes from hydrate depositions a pressing matter. Through genomic, phylogenetic, and biochemical assays, we characterize the first microorganisms isolated from the Rio Grande Cone (Brazil), reservoir responsible for massive methane releases to the water column. From sediment harboring rich benthic communities, we obtained 43 strains of Brevibacillus sp., Paenibacillus sp. and groups of Bacillus sp. Methane-enriched samples yielded strains of the Pseudomonas fluorescens complex, exhibiting fluorescent siderophore production and broad multi-carbon catabolism. Genomic characterization of a novel Pseudomonas sp. strain indicated 32 genes not identified in the closest related type-species, including proteins involved with mercury resistance. Our results provide phylogenetic and genomic insights on the first bacterial isolates retrieved from a poorly explored region of the South Atlantic Ocean.
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| 46. |
- Pumpure, Elizabete, et al.
(författare)
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Womenʼs perspectives on the quality of maternal and newborn care in childbirth during the COVID-19 pandemic in Latvia : Results from the IMAgiNE EURO study on 40 WHO standards-based quality measures
- 2022
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Ingår i: International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics. - : Wiley. - 0020-7292 .- 1879-3479. ; 159:S1, s. 97-112
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: To investigate women's perspectives on the quality of maternal and newborn care (QMNC) around the time of childbirth during the COVID-19 pandemic in Latvia, comparing the years 2020 and 2021, among women who went into labor or had a prelabor cesarean. Methods: Women giving birth in healthcare facilities in Latvia from March 1, 2020, to October 28, 2021, answered an online questionnaire including 40 WHO standards-based quality measures. Descriptive and multivariate quantile regression analyses were performed to compare QMNC in 2020 and 2021. Results: 2079 women were included in the analysis: 1860 women who went into labor (group 1) and 219 with prelabor cesarean (group 2). Among group 1, 66.4% (n = 99/149) of women received fundal pressure in an instrumental vaginal birth, 43.5% (n = 810) lacked involvement in choices, 17.4% (n = 317) reported suffering abuse, 32.7% (n = 609) reported inadequate breastfeeding support while 5.2% (n = 96) lack of early breastfeeding. A significant reduction in QMNC due to the COVID-19 pandemic was reported by 29.5% (n = 219) and 25.0% (n = 270) of respondents in 2020 and 2021, respectively (P = 0.045). Multivariate analyses highlighted a significantly lower QMNC index for 2020 compared with 2021 (P < 0.001). Conclusion: This first study investigating QMNC in Latvia showed significant gaps in QMNC perceived by respondents, with slightly better results in 2021. Appropriate healthcare strategies to improve health care for women and newborns in Latvia are required. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:NCT04847336.
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| 47. |
- Rodrigues, Ana, et al.
(författare)
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Generating functions for Hopf bifurcation with Sn-symmetry
- 2009
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Ingår i: Discrete and Continuous Dynamical Systems. - : American Institute of Mathematical Sciences (AIMS). - 1078-0947 .- 1553-5231. ; 25:3, s. 823-842
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Hopf bifurcation in the presence of the symmetric group (acting naturally by permutation of coordinates) is a problem with relevance to coupled oscillatory systems. To study this bifurcation it is important to construct the Taylor expansion of the equivariant vector field in normal form. We derive generating functions for the numbers of linearly independent invariants and equivariants of any degree, and obtain recurrence relations for these functions. This enables us to determine the number of invariants and equivariants for all , and show that this number is independent of for sufficiently large . We also explicitly construct the equivariants of degree three and degree five, which are valid for arbitrary .
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| 48. |
- Rodrigues, Ana, et al.
(författare)
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Hopf bifurcation with SN-symmetry
- 2009
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Ingår i: Nonlinearity. - : IOP Publishing. - 0951-7715 .- 1361-6544. ; 22:3, s. 627-666
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We study Hopf bifurcation with SN-symmetry for the standard absolutely irreducible action of SN obtained from the action of SN by permutation of N coordinates. Stewart (1996 Symmetry methods in collisionless many-body problems, J. Nonlinear Sci. 6 543–63) obtains a classification theorem for the C-axial subgroups of SN × S1. We use this classification to prove the existence of branches of periodic solutions with C-axial symmetry in systems of ordinary differential equations with SN-symmetry posed on a direct sum of two such SN-absolutely irreducible representations, as a result of a Hopf bifurcation occurring as a real parameter is varied. We determine the (generic) conditions on the coefficients of the fifth order SN × S1-equivariant vector field that describe the stability and criticality of those solution branches. We finish this paper with an application to the cases N = 4 and N = 5.
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| 49. |
- Rodrigues, Josiane Ramos Garcia, et al.
(författare)
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Transcultural adaptation of the children's anxiety questionnaire in Brazil.
- 2021
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Ingår i: Nursing open. - : Wiley. - 2054-1058. ; 8:4, s. 1652-1659
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- To describe the transcultural adaptation process of the Children's Anxiety Questionnaire (CAQ) for the Brazilian culture.This is a methodological study of cross-cultural adaptation.Study conducted in Brazil and Sweden involved the following steps: preparation, translation, synthesis of translations, back-translation and review, and harmonization of the translations by a committee of 13 healthcare professionals using the content validity index (CVI). Cognitive debriefing, using children between 4-10years old, was completed by 15 children to determine if the images corresponded with their meanings and 17 children to determine if they could understand the Global CAQ after listening.Convergences and discrepancies between the original instrument in Swedish, the English version and the Brazilian translation were compared. The process of culturally adapting the CAQ to Brazilian Portuguese was validated, as demonstrated by a satisfactory S-CVI (0.94) among professionals and an agreement of 95% and above by children.
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| 50. |
- Rodrigues, Matheus S., et al.
(författare)
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Effects of diet-induced hypercholesterolemia and gold nanoparticles treatment on peripheral tissues
- 2022
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Ingår i: Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciencias. - : FapUNIFESP (SciELO). - 0001-3765 .- 1678-2690. ; 94
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Cholesterol is a lipid molecule of great biological importance to animal cells. Dysregulation of cholesterol metabolism leads to raised blood total cholesterol levels, a clinical condition called hypercholesterolemia. Evidence has shown that hypercholesterolemia is associated with the development of liver and heart disease. One of the mechanisms underlying heart and liver alterations induced by hypercholesterolemia is oxidative stress. In this regard, in several experimental studies, gold nanoparticles (AuNP) displayed antioxidant properties. We hypothesized that hypercholesterolemia causes redox system imbalance in the liver and cardiac tissues, and AuNP treatment could ameliorate it. Young adult male Swiss mice fed a regular rodent diet or a high cholesterol diet for eight weeks and concomitantly treated with AuNP (2.5 μg/kg) or vehicle by oral gavage. Hypercholesterolemia increased the nitrite concentration and glutathione (GSH) levels and decreased the liver’s superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. Also, hypercholesterolemia significantly enhanced the reactive oxygen species (ROS) and GSH levels in cardiac tissue. Notably, AuNP promoted the redox system homeostasis, increasing the SOD activity in hepatic tissue and reducing ROS levels in cardiac tissue. Overall, our data showed that hypercholesterolemia triggered oxidative stress in mice’s liver and heart, which was partially prevented by AuNP treatment.
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