Water deficit is one of the factors that most influence plant growth and yield. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of silicon and salicylic acid application and water deficit on the growth and photosynthetic and osmoregulatory metabolism of Talisia esculenta Radlk seedlings and their recovery potential after the resumption of irrigation. Six treatments were performed: irrigation, irrigation suspension, irrigation suspension + silicon at 0.5 g L−1, irrigation suspension + silicon at 1.0 g L−1, irrigation suspension + salicylic acid at 50 mg L−1, and irrigation suspension + salicylic acid at 100 mg L−1. The evaluations were carried out at the beginning of the experiment (T0), at 10 and 15 (DIS) days after irrigation suspension, when the seedlings showed a photosynthetic rate close to zero, and at recovery (REC). The plants were submitted to water restriction for up to 15 days, being then re-irrigated until the recovery point, which was monitored based on the photosynthetic rate. Silicon application attenuated the harmful effects of water deficit on gas exchange, initial fluorescence, promoted proline accumulation in the leaf and root, and provided higher seedling quality. Salicylic acid application contributed to the maintenance of the relative water content of leaves during the water deficit period. Silicon and salicylic acid applications can attenuate the harmful effects of water stress, with silicon being the most effective agent in maintaining its growth and metabolism.

Here we investigated the acute effects of an exhaustive intermittent exercise session on immunological parameters of the elderly and the subsequent incidence of upper respiratory tract infections and compare with the moderate-intensity. To do so, ixty-three old subjects were divided into three groups HIIT (n=21) submitted at one High-intensity interval training, SCG (n=21) kept in a sedentary state, and MICT (n=21) submitted at moderate intensity walking. Blood were collected at 5 time points, before, immediately after, 2h, 24h, and 48h after the intervention. In result the IL-6 and TNF-α were overexpressed immediately after the IL-10 stood overexpressed and correlated with IL-17, denoting an inflammatory process, and evidencing an immunologic competence without enhancement of the prevalence of upper respiratory infection tract (URTIs). So a modulation in the balance of Th1/Th2/Th17 cytokines and leukocytes, these modifications did not cause the effect characterized as an immunological window. Perhaps, the typical inflammation process, with IL-10 and IL-17 participation could also produce benefits to combat infections, a pertinent discussion during a post-pandemic time; we consider it a safe exercise program for older adults.

At a basic level, entrepreneurship refers to an individual or a small group of partners that intend to create a new business. Entrepreneurship is at forefront of any competitive economy due to the creation of new products and services that comes from new ideas. In other words, entrepreneurship is associated with economic wealth, growth and innovation. The usage of resources in the creation of new businesses needs to be rational because investors normally are risk averse, and nowadays, the purpose of a new business needs to be for a long-term period, and the usage of resources has to take into mind the possible damage to the planet. In other words, entrepreneurs and the sustainability of the planet are interconnected. Beyond this, entrepreneurs need to take care of the corporate social responsibility of each new business, considering the interests of itself, its stakeholders, and the public. Nevertheless, existing research has not shown in full all the research streams, how they interact with each other and their potential knowledge development. Thus, a literature review on social entrepreneurship and corporate social responsibility in the last decade are opportune. This paper aims to identify research trends in the field through a Systematic Bibliometric Literature Review of social entrepreneurship and corporate social responsibility research. The review includes 69 articles published in the Scopus® database, presenting up-to-date knowledge on the topic.

The partial information decomposition (PID) framework is concerned with decomposing the information that a set of random variables has with respect to a target variable into three types of components: redundant, synergistic, and unique. Classical information theory alone does not provide a unique way to decompose information in this manner and additional assumptions have to be made. Inspired by Kolchinsky's recent proposal for measures of intersection information, we introduce three new measures based on well-known partial orders between communication channels and study some of their properties.

The use of large-scale antenna arrays grants considerable benefits in energy and spectral efficiency to wireless systems due to spatial resolution and array gain techniques. By assuming a dominant line-of-sight environment in a massive MIMO scenario with favorable propagation, we derive analytical expressions for the sum-capacity. % Then, we show that convenient simplifications on the sum-capacity expressions are possible when working at low and high SNR regimes. % Furthermore, in the case of a high SNR regime, it is demonstrated that the Gamma PDF can approximate the PDF of the instantaneous channel sum-capacity as the number of BS antennas grows. A second important demonstration presented in this work is that a Gamma PDF can also be used to approximate the PDF of the summation of the channel's singular values as the number of devices increases. Finally, it is important to highlight that the presented framework is useful for LPWAN's as we show that the transmit power of each device can be made inversely proportional to the number of BS antennas.

In this brief letter we report our initial results on the application of deep-learning to the massive MIMO channel estimation challenge. We show that it is possible to estimate wireless channels and that the possibility of mitigating pilot-contamination with deep-learning is possible given that the leaning model underwent an extensive training-phase and that it has been presented with a large number of different channel conditions.

The Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) plays an important role in LTE and LTE-A systems. It is through the PRACH channel that the user equipment (UE), based on eNodeB's timing estimates, aligns its uplink transmissions to the eNodeB's uplink and gain access to the network. One of the initial operations executed by the PRACH receiver at eNodeB side is the translation of the PRACH signal back to base band, $i.e.$, center the PRACH signal around DC. This operation is a necessary step for preamble detection and can be carried out through a time-domain frequency shift operation. Therefore, in this paper we present the hardware architecture and implementation details of a configurable and optimized FPGA-based time-domain frequency shifter. It is a hardware-efficient and accurate architecture for converting the relevant received PRACH signal into base band before further signal processing. The architecture is manly based on a customized Numerically Controlled Oscillator (NCO), which is used for generating complex exponentials employing only adders, a Look-Up Table (LUT) and plain logic resources. The main advantage of the proposed hardware architecture is that it completely eliminates the need for storing a large number of long complex exponential sequences by employing a single LUT and exploiting quarter wave symmetry of the basis waveform. Our simulation results show that the proposed customized NCO architecture provides high Spurious Free Dynamic Range (SFDR) signals using a minimal amount of FPGA resources. Moreover, the proposed architecture exhibits spur-suppression ranging from 62.13 to 153.58 dB without using Taylor Series correction.

This paper proposes the use of compressive sensing to tackle the Massive MIMO channel estimation problem. As our results show compressive sensing-based estimators perform as well as the optimum MMSE estimator.

In this letter, we advocate that it is possible to mitigate Pilot Contamination in Massive MIMO systems by scrambling the pilot sequences with a Base Station (BS) scrambling sequence. It is possible if a set of sequences is carefully designed to meet the orthogonality property defined in this letter. Each BS possesses its own scrambling sequence that can be reused the same way frequency reuse is applied to cell deployment. The main advantage of the prosed pilot generation scheme is that the frequency reuse factor can be set to 1, the most aggressive one, while the scrambling sequences can be reused with much less aggressive reuse factors (e.g. 4, 7, 9, 12, etc.), which in consequence results in pilot contamination mitigation and increased system's performance.

Objectives: This study aims to explore the use of murine models in peripheral nerve transection research, evaluating and synthesizing key methods for analyzing nerve regeneration to guide future research and clinical interventions. Methodology: A systematic review was conducted in February 2024, adhering to Cochrane and PRISMA 2020 guidelines, using Medline, Scielo, and Lilacs databases. The focus was on experimental studies of nerve regeneration in animal models post-transection. Only experimental clinical trials reporting nerve regeneration outcomes were included; studies lacking a comparator group or functional evaluation methods were excluded. Results: Out of 273 studies initially identified from MEDLINE, 19 were selected for detailed analysis. The average study included 32.5 subjects, with about 10.16 subjects per intervention subgroup. The predominant model was the sciatic nerve injury with a 10mm gap. The most common intervention involved unprocessed adipose-derived stem cells, utilized in 14 articles. Conclusions: The review underscores the significant potential of current methodologies in peripheral nerve regeneration, particularly highlighting the use of murine models and thorough evaluation techniques. These studies significantly contribute to our understanding of nerve regeneration processes and inform directions for future research.

The objective of this review is to do an overview about the current knowledge of Anti Iglon5 Syndrome, a disease that was first described in 2014. The IgLON proteins are a family of cell adhesion molecules and the presence of antibodies against IgLON5 are crucial for diagnosis of Anti IgLON5 Syndrome. This syndrome has an expanded clinical spectrum that involves prominent sleep disorder, progressive bulbar dysfunction, gait instability with abnormal eye movements reminiscent and cognitive deterioration sometimes associated with chorea. The main neuropathological finding is the neuronal loss with hyperphosphorylated tau (p-Tau) protein accumulation at hypothalamus, brainstem tegmentum, hippocampus, periaqueductal gray matter, medulla oblongata and upper cervical cord. The exact pathogenesis is still unclear and involves a neurodegenerative process and autoimmune response. The early diagnosis is important to avoid unnecessary tests and prevent complications. Important resources for diagnosis are the antibody testing of serum and CSF for IgLON5-IgG. The mortality of anti IgLON5 syndrome is high and new studies published described a good response to immune therapy. However, the response to immune therapy depends of some clinical and analytical characteristic. In addition, future studies are needed to thoroughly study the aspects of pathogenesis and treatment of this important pathological syndrome.

Background: Despite the existence of a wide variety of anti-inflammatory drugs, the vast majority are classified as steroidal or non-steroidal. Both classes with many side effects that limit usage. Thus, the search for new molecules with anti-inflammatory potential is still important. Methods: Five phenylbenzohydrazides were synthetized and evaluated in pre-clinical models of acute inflammation in vivo and in vitro. Results: Substances significantly reduced cell migration induced by carrageenan. It was also observed an intense inhibition in protein extravasation and cytokines (IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α) production as well as nitric oxide reduction. INL-11 demonstrated to be the most potent since the reduction was significant even when compared with dexamethasone. In vitro INLs also reduced cytokines and NO production and iNOS activity. INL-11 was the most effective in reducing cell migration in vitro. Conclusions: our data suggest that these substances are suitable for further development to new series of compounds that could lead to new hits and future drug prototypes for anti-inflammatory conditions.

This draft aims at opening a discussion about the adequacy of non-stratal, non-derivational models of phonology, such as Declarative Phonology, to give appropriate accounts of any kind of phonological variation of morphemes. Refuting the assumption that all variants of one single morpheme correspond to a unique underlying form consecutively respecified through ordered adjustments of phonological shape, Declarative Phonology seems able to integrate explanations of both suppletive and non-suppletive alternation. A rough application of this model to suppletive alternation in Portuguese will be sketched out.

Background: The progression of periodontal diseases at national Portuguese level and its public awareness are of great interest, mainly due to the high burden of periodontitis. Objectives: To evaluate the prevalence progression of periodontal diseases in Portugal and correspondent public awareness, between 2004 and 2017, by using data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD), Directorate-General of Health (DGH) and Google® Trends (GT). Methods: For the period 2004-2017, Portuguese national data of periodontal diseases prevalence were searched in the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation of GBD and DGH and for public awareness, GT comparison tool between Portuguese words for “Periodontitis”, “Gingivitis”, “Gums” and “Periodontal disease” trends was used. Results: For the period 2004-2017, the overall prevalence of periodontitis slightly increased from 11.3% to 11.7%. During that period the GT search term “Gums” (“Gengivas”) was the most relevant. It increased steadily over time while the search term “Periodontal disease” (“Doença periodontal”) decreased, being these search trends significantly correlated (

In our study, we investigated the prognostic significance of hematological markers—NLR (Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio), PLR (Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratio), and RDW-CV (Red Blood Cell Distribution Width - Coefficient of Variation)—in 117 glioblastoma patients. Data collected from January 2016 to December 2018 included demographics, clinical scores, and treatment regimens. Unlike previous research, which often examined these markers solely before surgery, our unique approach analyzed them at multiple stages: preoperative, postoperative, and before adjuvant therapies. We correlated these markers with overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) using statistical tools, including ANOVA, Cox regression, and Kaplan-Meier survival analyses, employing SPSS version 29.0. Our findings revealed notable variations in NLR, PLR, and RDW-CV across different treatment stages. NLR and PLR decreased after surgery, with some stabilization post-STUPP phase (NLR: p=0.007, η2p=0.06; PLR: p=0.001, η2p=0.23), while RDW-CV increased post-surgery and during subsequent treatments (RDW-CV: p < 0.001, η2p=0.67). Importantly, we observed significant differences between the preoperative phase and other treatment phases. Additionally, higher NLR and RDW-CV at the second-line treatment and disease progression were associated with an increased risk of death (NLR at 2nd line: HR=1.03, p=0.029; RDW-CV at progression: HR=1.14, p=0.004). We proposed specific marker cutoffs that demonstrated significant associations with survival outcomes when applied to Kaplan-Meier survival curves (NLR at 2nd line < 5: p<0.017; RDW-CV at progression < 15: p=0.007). Elevated NLR and RDW-CV at later treatment stages correlated with poorer OS and PFS. No significant preoperative differences were detected. These biomarkers may serve as non-invasive tools for glioblastoma management.

The use of Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) is a great contribution to medical studies since the application of forecasting concepts allows the analysis of future diseases propagations. In this context, this paper presents a study of the new coronavirus SARS-COV-2 with a focus on verifying the virus propagation associated with mitigation procedures and massive vaccination campaigns. There were proposed two methodologies to predict 28 days ahead the number of new cases, deaths, and ICU patients of five European countries: Portugal, France, Italy, United Kingdom, and Germany, and a case study of the results of massive immunization in Israel. The data input of cases, deaths, and daily ICU patients was normalized to reduce discrepant numbers due to the countries size, and the cumulative vaccination values by the percentage of population immunized, at least with one dose of vaccine. As a comparative criterion, the calculation of the mean absolute error (MAE) of all predictions presents the best methodology and targets other possibilities of use for the proposed method. The best architecture achieved a general MAE for the 1 to 28 days ahead forecast lower than 30 cases, 0,6 deaths and 2,5 ICU patients by million people.

Background: We aimed to assess the association between DII and PD and the mediation effect of DII in the association of PD with systemic inflammation. Using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2009-2010, 2011-2012 and 2013-2014, participants that received periodontal exam and provided dietary recall data were included. The inflammatory potential of diet was calculated via DII. Periodontitis was defined according to the 2012 case definition. The clinical outcomes of interest were mean periodontal probing (PPD), mean clinical attachment loss (CAL) and thresholds of PPD and CAL. White blood cells (WBC), segmented neutrophils and C-reactive protein (CRP) were used as proxies for systemic inflammation. The periodontal measures were regressed across DII values using adjusted multivariate linear regression. Adjusted mediation analysis appraised the influence of DII in the association of periodontitis and systemic inflammation. 10,178 participants were included. DII was significantly correlated with mean PPD, mean CAL, thresholds of PPD and CAL, WBC, segmented neutrophils and DII (p<0.01). A linear regression logistic adjusted for multiple confounding variables confirmed the association between DII and mean PPD (B = 0.02, Standard Error [SE]: 0.02, p<0.001) and CAL (B = -0.02, SE: 0.01, p<0.001). The association of mean PPD and mean CAL with both white blood cells and segmented neutrophils were mediated by DII (from 2.1 to 3.5%, p<0.001). In the 2009-2010 subset, the association of mean CAL with serum CRP was mediated by DII (52.0%, p<0.01). In conclusion, inflammatory diet and PD may be associated. Also, the inflammatory diet significantly mediated the association of leukocyte counts and systemic inflammation with periodontitis.

This article presents a comprehensive review of the relationship in sustainable tourism and blockchain technology. The aim of this research is to explore the potential of blockchain to promote sustainable tourism, as well as to evaluate the current state of research and practical implementations in this field. The findings demonstrate the potential of blockchain in enhancing sustainability practices in tourism, while also highlighting the challenges and limitations. The study provides valuable insights for policymakers, industry practitioners, and researchers, and proposes future research directions to further advance the field.

Latest evidence revealed a possible association between Parkinson’s disease (PD) and periodontitis. We explored the causal relationship of this association through two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) in European ancestry populations. To this end, we used openly accessible data of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on PD and periodontitis. As instrumental variables for periodontitis, seventeen single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from a GWAS of periodontitis (1817 periodontitis cases vs. 2215 controls) and forty-five SNPs from a GWAS of PD (20,184 cases and 397,324 controls). Eight non-overlapping SNPs of periodontitis from an additional GWAS assisted in the validation of association being studied. Multiple approaches of MR were carried-out. There was no evidence of genetic liability of periodontitis being associated with a higher risk of PD (B= -0.0003, Standard Error [SE] 0.0003, P = 0.26). The eight independent SNPs (B= -0.0000, SE 0.0001, P = 0.99) validated this outcome. We found no association of genetically primed PD towards periodontitis (B= -0.0001, SE 0.0001, P = 0.19). This MR study found no conclusive evidence to support a bidirectional causal genetic liability between PD and periodontitis. Further GWAS studies are needed to confirm the consistency of these results.

Recent studies supported a clinical association between Parkinson’s Disease (PD) and periodontitis. Hence, investigating possible protein interactions between these two conditions is of interest. In this study, we conducted a protein-protein network interaction analysis with recognized genes encoding proteins for PD and periodontitis. Genes of interest were collected via GWAS database. Then, we conducted a protein interaction analysis using STRING database, with a highest confidence cut-off of 0.9. Our protein network casted a comprehensive analysis of potential protein-protein interactions between PD and periodontitis. This analysis may underpin valuable information for new candidate molecular mechanisms between PD and periodontitis and may serve new potential targets for research purposes. These results should be carefully interpreted giving the limitations of this approach.

2019-n-CoV is the seventh coronavirus known to infect humans and cause serious illness, and due to its lethality there was a worldwide mobilization for the development of new drugs and new vaccines for Covid-19. Therefore, the present work aims to carry out a virtual screening of terpenes with potential anti SARS-CoV-2 activity. To perform the ligand-based virtual, a model was constructed regarding the compounds which already showed inhibitory activity of the SARS-CoV-2. The test series corresponded to terpenes isolated in the Fabaceae Family. The compounds that were most likely to activity were subjected to Molecular Docking and the best poses obtained were subjected to Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations carried. The molecules under study were submitted to in vitro evaluation to assess inhibitory activity of compounds against SARS-CoV-2 in a phenotypic screening model of the virus. The compounds selected by in silico screening corresponded to triterpenoids from the lupane series. In the in vitro test, both demonstrated activity against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The virtual screening performed managed to identify the compounds with the highest probability of activity, as well as the most stable compounds, and the method used was validated by the in vitro study carried out.

Glutathione (GSH) and melatonin (MLT) are two antioxidants that have been described as having a protective role against oxidative stress in several animal species, improving sperm quality and survival after cryopreservation. Since there is no knowledge on the simultaneous use of these two substances concerning its effects on ram semen cryopreservation, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of MLT, GSH, or their association, on in vitro parameters of ram semen after thawing. During eight weekly sessions, the semen from three Merino rams was pooled, divided into four aliquots, and diluted with an egg yolk-based semen extender without (control) and with antioxidants (MLT 1mM, GSH 5mM, and MLT 1mM + GSH 5mM). Diluted semen was evaluated before and after freezing process. Supplementation of fresh semen with GSH at 5 mM had a deleterious effect on total motility progressive (TPM), curvilinear velocity (VCL), straight-line velocity (VSL), average-path velocity (VAP), linearity (LIN), straightness (STR) and increased slow spermatozoon (%). MLT at 1 mM also has a negative effect on TPM, VSL, and STR in fresh semen. In thawed semen, 1 mM of melatonin increased the TPM regarding the group control. Also, the combination of both antioxidants attenuates the negative effect of GSH 5mM on TPM, VSL and BCF. These results indicate that 5mM GSH impairs or does not improve sperm kinetic parameters in fresh semen and suggest that melatonin when combined with GSH plays a protective role on these effects.

The partial information decomposition (PID) framework is concerned with decomposing the information that a set of (two or more) random variables (the sources) has about another variable (the target) into three types of information: unique, redundant, and synergistic. Classical information theory alone does not provide a unique way to decompose information in this manner and additional assumptions have to be made. One often overlooked way to do this decomposition is using a so-called measure of union information – which quantifies the information that is present in at least one of the sources – from which a synergy measure stems. In this paper, we introduce a new measure of union information based on adopting a communication channel perspective, compare it with existing measures, and study some of its properties. We also include a comprehensive critical review of characterizations of union information and synergy measures that have been proposed in the literature.

Introduction: The purposes of this study were to seek for overall ratio (OR) and anterior ratio (AR) patients data in normal occlusion and Angle’s malocclusion studies, and to assess if such results support Bolton’s standards as general references. Methods: Pubmed, Medline, CENTRAL and Scholar databases were searched up to February 2018 (CRD42018088438). Gray literature was explored through OpenGray. Non-randomized clinical studies, published in English and assessing Bolton’s OR and AR in normal occlusion and Angle’s malocclusion groups (Class I, Class II, Class II division 1, Class 2 division 2, Class III) patients were included. OR and AR means and standard deviations (SD) were collected. Potential covariates (study design, publication year, country where the study was conducted, number of cases, gender, mesiodistal measurement method, and calibration method) were also extracted. The National Health Heart Lung, and Blood Institute’s Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies was used to assess each included studies quality. Pairwise Random-Effects and Multilevel Bayesian Network Meta-Analyses were used to synthesize available data. Results: Fifty-two observational studies were included (8872 participants; male/females 2674/3272; 16 studies lacked gender information). For normal occlusion, global pooled estimates for OR and AR means were 91.74% (95% CI: 91.37-92.10) and 78.24% (95% CI: 77.85-78.63), respectively. We could identify on Angle’s Class III patients meaningful OR and AR mean deviations from normal occlusion (0.89, 95% credible interval [CrI], 0.66-1.12, and 0.66, 95% CrI, 0.38-0.94, respectively), while on Class I patients we found a meaningful mean deviation from normal occlusion only for OR (0.25, 95% CrI, 0.03-0.47). Concerning gender impact, male patients presented higher OR (0.30, 95% CI 0.00-0.59) and AR (0.41, 95% CI 0.00-0.83) mean values than females in Class I. Conclusions: The results show that global pooled OR and AR mean values for normal occlusion patients are slightly above Bolton’s original values. Class I, for OR mean values, and Class III, for both OR and AR, are proportionally larger than normal occlusion patients. Gender had almost no impact on teeth mesiodistal proportion.

The relationship between religion and politics is a constant in the history of humanity. In the specific case of Western culture, it is possible to trace an archeology of the political as an effect of theological-political devices (essentially Christian-inspired). If we add to this the evolution of politics, in modern times, towards biopolitics, then the relationship focuses on very concrete topics. This is the case of the immunological process – from a personal, social, and philosophical perspective – thoroughly analyzed by Italian philosopher Roberto Esposito. In the context of his philosophical immunology, the place of religion is mainly archaeological and is interpreted critically. This article also aims to critically analyze his position, proposing a reading close to his thought but which is, at the same time, somewhat different.

The Atlantic Goliath Grouper Epinephelus itajara (Lichtenstein, 1822) is thought to occur on both sides of the Atlantic, from the Carolinas (USA) to Brazil in the western Atlantic, and from North Senegal to North Angola off West Africa in the eastern Atlantic. While there are fairly good data on their distribution in the western Atlantic, genetic verification of species status, confirmed occurrences, population status, fishing reports, and trade data are almost non-existent off West Africa. Part of the problem is that tropical West African countries lack a network of marine reserves that might protect this species. Add to this destruction of mangrove forests and other coastal habitats on which the species depends when in the post-larval and juvenile stages coupled heavy pollution and intense overfishing and it becomes clear that their survival is deeply threatened. The focus of this paper is to describe all of the known historical data and examine all current data to better evaluate their present status.

This study addresses the problem of accurately predicting azimuth and elevation angles of signals impinging on an antenna array employing Machine Learning (ML). Using the information obtained at a receiving system when a transmitter’s signal hits it, a Decision Tree (DT) model is trained to estimate azimuth and elevation angles simultaneously. Simulation results demonstrate the robustness of the proposed DT-based method, showcasing its ability to predict the Direction of Arrival (DOA) in diverse conditions beyond the ones present in the training dataset, i.e., the results display the model’s generalization capability. Additionally, the comparative analysis reveals that DT-based DOA estimation outperforms the state-of-the-art MUltiple SIgnal Classification (MUSIC) algorithm, establishing DTs as competitive alternatives for DOA estimation in signal reception systems.

This study assesses the applicability of different-resolution multispectral remote sensing images for mapping and estimating the aboveground biomass (AGB) of Carpobrotus edulis, a prominent invasive species in European coastal areas. The performance of three sets of multispectral images with different resolutions was compared: (i) 2.5 cm Ground Sample Distance (GSD), 5 cm GSD and 10 cm GSD images. The images were classified using the supervised classification algorithm Random Forest and later improved applying a sieve filter. The results show that the three tested image resolutions allow constructing reliable coverage maps of C. edulis, with Overall Accuracy values of 89%, 85% and 88% for the classification of the 2.5 cm, 5 cm and 10 cm GSD images, respectively. Samples were also collected, dried and weighed to estimate AGB using the relationship between the Dry Weight and Vegetation Indices (VI). The regressions were evaluated based on their R² and Normalised RMSE. The best-performing VI-DW regression models achieved: R² = 0.87 and NRMSE = 0.09 for the 2.5 cm resolution; R² = 0.77 and NRMSE = 0.12 for the 5 cm resolution; and, R² = 0.64 and NRMSE = 0.15 for the 10 cm resolution. C. edulis area and total AGB were: 3441.10 m² and 28,327.1 kg (with a Relative Error (RE) = 0.08), for the 2.5 cm resolution; 3070.04 m² and 29,170.8 kg (RE = 0.08), for the 5 cm resolution; and, 2305.06 m² and 22,135.7 kg (RE = 0.11), for the 10 cm resolution. Differences were analysed in detail, spatially, to determine their causes. Final analyses suggest that, for C. edulis, multispectral imagery of up to 5 cm GSD is adequate for the estimation of the species’ distribution and biomass.

Creatine has been linked to the development of kidney damage since 1998. However, uncertainties persist regarding the actual impact of creatine supplementation on individuals with kidney disease before supplementation or with pathological conditions that have an increased risk of developing kidney dysfunction. This study performed a comprehensive review of the literature and utilized bioinformatics tools to investigate the effects of creatine on renal tissue and function. Moreover, we identified 44 genes modulated explicitly in response to creatine exposure using the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database, including IGF1, SLC2A4, and various creatine kinase genes. The analysis revealed associations with metabolic processes such as amino acid metabolism, indicating a connection between creatine and tissue physiology. Gene expression analysis using the Genotype-Tissue Expression Portal highlighted tissue-specific expression patterns in kidney and pancreas tissues. Furthermore, the study explored creatine metabolism pathways and kinase regulation through biological databases and Gene Expression Omnibus data, shedding light on the potential regulatory roles of creatine in cellular processes during kidney diseases. Understanding the impact of the balance between the endogenous creatine synthesis and the creatine uptake, particularly the genes GATM, GAMT, SLC6A8 and IGF1, insights into molecular mechanisms underlying creatine's physiological effects on renal tissues. Overall, this work provides new insights into the molecular interactions and pathways influenced by creatine in renal function.

Rocky Mountain or Brazilian spotted fever, caused by Ricketsia ricketssi, is a fulminant, seasonal, and neglected disease that occurs in focal points of North America and South America. Rapid detection are essential for a better prognosis and survival rate of the infected individual. However, disease diagnosis still faces challenges as the accuracy of many of the available laboratory tests fluctuates. Therefore, this review aimed to identify methods for antibody or antigen detection, its gaps, and evolution over time. A search was conducted to find all studies in the Pubmed database that described antibody or antigen detection for Ricketsia ricketsii infection. Initially, a total of 403 articles were screened. Of these articles, only 19 fulfilled the pre-established inclusion criteria and were selected. Among the different methods applied, the IFA technique was the one most frequently found in the studies. However, it presented varied results such as low specificity using the indirect method. Other techniques, such as ELISA and immunohistochemistry, were also found, although in smaller numbers and with their own limitations. Although some studies showed promising results, there is a pressing need to find new techniques to develop a rapid and effective Ricketsia ricketssi infection diagnosis.

In Portugal, cork oak (Quercus suber L.) stands cover 737 Mha, being the most predominant species of the montado agroforestry system, contributing for the economic, social and environmental development of the country. Cork oak decline is a known problem since the late years of the 19th century that has recently worsen. The causes of oak decline seem to be a result of slow and cumulative processes, although the role of each environmental factor is not yet established. The availability of Sentinel-2 high spatial and temporal resolution dense time series enables gradual processes monitoring. These processes can be monitored using spectral vegetation indices (VI) once their temporal dynamics are expected to be related with green biomass and photosynthetic efficiency. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) is sensitive to structural canopy changes, however it tends to saturate at moderate-to-dense canopies. Modified VI have been proposed to incorporate the reflectance in the red-edge spectral region, which is highly sensitive to chlorophyll content while largely unaffected by structural properties. In this research, in-situ data on the location and vitality status of cork oak trees are used to assess the correlation between chlorophyll indices (CI) and NDVI time series trends and cork oak vitality at the tree level. Preliminary results seem to be promising since differences between healthy and unhealthy (diseased/dead) trees were observed.

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious-contagious disease caused by M. tuberculosis (Koch’s bacillus). About one-quarter of the world’s population is infected with that bacillus and at risk of developing TB disease. Latent tuberculosis corresponds to people who have been infected by TB bacteria but are not (yet) ill. The most vulnerable population to TB activation includes HIV infected, drug abuse and autoimmune disease patients. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic and autoimmune neurological disease caused by lymphocytic infiltration. Its prevalence worldwide is 22.2 million cases of MS. There is a relation between TB and MS: due to immunomodulation or immunosuppression treatment of MS (reactivation of latent infection), or due to the intense inflammatory response before the infection of the bacillus (increased susceptibility to the development of autoimmune diseases). Screening for TB includes complete patient history, physical exam, chest radiography, and Tuberculin Skin Test or IGRA (Interferon Gamma Release Assay). This investigation is suggested when MS drugs (immunomodulatory and immunosuppressant medications) are prescribed. If a patient has positive results, the treatment for MS should not be delayed for the finishing TB treatment. In this paper, considering the high prevalence of tuberculosis, we recommend that TB screening should be also done at the moment of Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis.

Nanotechnology has become a popular topic in agricultural and animal research, generating sig-nificant global interest. Nanoparticles (NPs)-enabled agriculture and animal husbandry (AHs) products have three main principles: crop production, protection, and nutrient enrichment. Re-search on this topic has grown exponentially in recent years, with an increasing number of peer-reviewed literature and patents on NPs-enabled agriculture and AH products. This study examines and collects data on the various applications of NPs-enabled agricultural products for crop production, protection, and livestock improvement from the core nanotechnological database. The search returned several types of NPs and products used in agriculture and AH, countries that utilize these products at a commercial level, and analysis of these data by phyton, R-statistical software. Our findings show remarkable growth of nanotechnology in agriculture, AH, and re-search fields for future sustainability goals in the era of climate change

The links between rural and urban have often been the subject of study in Portugal. Nevertheless, the asymmetries between rural and urban have not ceased to increase over the last decades, contributing to an imbalance of economic, social, and territorial dimensions between regions. In order to counter this trend, policies to attract the population and tourism have been endorsed but have not been sufficient to promote territorial cohesion. This makes it necessary to rethink the capacity and the potential of rural territories in terms of mobilising their resources and, through them, promoting new and/or renewed relations with urban territories. This article aims to explore and map the links between urban and rural areas by analysing the routes taken by agri-food products, from production to marketing, with the support of a spatial analysis, using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). For that, we analysed a set of specialised and/or gourmet shops in Oorto and Lisbon, and their relations with the territories from which the commercialized agri-food products come. Most of these products originate in the inland rural regions of the country, and there is a clear geographical connection between the shops analysed and specific territories. Thus, it was possible to verify the increase in interest and consumption of agri-food products of rural origin and the spontaneous increase of this type of shop in the cities analysed, as well as identify the target audience of the shops and the spatial influence they have in the respective cities. These shops, in addition to selling agro-food products, are also promoters of rural territories in an urban environment.

Age estimation is an important tool when dealing with human remains or undocumented minors. Although the skull, the skeleton or the hand-wrist are used on age estimation as maturity indicators, they often present lack of good conditions for a correct identification or estimation. Few systematic reviews (SRs) have been recently published; therefore, this umbrella review critically assesses their level of evidence and provides a general comprehensive view. An electronic database search was conducted in four databases (PubMed, Cochrane, WoS, LILACS) up to December 2022, focusing on SRs of age estimation through forensic dentistry procedures. The methodological quality was analyzed using the measurement tool to assess SRs criteria (AMSTAR2). Eighteen SRs were included, five of critically low quality, six of low quality, three of moderate quality and four of high quality. The SRs posited that Willems’ method is more accurate and less prone to overestimation; most methods seem to be geographically sensitive; and 3D-Imaging and artificial intelligence tools demonstrate high potential. The quality of evidence on age estimation using dental approaches was rated as low to moderate. Well-designed clinical trials and high standard systematic reviews are essential to corroborate the accuracy of the different procedures of age estimation in forensic dentistry.

Climate changes caused by anthropogenic actions can directly and indirectly affect living beings, including parasites and their hosts. Changes such as water temperature, pH, distribution of nutrients in the aquatic environment are some examples that can interfere with the fish community, whether in open water or in production systems. In this review, we will show how climate change can affect the adaptation of hosts and parasites in the aquatic environment and how these parasites can be used for environmental monitoring.

The aim of this study was to develop and validate a predictive early tooth loss multivariable model for periodontitis patients before periodontal treatment. A total of 544 patients seeking periodontal care at a university dental hospital were enrolled in the study. Teeth extracted after periodontal diagnosis and due to periodontal reasons were recorded. Clinical and sociodemographic variables were analyzed, considering the risk of short-term tooth loss. This study followed the Transparent Reporting of a multivariable prediction model for Individual Prognosis Or Diagnosis (TRIPOD) guidelines for development and validation, with two cohorts considered as follows: 455 patients in the development phase and 99 in the validation phase. As a result, it was possible to compute a predictive model based on tooth type and clinical attachment loss. The model explained 25.3% of the total variability and correctly ranked 98.9% of the cases. The final reduced model area under the curve (AUC) was 0.809 (95% Confidence Interval (95% CI): 0.629 - 0.989) for the validation sample and 0.920 (95% CI: 0.891 - 0.950) for the development cohort. The established model presented adequate prediction potential of early tooth loss due to periodontitis. This model may have clinical and epidemiologic relevance towards the prediction of tooth loss burden.

Oral health involves physiological functions related to mouth, teeth and orofacial structures, but also includes psychological and social dimensions. In this sense, oral health is an integrated part of human general health and well-being. Our aim was to access and evaluate the general oral health status of a high- and elite-level sample of Portuguese athletes from different sports. One hundred and sixteen participants were examined regarding their dental relationships, teeth and periodontal health, the presence of parafunctional activities (bruxism), and current or past orthodontic treatment. Our sample were predominantly adolescents and young adults, including 54 high-level and 62 elite subjects (71 males and 45 males) from 11 different sports, but mainly from swimming and athletics. Most sport performers presented with normocclusion (77%), despite the presence of other sagittal, transverse and vertical malocclusions. Twenty-three participants were affected by dental caries and six had missing teeth. Gingivitis (~40%) and dental calculus (~30%) were presented in our sample. Bruxism signs (47%) and current or past orthodontic treatment (~22%) were also found. Oral health conditions are not under control among high- and elite-level athletes, supporting the importance of healthcare needs and oral health promotion strategies in sports.

Accurate channel estimation is of utmost importance for massive MIMO systems that allow providing significant improvements in spectral and energy efficiency. In this work, we investigate the spectral efficiency performance and present a channel estimator for multi-cell massive MIMO systems subjected to pilot-contamination. The proposed channel estimator performs well under moderate to aggressive pilot contamination scenarios without prior knowledge of the inter-cell large-scale channel coefficients and noise power. The estimator approximates the performance of a linear Minimum Mean Square Error (MMSE) as the number of antennas increases. Following, we derive a lower bound closed-form spectral efficiency of the Maximum Ratio Combining (MRC) detector in the proposed channel estimator. The simulation results highlight that the proposed estimator performance approaches the linear minimum mean square error (LMMSE) channel estimator asymptotically.

Oral health surveys are essential to assess the dental caries experience and to influence national policies. This retrospective cross-sectional study aims to analysis dental caries experience who sought dental treatment in a reference university dental hospital at the Lisbon Metropolitan Area between January 2016 and March 2020. Full-mouth examination, sociodemographic, behaviors and medical information were included. Descriptive analyses and logistic regression analysis were applied to ascertain risk indicators associated with dental caries experience. A final sample of 9,349 participants (5,592 females/3,757 males) were included, aged 18 to 99 years old. In this population, caries experience was 91.1%, higher in female participants. Age (OR= 1.01, 95% CI [1.00-1.02], occupation (OR= 2.94, 95% CI [2.37-3.65], OR= 3.35, 95% CI [2.40-4.67], OR= 2.55, 95% CI [1.66-3.91], for employed, unemployed and retired, respectively), overweight (OR= 1.52, 95% CI [1.18-1.96]), reporting to never visited a dentist (OR= 0.38, 95% CI [0.23-0.64] and self-reported week teeth status (OR= 2.14, 95% CI [1.40-3.28]) were identified as risk indicators for the presence of dental caries, according to adjusted multivariable logistic analyses. These results highlight a substantial rate of dental experience in a Portuguese cohort and will pave the way for future tailored oral public health programs in Portugal.

Optical backbone networks constitute the fundamental infrastructure employed today by network operators to deliver services to users. As network capacity is a key factor influencing optical network performance, it is important to understand how topological and physical properties impact its behavior and to have the capability to estimate its value. In this context, we propose here a method to evaluate the network capacity that relies on the optical reach to account for physical layer aspects, in conjunction with constrained routing techniques for traffic routing. As this type of routing can lead to traffic blocking, particularly due to the limitation on the number of wavelengths per fiber, we also propose a fiber assignment algorithm designed to deal with this problem. We apply this method to a set of randomly generated networks using a modified Waxman model, and for a network with 60 nodes, in a scenario without blocking, we obtain capacities of about 2.5 Pbit/s for a symbol rate of 64 Gbaud and about 5 Pbit/s for a symbol rate of 128 Gbaud. Remarkably, this duplication in the total network capacity is achieved by an increase in the total fiber length of only about 51%.

Species distribution models (SDMs) are usually used to predict current species’ geographic distributions and to forecast the impact of climate change, with different aims, such as conservation, and biodiversity management. SDMs use has been increasing in the last decades, however, they are vulnerable to parametrization and data quality input. Thus, inappropriate input can lead to potential unreliability in results. In this context, the most used data and methodologies in SDM, and putative deviations from the consensual best practices, were identified, by analysing recent literature (2018 to 2022). Results show that the parameters presented more consistently are the chosen algorithm (MaxEnt was used in 98% of the studies), the accuracy measures, and the time windows. Many papers fail to specify other parameters, limiting the reproducibility of the studies. Some papers also fail to provide information about the target species: only a fraction of the species' range is considered, or no justification for including specific variables in the model is provided. These options can decrease reliability in predictions under future scenarios since data provided to the model is inaccurate from the start or there is insufficient information for outputs discussion.

With a predominantly humid tropical climate and a large area for expanding agricultural activities, Angola has in principle favorable conditions for bioenergy production. The focus of this study was to evaluate the availability of suitable land for producing sugarcane. This crop is highly efficient in converting solar energy into biomass for energy purposes in Angola. To this end, the Global Agro-Ecological Zones database, GAEZ v4, developed by IIASA and FAO, with the aid of the QGIS version 3.22.5, has been used to identify areas suitable for sugarcane cultivation, considering four levels of suitability. Aiming at the sustainability of bioenergy production, areas dedicated to food production, protected areas, and areas with slopes above 16% were excluded. Under these criteria, this study identified the existence of 6.3 Mha in lands of good agricultural suitability, with water resources, corresponding to 5% of the Angolan territory, distributed in seven provinces of the country, especially in the provinces of Cuando Cubango and Cunene, where 85% of the very suitable land under irrigation is located. Adopting a model of agricultural productivity, assuming irrigation and adequate agricultural practices, such area could produce approximately 956 million ton of sugarcane annually, which is significantly higher than the current production in this country, This amount of feedstock, processed using current technology could potentially produce 81.3 GL of ethanol and 176,9 TWh of electricity with low GHG emission per year, able to mitigate, as a whole, circa 60.3 MtCO2-eq/year by displacing gasoline in light vehicles and diesel and natural gas consumed in power generation.

This paper proposes a reconceptualization of the hierarchical understanding of the human organism, challenging the conventional idea of the supremacy of the nervous system. We argue that symbiotic coexistence and functional interdependence among all systems provide the human body with remarkable resistance to the universal tendency of entropy. We first examine the basis of cellular life, referring to ATP and DNA, essential substances that resist the entropic tendency through complex energy mechanisms. Next, we analyze the collaboration between the body's systems, highlighting the critical role of erythrocytes, which constitute 83.9% of the total cells (24.9 trillion), in the context of energy maintenance and homeostasis. We challenge the conventional view that the nervous system, composed of neurons and glial cells, which together make up 0.6% of the total cells (0.17 trillion), occupies the apex of a biological hierarchy, arguing that the nervous system is merely a component of a broader, interdependent mechanism. Finally, we provide a detailed description of human cellular composition, emphasizing the importance of each cell type in the functional context, thus contributing to the totality of the organism. With this, we present a vigorous appeal for the realization of critical reassessments of fundamental premises in human biology.

This work describes and interprets the presence of heavy minerals in the western Portuguese continental margin using a set of 78 bottom samples collected from 3 distinct areas of this margin: Porto, Aveiro and Nazaré canyon head areas. The main transparent heavy mineral suite (minerals with frequencies >10%), is composed by amphiboles (hornblende), mica (biotite), andalusite, tourmaline and garnet. A secondary suite (minerals with frequencies between 1 and 10%), is composed by pyroxene (enstatite, diopside and augite), staurolite, zircon and apatite. With very low frequency representing less than 1% we found rutile, olivine, kyanite, monazite, epidote, sphene, anatase, sillimanite and brookite. The main primary sources (igneous and metamorphic rocks) explain the presence of these minerals. However, the application of the principal component analysis, with a previous application of the centered log ratio transformation of the heavy mineral data, also stresses for the importance of the grain sorting as a process in controlling the heavy mineral occurrence. The importance of this process is mostly sustained by the distribution pattern of mica and of the most flattened amphibole grains in a way that these particles tend to have a hydraulic affinity to finer grained sediments.

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether chronic undernutrition modifies the response to rostafuroxin in juvenile rats. Chronic undernutrition was induced in male rats using a multideficient diet known as Regional Basic Diet (RBD), mimicking alimentary habits in impoverished regions worldwide. Animals were given RBD – or a control/CTRL normal diet for rodents – from weaning to 90 days, and rostafuroxin (1 mg/kg body mass) or vehicle were orally administered during the last 30 days. Undernourished rats became hypertensive at 55–60 days of age (tail-cuff recording). During the last two days, the rats were hosted in metabolic cages to measure food/energy, water, Na+ ingestion, and urinary volume. Blood and kidneys were collected after euthanasia. Rostafuroxin increased food/energy and Na+ intake in CTRL and RBD rats but had opposite effects on Na+ balance (intake minus urinary excretion): negative in CTRL and positive in RBD. The drug normalized the decreased plasma Na+ concentration found in RBD rats, increased urinary volume in RBD but not in CTRL, and decreased and increased urinary Na+ concentration in the RBD and CTRL groups, respectively. Rostafuroxin decreased the ouabain-sensitive (Na++K+)ATPase and increased the ouabain-resistant, furosemide-sensitive Na+-ATPase from proximal tubule cells in both groups, and normalized the systolic blood pressure in RBD without effect in CTRL rats. We conclude that chronic undernutrition modifies the response of blood pressure, caloric metabolism, Na+ distribution in liquid compartments, mobilization of Na+ from non-osmotic compartments, Na+ and water balance, and activity of renal Na+-transporting ATPases to rostafuroxin.

This study evaluated the stability of the Poly-(sorbitol-co-citrate adipate) with potential applica-tion in the biomedical area. Thus, the physical, chemical and microbiological stability of this was investigated. First, the chemical stability in alkaline phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) was evaluated for 5 days. In aqueous solution, the copolymer acidified the medium indicating the presence of residual citric acid. In the moisture absorption test the results obtained followed the pH, reinforcing the presence of citric acid. In the evaluation of the antimicrobial activity the results indicate that the copolymer did not allow the growth of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, as the only source of carbon. However, in the cell lysis phase and due to the restriction of access to nutrients in the culture medium, the copolymer showed a loss of mass due to its use by the microorganism. Thus, it presented biodegradability property under extreme conditions of cell culture.

This systematic review investigates the failure rate and marginal bone loss (MBL) of dental implants placed in Solid-organ transplant (SOT) patients compared to healthy controls. Three databases (PubMed, Web of Sciences and the Cochrane Library) were searched up to June 2020 (PROSPERO CRD42019124896). Case-control and cohort studies reporting data failure rate and marginal bone loss (MBL) of dental implants placed in SOT patients were included. The risk of bias of observational studies was assessed through the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Four case-control studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria, all of low risk of bias. Meta-analyses revealed consistently lower implant failure rate than control populations at patient and implant levels. SOT patients had a significant difference of -18% (p-value <0.001) of MLB towards healthy patients. SOT status poses no serious threat to implant survival. Overall, this group of patients presented lower levels of dental implant failure rate and marginal bone loss compared to otherwise healthy patients. Further intervention trials with wider sample size and longer follow-ups are necessary to confirm these summary results.

This overview initially describes insect immune reactions and then brings together present knowledge of the interactions of vector insects with their invading parasites and pathogens. It is a way of introducing this special issue with subsequent papers presenting the latest details of these interactions in each particular group of vectors. Hopefully, this paper will fill a void in the literature since brief descriptions of vector immunity have now been brought together in one publication and could form a starting point for those interested and new to this important area. Descriptions are given on the immune reactions of mosquitoes, blackflies, sandflies, tsetse flies, lice, fleas and triatomine bugs. Cellular and humoral defences are described separately but emphasis is made on the co-operation of these processes in the completed immune response. The paper also emphasises the need of great care in extracting haemocytes for subsequent study as appreciation of their fragile nature is sometimes overlooked with non-sterile media, smearing techniques and excessive centrifugation sometimes used. The potential vital role of eicosanoids in the instigation of many of the immune reactions described is also discussed. Finally, the priming of the immune system, mainly in mosquitoes, is considered and one possible mechanism is presented

Plants exhibit the capacity for adaptation through their metabolic processes to various changes in environmental conditions. Investigating these adaptations in current and future climatic scenarios is of great importance for ensuring productive agricultural crops. This adaptative potential is commonly employed as an indicator of genotypes with higher potential in breeding programs. However, the complexity and interaction of plant metabolic parameters pose a challenge to selection strategies. In this context, the aim of this study was to explore phenotypic plasticity within the germplasm of Hybrid Timor coffee. Additionally, we assessed the utility of the Phenotypic Plasticity Index (MVPi) as a promising tool to predict genotype performance across diverse climatic conditions. To achieve this, we evaluated the performance of seven accessions from the Hybrid Timor germplasm in comparison to the Rubi and IPR 100 cultivars, known for their susceptibility and resistance to drought, respectively. The experiment was conducted at greenhouse conditions, with two treatments: a control scenario, maintaining soil moisture near its maximum water-holding capacity, and a water deficit scenario involving irrigation cessation followed by rehydration. Data encompassing physiological, biochemical, and growth aspects were collected during three distinct stages: pre-application of water deficit, its imposition, and subsequent rehydration. Furthermore, field evaluations of the productivity of the same genotypes were carried out over two consecutive seasons. Based on physiological and biochemical assessments, the MVPi was computed, employing Euclidean distance between principal component multivariate analysis scores. Subsequently, this index was correlated with growth and productivity data through linear regressions. Our findings reveal that the more plastic genotypes, capable of significantly altering physiological and biochemical parameters in response to environmental stimuli, exhibited reduced biomass loss in both aerial and root parts, consequently positively influencing their productivity. Enhanced plasticity was particularly prominent in accessions from the MG Germplasm Collection: MG 311 - Hybrid Timor UFV 428-02, MG 270 - Hybrid Timor UFV 377-21, and MG 279 - Hybrid Timor UFV 376-31, alongside the Rubi MG 1192 cultivar. The MVPi emerged as a valuable instrument to assess genotype adaptability and predict their performance under varying climatic scenarios.

Using pumps operating as turbines (PATs) offers the possibility of increasing the sustainability of water and energy systems by recovering the excess of energy that would be otherwise lost in pressure reducing valves or head loss chambers. In on-grid applications, there are many research works and implementations of PATs. However, there is still limited research for the optimization of efficiency and stability of PATs operating in off-grid systems. This work contributes to the development of stable direct current (DC) off-grid electric systems based on PATs, by optimizing and analysing the energy efficiency and stability for a wide range of operation. A self-excited induction generator (SEIG) coupled to the PAT is provided to cover the conventional type of electric ma-chines typically coupled to the hydraulic pumps. In this context, a methodology is proposed, based on the hydraulic, mechanical and electric subsystems, to define the PAT-SEIG operational area, to maximize energy conversion and the system efficiency. This will guarantee stable electric output quantities when operating in a DC off-grid system. In addition, an analytical model is proposed to estimate the PAT-SEIG operation under specific conditions. With this, water managers are suitable to design and optimize an off-grid PAT-SEIG system and to define the best hydraulic machines, electronic equipment, and all different control elements to maximize energy conversion within the target of operational limits. To develop and verify this new methodology, two micro PAT-SEIG setups were implemented in the hydraulic laboratory of IST/CERIS under typical operating conditions. The proposed solution proved to be resilient under a variable load regime. The system's maximum efficiency can be adapted using different capacitor values for the excitation of the SEIG, and the operational range is limited to the electric components. Considering the nominal efficiencies of the system’s components, the maximum p.u. efficiency obtained for each PAT-SEIG system were between 0.7 and 0.8 p.u.

This paper discusses the use of networks of Inertial Measurement Units (IMU) for the reconstruction of trajectories from sensor data. Logistics is a natural application domain, to verify the quality of the handling of goods. This is a mass application and the economics of logistics impose that IMUs to be used must be low cost and use basic computational devices. The approach in the paper converts a strategy from the literature, used in the multi-target following problem, to reaching a consensus in a network of IMUs. The paper presents results on how to achieve the consensus in trajectory reconstruction, along with covariance intersection data fusion of the information obtained by all nodes in the network.

In 2020, following the World Health Organization's declaration of COVID-19 as a pandemic, dental practices faced unprecedented disruptions globally. This retrospective cross-sectional study, conducted at a leading university dental hospital in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, investigated the impact of these disruptions on dental caries. The study, spanning June 2019 to June 2021, included a full-mouth X-ray examination, along with sociodemographic, behavioral, and medical data. Our sample comprised 3,380 participants (2,007 females and 1,373 males), aged 18 to 99 years, divided into pre-lockdown and post-lockdown groups. We employed the Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth (DMFT) index to measure dental caries. Our findings revealed that nearly 90% of participants in both groups experienced dental caries, indicating a statistically significant difference between the pre-lockdown and post-lockdown periods. However, the impact of COVID-19 confinement varied among different demographic sectors, with age, educational background, and professional status emerging as the key determinants. This study highlights the need for a more nuanced understanding of the impact of the pandemic on oral health, emphasizing the role of sociodemographic factors in shaping dental health outcomes during such global health crises.

With the goal of representing common denominators of aging in different organisms López-Otín et al. in 2013 described nine hallmarks of aging. Since then, this representation has become a major reference point for the biogerontology field. The template for the hallmarks of aging account originated from landmark papers by Hanahan and Weinberg (2000, 2011) defining first six and later ten hallmarks of cancer. Here we assess the strengths and weaknesses of the hallmarks of aging account. As a checklist of diverse major foci of current aging research, it has provided a useful shared overview for biogerontology during a time of transition in the field. It also seems useful in applied biogerontology, to identify interventions (e.g. drugs) that impact multiple symptomatic features of aging. However, while the hallmarks of cancer provide a paradigmatic account of the causes of cancer with profound explanatory power, the hallmarks of aging do not. A worry is that as a non-paradigm the hallmarks of aging have obscured the urgent need to define a genuine paradigm, one that can provide a useful basis for understanding the mechanistic causes of the diverse aging pathologies. We argue that biogerontology must look and move beyond the hallmarks to understand the process of aging.

The clinical interaction between stroke and periodontitis has been consistently studied and confirmed. Hence, forecasting potentially new protein interactions in this association using bioinformatic strategies presents potential interest. In this exploratory study, we conducted a protein-protein network interaction (PPI) search with documented encoded proteins for both stroke and periodontitis. Genes of interest were collected via GWAS database. The STRING database was used to predict the PPI networks, first in a sensitivity purpose (confidence cut-off of 0.7), and then with a highest confidence cut-off (0.9). Genes over-representation was inspected in the final network. As a result, we foresee a prospective protein network of interaction between stroke and periodontitis. Inflammation, pro-coagulant/pro-thrombotic state and ultimately atheroma plaque rupture is the main biological mechanism derived from the network. These pilot results may pave the way to future molecular and therapeutic studies to further comprehend the mechanisms between these two conditions.

Optical networks, characterized by using optical fibers as a transmission medium, constitute the fundamental infrastructure employed today by network operators to deliver services to users. As network capacity is one of the key factors influencing optical network performance, it is important to comprehend its limitations and have the capability to estimate its value. In this context, we revisit the concept of capacity from various perspectives, including channel capacity, link capacity, and network capacity, thus providing an integrated view of the problem. Hence, we review the fundamental concepts behind optical networks, along with the basic physical phenomena present in optical fiber transmission and provide methodologies for estimating the different types of capacities, mainly using simple formulations. In particular, we propose a method to evaluate the network capacity that relies on the optical reach to account for physical layer aspects, in conjunction with capacitated routing techniques for traffic routing. We apply this method to three reference networks and obtain capacities ranging from tens to hundreds of Terabits/s. Whenever possible, we also compare our results with published experimental data to understand how they relate.

The collision avoidance mechanism adopted by the IEEE 802.11 standard is not optimal. The mechanism employs a binary exponential backoff (BEB) algorithm in the medium access control (MAC) layer. Such an algorithm increases the backoff interval whenever a collision is detected to minimize the probability of subsequent collisions. However, the expansion of the backoff interval causes degradation of the radio spectrum utilization (i.e., bandwidth wastage). That problem worsens when the network has to manage the channel access to a dense number of stations, leading to a dramatic decrease in network performance. Furthermore, a wrong backoff setting increases the probability of collisions such that the stations experience numerous collisions before achieving the optimal backoff value. Therefore, to mitigate bandwidth wastage and, consequently, maximize the network performance, this work proposes using reinforcement learning (RL) algorithms, namely Deep Q Learning (DQN) and Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (DDPG), to tackle such an optimization problem. As for the simulations, the NS-3 network simulator is used along with a toolkit known as NS3-gym, which integrates a reinforcement-learning (RL) framework into NS-3. The results demonstrate that DQN and DDPG have much better performance than BEB for static and dynamic scenarios, regardless of the number of stations. Moreover, the performance difference is amplified as the number of stations increases, with DQN and DDPG showing a 27% increase in throughput with 50 stations compared to BEB. Furthermore, DQN and DDPG presented similar performances.

Master Valentim’s fountain became an important historical patrimony for Brazil, being portrayed by famous artists among them Jean-Baptiste Debret. In 1938, it was registered as cultural heritage by the Brazilian National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute (IPHAN), and in 1990 it was subjected to excavation and restoration works. The fountain was built in Gneiss and Lioz limestone, with metallic plates and mortar connecting the Gneiss blocks. Currently, deteriorations in the fountain stones can be observed such as light stains and some aesthetic modifications caused by inadequate restorations. Petrography, XRF, XRD, Physical Properties, Colorimetry, Electrical Conductivity, ICP-OES, SEM-EDX, and TGA were performed in order to characterize the Gneiss blocks, the metallic plates, the stones used in previous restorations, as well as light stains observed on the Gneiss blocks. The petrography and XRD analyses inferred that light stains may have been caused by the formation of an insoluble salt as a result of the association of the lead from the plates with other elements. The XRD analysis on the light staining area indicated presence of cerussite (PbCO₃), and anglesite (PbSO₄), which are the probable cause of the light stains. The SEM-EDX results suggested that sulfur is the main element associated to lead.

This study explores the multifaceted influence of litter size, maternal care, exercise, and aging on rats' neurobehavioral plasticity and dentate gyrus microglia dynamics. Body weight evolution revealed a progressive increase until maturity, followed by a decline during aging, with larger litters exhibiting lower weights initially. Notably, exercised rats from smaller litters displayed higher body weights during mature and aged stages. Dentate gyrus volumes showed no significant differences among groups, except for aged sedentary rats from smaller litters, which exhibited a reduction. Maternal care varied significantly based on litter size, with large litter dams showing lower frequencies of caregiving behaviors. Behavioral assays highlighted the detrimental impact of a sedentary lifestyle and reduced maternal care/large litters on spatial memory, mitigated by exercise in aged rats from smaller litters. Microglial dynamics in the layers of dentate gyrus revealed age-related changes modulated by litter size and exercise. Exercise interventions mitigated microgliosis associated with aging, particularly in aged rats. These findings underscore the complex interplay between early-life experiences, exercise, microglial dynamics, and neurobehavioral outcomes during aging.

The advances mobile communications has seen in recent years has rendered the radio spectrum a limited and, hence, an expensive resource. Therefore, technologies that support unlicensed access to spectrum are needed. Therefore, the adoption of novel modulation schemes becomes of utmost importance to obtain better spectral-localization and reduce the OOBE (\textit{Out of Band Emission}) inherent to OFDM (\textit{Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing}) and, consequently, mitigating the interference between secondary (\textit{unlicensed}) and primary users. In this scenario, we assess the gain in the bit error probability using f-OFDM (\textit{filtered-OFDM}) in MIMO systems, both used in the 5G RANGE project.

Grapevine is one of the most relevant crops in the world being used for economically important products such as wine. Yet, relevant grapevine cultivars are heavily affected by diseases such as the downy mildew disease caused by Plasmopara viticola. Improvements on grapevine resistance are made mainly by breeding techniques where resistance traits are introgressed into cultivars with desired grape characteristics. However, there is still a lack of knowledge on how resistant or tolerant cultivars tackle the P. viticola pathogen. In this study, using a shotgun proteomics LC-MS/MS approach, we unravel the protein modulation of a highly tolerant grapevine cultivar, V. vinifera ‘Regent’, in the first hours post inoculation (hpi) with P. viticola. At 6 hpi, proteins related to defence and to response to stimuli are negatively modulated while at 12 hpi there is an accumulation of proteins belonging to both categories. The co-occurrence of effector-triggered susceptibility (ETS) and effector-triggered immunity (ETI) is detected at both time-points, showing that these defence processes present high plasticity. The results obtained in this study unravel the tolerant grapevine defence strategy towards P. viticola and may provide valuable insights on resistance associated candidates and mechanisms, which may play an important role in the definition of new strategies on breeding approaches.

In this work, we present a model of the atom that is based on a nonclassical logic called paraconsistent logic (PL), which has the main property of accepting the contradiction in logical interpretations without the conclusions being annulled. The proposed model is constructed with an extension of PL called paraconsistent annotated logic with annotation of two values (PAL2v), which is associated with an interlaced bilattice of four vertices. We use the logarithmic function of the Shannon entropy H_(s) to construct the paraconsistent equations and thus adapt a probabilistic model for representations in quantum physics. Through analyses of the interlaced bilattice, comparative values are obtained for some of the phenomena and effects of quantum mechanics, such as superposition of states, quantum entanglement, wave functions, and equations that determine the energy levels of the layers of an atom. At the end of this article, we use the hydrogen atom as a basis of the representation of the PAL2v model, where the values of the energy levels in six orbital layers are obtained. As an example, we present a possible method of applying the PAL2v model to the use of Raman spectroscopy signals in the detection of lubricating mineral oil quality.

Mannosylerythritol lipids (MELs), one of the most promising biosurfactants (BS), are glycolipids produced by yeasts or fungi, with great environmental performance and a high compatibility with the human body. MELs besides working as typical surfactants, can form diverse structures when in the critical aggregation concentration (CAC), reducing the surface tension of water and other solutions, and being stable over a wide range of conditions. Among others, MELs present anti-microbial, antitumor, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, skin and hair repair capacity, which opens possibilities for their use in applications from cosmetics and pharmaceutics to bio-remediation and agriculture. However, their market share is still low when compared to other glycolipids, due to their less developed production process and higher production cost. This re-view gathers information on the potential applications of MELs mentioned on the literature since 1993. Furthermore, it is also explored the current strategies being developed to enhance the market presence of MELs, in parallel with the ones developed for rhamnolipids and sophorolipids.

The city of Lisbon, has any other capital of a European country, has a large number of issues while managing the waste and recycling containers spread throughout the city. This document presents the results of a study promoted by the Lisbon City Council for trialing LPWAN technology on the waste management vertical under the Lisbon Smart City initiative. Current waste management is done using GSM sensors, and the aim is to use LPWAN to reduce the costs, improve range and reduce provisioning times when changing the communications provider. After an initial study, LoRa was selected as the LPWAN of choice for the trials. The study is composed of multiple use cases at different distances, types of recycling waste containers, placements (underground and surface) and different kinds of waste level measurement LoRa sensors, deployed in order to assess the impact of the different use cases on the LoRa sensor usage. The results shown that the underground waste containers present the most difficult challenge, where the container itself imposes attenuation levels of 26dB on the link budget. The results promoted the deployment of a city wide LoRa network available to all departments inside the Lisbon City Council, and considering the network capacity the network, the network is also available to citizens to be used freely.

Climate change is expected to influence cooling and heating energy demand of residential buildings and affect overall thermal comfort. Towards this end, the heating degree-day (HDD), the cooling degree-day (CDD) and the HDD+CDD were computed from an ensemble of 7 high-resolution bias-corrected simulations attained from EURO-CORDEX under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5. These three indicators were analyzed for 1971-2000 (from E-OBS) and 2011-2040 and 2041-2070, under both RCPs. Results show that the overall spatial distribution of HDD trends for the 3 time-periods points out an increase of energy demand to heat internal environments in Portugal's northern-eastern regions, most significant under RCP8.5. It is projected an increase of CDD values for both scenarios; however, statistically significant linear trends were only found for 2041-2070 under RCP4.5. The need for cooling is almost negligible for the remaining periods, though linear trend values are still considerably higher for 2041-2070 under RCP8.5. By the end of 2070, higher amplitudes for all indicators are depicted for southern Algarve and Alentejo regions, mainly under RCP8.5. For 2041-2070 the Centre and Alentejo (North and Centre) regions present major positive differences for HDD(CDD) under RCP4.5(RCP8.5), within the 5 NUTS II regions predicting higher heating(cooling) requirements for some locations.

In recent times, there has been a revolutionary surge in antioxidant research, with a focus on harnessing microalgae to enhance wellness and extend human longevity. Microalgae, a diverse group of unicellular photosynthetic organisms, have emerged as promising sources of natural antioxidants due to their ability to synthesize various bioactive compounds, including carotenoids, polyphenols, and tocopherols. These antioxidants play a pivotal role in scavenging free radicals and reducing oxidative stress, known contributors to aging and chronic diseases. This review provides an overview of recent advancements in understanding microalgae's antioxidant potential, covering their biochemical composition, extraction techniques, and purification methods. Moreover, it delves into compelling in vitro and in vivo studies showcasing microalgae-derived antioxidants' protective effects against oxidative damage, inflammation, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegenerative disorders. The sustainable cultivation of microalgae in controlled environments further supports the potential for large-scale production and commercialization of their antioxidant compounds. As microalgae continue to revolutionize antioxidant research, they hold immense promise in developing novel preventive and therapeutic strategies to promote human health and wellbeing.

The main aim of this work is to compare and characterize the state of decay developed in a set of 14 monuments, including churches and Pazos (Galician traditional house) of the architectural heritage of the Barbanza Peninsula (Galicia), considering its relationship with the influence of the environmental factor. A macroscopic inspection was carried out to determine the deterioration patterns. The most reported pathology across the peninsula, due to the moisture regime, was the formation of dark areas (generally as biofilms) and the lichen growth (biological colonization). Depending on the proximity to the coast, the study area was divided into two zones. Zone 1, closer to the sea (&lt;1 km) with an important influence of sea salts and wind and zone 2, further from the sea with higher altitudes (center of the peninsula) and important rainfall, humidity and therefore, fauna growth. Crusts (to a lesser degree, because it is a mainly rural area) are more frequent in zone 1, but the state of conservation of stone is better than in zone 2 due to the concentration of urban centers that require aesthetics and constant maintenance. In zone 2, however, abandonment is greater and biological colonization (mainly by lichens and plants) is more developed along with deterioration patterns due to biological damage. The synergy of several factors such as salt, climatic conditions and spatial characteristics of the architectural heritage studied define the degree of deterioration of each heritage objective. The research has a potential contribution to the conservation measures to be undertaken.

In order to meet the Millennium Development Goals set forth by the United Nations’ Millennium Summit that took place in 2000, in New York, particularly in the area of education, the Mozambican Government decided that, from 2003 onwards, during their primary school formation, students should be passed automatically even if they do not have enough intellectual capacities that justify their progress. In fact, this decision was made during a period when there were many pupils being failed, due to various reasons. After more than 15 years of its implementation, this paper aims to analyzing the results acquired from this decision, from the point of view of the quality of education. This will be done taking into account the prevailing situation of education in Mozambique. Having considered these aspects, the paper will move on to presenting some of the challenges and opportunities that the country should consider in the area of education, as a way to bring about better outcomes and promote development, in the country.

In this work, we derive the spectral efficiency, secrecy outage probability, and bit error rate of a communication system assisted by a large intelligent surface (LIS). We consider a single-antenna user and an array of antennas at the transmitter side and the possibility of a direct link between transmitter and receiver. Additionally, there is a single-antenna eavesdropper with a direct link to the transmitter, which is modeled as a Nakagami-m distributed fading coefficient. The channels from transmitter to the LIS and from the LIS to the user may or may not have the line-of-sight (LoS) and are modeled by the Nakagami- m distribution. Moreover, we assume that the LIS elements perform non-ideal phase cancellation leading to a residual phase error that assumes a Von Mises distribution. We show that the resulting channel can be accurately approximated by a Gamma distribution whose parameters are analytically estimated using the moments of the equivalent signal-to-noise ratio. We also provide an upper bound for the error probability for M-QAM modulations. With the derived formulas, we analyze the effect of the strength of the LoS link by varying the Nakagami parameter, m.

Polypharmacy and malnutrition are common health issues among older adults. In older people, there is a high prevalence of polypharmacy and malnutrition, and preliminary data also indicates that there is a significant of Food Supplements (FS) use, increasing the risk of duplication of thera-pies and several adverse reactions and drug-FS and FS-FS interactions. The intervention of health professionals in mitigating these risks is essential. This review not only underscores and discusses the potential association between polypharmacy, malnutrition, and food supplements but also presents current scientific evidence on polypharmacy, malnutrition, and the use of food supplements by the elderly. The work reviews the challenges, advantages and risks of using FS for the elderly who are polymedicated and/or malnourished, focusing on the good practices needed to support healthy ageing. In this regard, the paper intends to help health professionals better deal with the issue of polypharmacy and the use of multiple FS to overcome the malnutrition problem and improve the health and well-being of older adults.

The last decade has seen remarkable progress in the characterization of methylation clocks that track biological age in humans and many other mammalian species. While the biological processes of aging that underlie these clocks have remained unclear, several clues have pointed to a link to developmental mechanisms. These include the presence in the vicinity of clock CpG sites of genes that specify development, including those of the Hox (homeobox) and polycomb classes. Here we discuss how recent advances in programmatic theories of aging provide a framework within which methylation clocks can be understood as part of a developmental process of aging. This includes how such clocks evolve, how developmental mechanisms cause aging, and how they give rise to late-life disease. The combination of ideas from evolutionary biology, biogerontology and developmental biology open a path to a new discipline, that of developmental gerontology (devo-gero). Drawing on the properties of methylation clocks, we offer several new hypotheses that exemplify devo-gero thinking. We suggest that polycomb controls a trade-off between earlier developmental fidelity and later developmental plasticity. We also propose the existence of an evolutionarily-conserved developmental sequence spanning ontogenesis, adult development and aging, that both constrains and determines the evolution of aging.

Land and climate are strongly connected through multiple interface processes and climate change may lead to significant changes in land use. In this study, high-resolution observational gridded datasets are used to assess modifications in the Köppen-Geiger and Worldwide Bioclimatic (WBCS) Classification Systems, from 1950‒1979 to 1990‒2019 in Portugal. A compound Bioclimatic-Shift Exposure Index (BSEI) is also defined to identify the most exposed regions to recent climatic changes. The temporal evolution of land cover with vineyards and olive groves between 1990 and 2018, as well as correlations with areas with bioclimatic shifts, are analyzed. Results show an increase (decrease) of CSa Warm Mediterranean climate with hot summer (CSb, warm summer) of 18.1% (‒17.8%). The WBCS Temperate areas also reveal a decrease of ‒5.11%. Arid and semi-arid ombrotypes areas increased, conversely to humid to sub-humid ombrotypes. Thermotypic horizons depict a shift towards warmer classes. BSEI highlights the most significant shifts in northwestern Portugal. Vineyards have been displaced towards regions that are either the coolest/humid, in the northwest, or the warmest/driest, in the south. For oliviculture, the general trend for a relative shift towards cool/humid areas suggests an attempt of the sector to adapt, despite the cover area growth in the south. As vineyards and olive groves in southern Portugal are commonly irrigated, options for the intensification of these crops in this region may threaten the already scarce water resources and challenge the future sustainability of these sectors.

The WASP-Index is computed over Iberia for three monthly timescales in 1961-2020, based on an observational gridded precipitation dataset (E-OBS), and in 2021-2070, based on bias-corrected precipitation generated by a six-member climate model ensemble from EURO-CORDEX, under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5. The WASP performance in identifying extremely dry or wet events, reported by the EM-DAT disaster database, is assessed for 1961–2020. An overall good agreement between the WASP spatial patterns and the EM-DAT records is found. The areolar mean values revealed an upward trend in the frequency of occurrence of intermediate-to-severe dry events over Iberia, which will be strengthened in the future, particularly for the 12m-WASP intermediate dry events under RCP8.5. Besides, the number of 3m-WASP intermediate-to-severe wet events is projected to increase, mostly the severest events under RCP4.5, but no evidence was found for an increase in the number of more persistent (12m-WASP) wet events under both RCPs. Despite important spatial heterogeneities, an increase(decrease) of the intensity, duration, and frequency of occurrence of the 12m-WASP intermediate-to-severe dry(wet) events is found under both scenarios, mainly in the southernmost regions of Iberia, thus becoming more exposed to prolonged and severe droughts in the future, corroborating the results from previous studies.

This study aimed to investigate the healing effect of advanced platelet-rich fibrin (A-PRF) clot membranes in the reduction of palatal wounds resulting from free gingival graft (FGG) harvesting, in the re-epithelization rate and in the pain experience after surgery. Twenty-five patients requiring soft tissue augmentation (gingival recession coverage or keratinized gingiva augmentation) participated in this prospective randomized clinical study. After FGG harvesting, the test group (n=14) received A-PRF clot membranes at the palatal wound and the control group (n=11) a gelatin sponge. Epithelialization rate of the palatal wound, wound healing area, correspondent percentage of reduction and post-surgical pain experience were assessed. The follow-up period was 90 days. There was a significantly higher reduction of the palatal wound area in the A-PRF group vs. the control group, at 7 (p<0.001), 14 (p=0.009) and 30 days (p<0.001) follow-up. The maximum difference between groups was attained at 30 days (91.5% for A-PRF vs. 59.0% for the control group). At 14 days a significant difference in the proportion of patients showing total epithelization was found: 64.3% for A-PRF vs. 9.1% for the control group (p=0.012). At 90 days, both groups showed total recovery. Overall, the control group experienced a higher level of pain and discomfort until the 14th day, being significantly higher on the second day (p=0.013). The results suggest that A-PRF membranes haste the healing process by promoting a greater reduction along the recovery period and an apparent less painful postoperative period.

The anti-money laundering (AML) process has failed both in identifying suspicious cases in due time as in assisting the AML analysts in decision making. Starting from a new generic anti-fraud approach, this article presents the main aspects related to the development of a multi-agent system that goes beyond the capture of suspicious transactions, seeking to assist the human expert in the analysis of suspicious behaviour. First, a transactional behavioural profile of clients is obtained in a data mining process. A set of rules, obtained through data mining over a real database, in conjunction with specific rules based on legal aspects and in the expertise of the AML analysts make up the agents' knowledge base. The cases for which the system was unable to suggest a decision are flagged as requiring more detailed analysis. The system analysed 6 months of real transactions and indicated several suspicious profiles, a set of these suspects was investigated by the AML analysts who proved the suspicion of several cases, including some that had not been identified by the systems in execution.

Shallow Geothermal Energy (SGE) exchanges heat with the ground. In continuous long-term operation, the initial temperature field can be disturbed, and subsurface thermal plumes can be developed. In this paper, the thermal impact of a SGE system under Mediterranean climate is handled. Temperature recordings from 104 thermal probes placed in depth along 15 monitoring boreholes are analysed. Those boreholes were drilled 1-2m from thermos-active boreholes of the case study system installed in a university building. The analysis handles one year of SGE system operation. Temperature depth profiles, reaching up to 140 m depth, were registered with a 10-minute time-step resulting in a large amount of data. Ground thermal conductivity was estimated experimentally and semi-empirically allowing to compute the initial undisturbed ground temperature profiles and compare it with the monitored values. Climate data was recorded by the university meteorological station. Globally, the measured and computed data were coherent and a non-negligible impact of the SGE system operation in the first year was observed. The building orientation as well as the nearby departments had significant impacts on shallow ground temperature. Maximum ground temperature changes, ranging from 2 to 3º C as observed in different boreholes indicating that the system is operating efficiently.

This paper evaluates the feasibility of applying Massive MIMO to tackle the uplink mixed-service communication problem. Under the assumption of an available physical narrowband shared channel (PNSCH), devised to exclusively consume data traffic from Machine Type Communications (MTC) devices, the capacity (i:e:, number of connected devices) of MTC networks and, in turn, that of the whole system, can be increased by clustering such devices and letting each cluster share the same time-frequency physical resource blocks. Following this research line, we study the possibility of employing sub-optimal linear detectors to the problem and present a simple and practical channel estimator that works without previous knowledge of the large-scale channel coefficients. Our simulation results suggest that the proposed channel estimator performs asymptotically as well as the MMSE estimator with respect to the number of antennas and the uplink transmission power. Furthermore, the results also indicate that, as the number of antennas is made progressively larger, the performance of sub-optimal linear detection methods approaches the perfect interference-cancellation bound. The findings presented in this paper shed light on and motivate for new and exciting research lines towards a better understanding of the use of massive MIMO in MTC networks.

(1) Background: To estimate resistance, reactance and phase angle values among moderate preterm infants and their variation according to neonatal and maternal characteristics and nutritional intake. (2) Methods: This was a cohort that evaluated 43 moderate preterm infants using bioelectrical impedance analysis. The study variables included resistance, reactance and PA measurements, in addition to classification of nutritional intake. (3) Results: The mean resistance was 602.0+118.2 Ω, reactance was 57.2 Ω (IIQ = 42.6-65.2) and phase angle was 522° (IIQ = 4.1-6.6). Lower resistance values were found in the presence of risky pregnancy (532.2+111.9 Ω vs 650.9+97.9 Ω, p&lt;0.001) and lower reactance values, in the presence of harmful maternal lifestyle habits at both the first (p=0.01) and second assessments (p=0.01). Eight preterm infants were considered to have insufficient nutritional intake (23.5%); 17, sufficient (50.0%) and 9, partially sufficient (26.5%). There was less reactance among preterm infants with insufficient nutritional intake (p &lt; 0.001). (4) Conclusions: The bioelectrical impedance analysis measurements were within the range of values reported in other studies. There was an association between full diet and adequate nutritional intake with higher resistance values, and a lower reactance value was associated with the presence of risky pregnancy and harmful maternal lifestyle.

This retrospective study aimed to investigate the effect of known risk factors on nonsurgical periodontal treatment (NSPT) response using a pocket depth fine-tuning multilevel linear model (MLM). Thirty-seven patients (24 males and 13 females) with moderate to severe chronic periodontitis were treated with nonsurgical periodontal therapy. Follow-up visits at 3, 6, and 12 months included measurement of several clinical periodontal parameters. Data were extracted from a database system. Probing depth (PD) and Clinical Attachment Loss (CAL) reductions after NSPT in an overall of 1416 initially affected sites (baseline PD ≥ 4 mm), distributed on 536 teeth, were analyzed against known risk factors at three hierarchical levels (patient, tooth and site). The variance component models fitted to assess the three-level variance of PD and CAL decrease for each post-treatment follow-up showed that all levels contributed significantly to the overall variance (P < 0.001). Patients that underwent NSPT and were continually monitored had very curative results. All three hierarchical levels included risk factors who had impact on the to influence the magnitude of PD and CAL reduction. Specifically, the tooth’s type, surfaces involved and teeth mobility site-level risk factors showed the highest influence on these reductions, being highly relevant factors for the NSPT success.

Biocomposite membranes based on polylactic acid (PLA) and cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) were developed using a scientific approach. Dicumyl peroxide (DCP) was used as a polymerization ini-tiator, while tin octoate (Sn(Oct)2) and triphenylphosphane (P(C6H5)3) were used as catalysts. A torque rheometer was used to mix the components of the biocomposite, and thin films was prepared by solvent casting. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy confirmed the coupling between the PLA and CNCs. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) showed that the CNCs were well-dispersed in the PLA matrix with an unimodal particle size distribution and a maximum particle size of around 200 nm. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calo-rimetry (DSC) analysis demonstrated good thermal stability and improved biodegradability of the biocomposite membrane compared to pure PLA. Mechanical characterization showed a Young's modulus of 1.65 GPa, which is comparable to that of other composite materials, and a maximum tensile strength of 20.31 MPa, which is higher than that of pure PLA. These results suggest that the developed biocomposite membrane has potential applications in water filtration, food packaging, and biomedical devices.

The production of high-quality wines is one of the primary goals of modern oenology. In this regard, it is known that the potential quality of a wine begins to be determined in the vineyard, where the quality of the grape, initially, and later that of the wine, will be influenced by the soil properties. Given the spatial variability of the fundamental soil properties related to the potential grape production, such as texture, soil organic matter content, or cation exchange capacity, it seems that a uniform management of a vineyard is not the most optimal way to achieve higher grape quality. In this sense, the delineation of zones with similar soil characteristics to implement site-specific management is essential, reinforcing the interest to incorporate technologies and methods to determine these homogeneous zones. A case study was conducted in a 3.3 ha vineyard located near Évora, South of Portugal. A non-contact sensor (DUALEM 1S) was used to measure soil apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) in the vineyard, and later, a kriged ECa map was generated. ECa and elevation maps were utilised to delineate homogeneous zones (management zones, MZs) in the field through a clustering process. MZs were validated using some soil properties (texture, pH, organic matter -OM, phosphorous -P2O5, potassium -K2O, sum of the exchange bases -SEB; and cation exchange capacity -CEC) which were determined from 20 soil samples taken in the different MZs. Additionally, validation was also performed using Rasch measures, which were defined based on the formula-tion of the objective and probabilistic Rasch model, integrating the information from the afore-mentioned soil properties at each sampling location. The comparison of the MZs was more evident with the use of the Rasch model, as only one value was to be employed in each MZ. The use of ECa constitutes an efficient technological tool for implementing site-specific man-agement in viticulture, which allows for the improvement of decision-making processes by con-sidering the inherent spatial variability of the soil.

The black soldier larvae meal (BSFLM) has been the most extensively studied insect protein source in shrimp nutrition. However, both the availability and prices of BSFLM are still a constraint for its widespread use as an ingredient in animal feeds. The present study investigated the growth and economic performance of post-larval (PL) P. vannamei fed nursery diets with a progressive replacement of fish meal (FML) for BSFLM at 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100%. These replacements corresponded to a dietary inclusion (% of the diet, as-is) of FML and BSFLM of 16.50 and 6.33%, 11.00 and 13.04%, 5.50 and 19.74%, and 0 and 26.46%, respectively. A total of 102,647 shrimp at the age of PL15 with 2.7 ± 0.2 mg body weight (BW) were stocked in fifty 1.5-m3 tanks under 1,369 PLs/m3 (2,053 ± 33 PLs/tank) and reared for 42 days. Final shrimp survival (90.5 ± 7.6%), daily weight gain (14.7 ± 1.1 mg/day), and apparent feed intake (0.67 ± 0.03 g of feed per stocked shrimp) were unaffected by dietary treatment. The highest gained yield (791 ± 52 and 776 ± 38 g/m3) and final BW (621 ± 7.2 and 632 ± 7.2 mg) were attained when FML was replaced for BSFLM at 50 and 75% with the lowest at 0% (726 ± 34 g/m3 and 598 ± 8.1 mg, respectively). Shrimp fed diets with 0 and 100% replacement of FML exhibited the highest feed conversion ratio (1.25 ± 0.04 and 1.24 ± 0.08) compared to those fed a diet with 50% (1.16 ± 0.06). At a price of USD 2.00/kg, BSFLM demonstrated a favorable ROI (Return of Investment) when compared to FML, irrespective of the replacement level. With 25 and 50% replacement, BSFLM remained cost-competitive up to 3.50 USD/kg. At 75% FML replacement, there were no significant differences in ROI with a price range of 2.00 up to 3.04 USD/kg. At full replacement, ROI dropped significantly at a BSFLM price of 2.50 USD/kg and beyond. It can be concluded that FML can be fully replaced for BSFLM in well-balanced nursery diets for P. vannamei. While the full replacement of FML for BSFLM was successfully accomplished, the competitive ROI was sustained only when the price of BSFLM did not exceed 3.04 USD/kg at its dietary highest inclusion of 19.74%. Further research may be necessary to fine-tune cost-effective inclusion levels of BSFLM to optimize the economic outcomes while considering the fluctuating prices of FML.

Accurate channel estimation is of utmost importance for massive MIMO systems to provide significant improvements in spectral and energy efficiency. In this work, we present a study on the distribution of a simple but yet effective and practical channel estimator for multi-cell massive MIMO systems suffering from pilot-contamination. The proposed channel estimator performs well under moderate to aggressive pilot contamination scenarios without previous knowledge of the inter-cell large-scale channel coefficients and noise power, asymptotically approximating the performance of the linear MMSE estimator as the number of antennas increases. We prove that the distribution of the proposed channel estimator can be accurately approximated by the circularly-symmetric complex normal distribution, when the number of antennas, M, deployed at the base station is greater than 10.

The prevalence of digital devices in modern society has raised concerns about the potential neg-ative effects of blue light emissions on eye health and biological rhythms. Research into blue light emissions from digital devices and their potential impact on eye health emphasizes the importance of understanding and quantifying the extent and scope of blue light emissions produced by commonly used screens (smartphones, tablets and computers). This comparative study specifically evaluates three popular Apple devices: iPhone 12 mini®, iPad Pro 12.9® and MacBook Pro®. The devices' spectral power was measured using a spectroradiometer while displaying text and a game at different brightness levels. The study also examines the effectiveness of blue-blocking lenses from well-known brands. The research highlights the importance of quantifying blue light emissions and understanding their potential impact on eye health. By doing so, appropriate measures can be developed to mitigate adverse effects on ocular structures. Above all, this research provides valuable information about the risks associated with exposure to blue light, showing that all tested devices have blue wavelength peaks between 445 nm and 455 nm. By recognizing and addressing the potential negative impacts of blue light, the risks of eye health problems can be reduced and ensure more responsible and conscious use of digital devices.

Understanding and controlling reproductive cycles and gonadal maturation in cultivated species are crucial in aquaculture. The sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus, known for its edible gonads, requires careful maturation control for both reproduction and commercialization. This study explores the impact of temperature, photoperiod, and diet on gonadal development to enhance year-round aquaculture practices. Using two independent cultivation systems, we manipulated environmental conditions to mimic different seasons. Sea urchins were exposed to natural or manipulated temperature and photoperiod conditions and fed either natural (Ulva spp.) or formulated diets. The gonadosomatic index (GI) and histological analysis assessed gonadal development. Results revealed a clear correlation between environmental conditions, diet, and gonadal maturation. Manipulated conditions accelerated maturation, with sea urchins showing advanced stages compared to natural conditions. Furthermore, sea urchins fed formulated diets exhibited higher GI values, indicating enhanced maturation. Histological analysis confirmed accelerated maturation, particularly in females. The study underscores the feasibility of controlling gonadal maturation through environmental manipulation and diet, enabling year-round marketable gonad production. Providing formulated diets rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, notably docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), enhances commercial value. These findings optimize aquaculture practices for P. lividus, highlighting its adaptability to yield-maximizing production strategies. Understanding and controlling reproductive cycles and gonadal maturation in cultivated species are crucial in aquaculture. The sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus, known for its edible gonads, requires careful maturation control for both reproduction and commercialization. This study explores the impact of temperature, photoperiod, and diet on gonadal development to enhance year-round aquaculture practices. Using two independent cultivation systems, we manipulated environmental conditions to mimic different seasons. Sea urchins were exposed to natural or manipulated temperature and photoperiod conditions and fed either natural (Ulva spp.) or formulated diets. The gonadosomatic index (GI) and histological analysis assessed gonadal development. Results revealed a clear correlation between environmental conditions, diet, and gonadal maturation. Manipulated conditions accelerated maturation, with sea urchins showing advanced stages compared to natural conditions. Furthermore, sea urchins fed formulated diets exhibited higher GI values, indicating enhanced maturation. Histological analysis confirmed accelerated maturation, particularly in females. The study underscores the feasibility of controlling gonadal maturation through environmental manipulation and diet, enabling year-round marketable gonad production. Providing formulated diets rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, notably docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), enhances commercial value. These findings optimize aquaculture practices for P. lividus, highlighting its adaptability to yield-maximizing production strategies.

Additive Manufacturing (AM) has been proving suitable to support or even replace traditional manufacturing in several industries, offering many advantages such as delivery time and reduction in terms of material waste, energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This study aimed to carry out a comparative assessment of the life cycle, from gate to gate, in the production of a low alloy carbon steel flange part using ER-90 wire. The methods utilized were Wire and Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) and conventional manufacturing (CM) by forging, and comparative factors were energy demands, GHG emissions and generated solid waste. The total energy consumption in WAAM was 10,239.40 MJ, total carbon footprint in CO2 equivalent (CO2e) was 714.1 kgCO2e kg-1, and generated solid waste was 68.6 kg, respectively, 90%, 95% and 76% lower than consumption calculated in conventional manufacturing.

In this paper, we identify issues and possible solutions in the key area of large-scale antenna systems, also know as Massive Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) systems. Additionally, we propose the use of Massive MIMO technology as a means to tackle the uplink mixed-service communication problem. Under the assumption of an available physical narrowband shared channel (PNSCH), the capacity of the MTC network and, in turn, that of the whole system, can be increased by grouping Machine-Type Communication (MTC) devices into clusters and letting each cluster share the same time-frequency physical resource blocks. We study the feasibility of applying sub-optimal linear detection to the problem of detecting a large number of MTC devices sharing the same time-frequency resources at the uplink of a base station (BS) equipped with a large number of antennas, M. In our study, we derive the achievable lower-bound rates for the studied sub-optimal linear detectors and show that the transmitted power of each MTC device can be reduced as M increases, which is a very important result for powerconstrained MTC devices running on batteries. Our simulation results suggest that, as M is made progressively larger, the performance of sub-optimal linear detection methods approach the matched filter bound, also known as perfect interference-cancellation bound.

The development of electric aircrafts is becoming an important technology for achieving the goals set by the European Commission for the reduction of gases emissions by 2050 in the aeronautical transportation system. However, there is a gap between the values of specific power in commercial electric machines and the ones required for aeronautical applications. Therefore, the search for alternative materials and non-conventional designs is mandatory. One emergent solution is using superconducting machines and systems to overcome the current limits of conventional electrical machines. This work reviews the new hybrid and all-electric aircraft tendencies, complementing it with recent research on the design and development of high specific power superconducting machines. This includes the main topologies for hybrid and all-electric aircraft, with an overview of the ongoing worldwide projects of these types of aircrafts, systematizing the main characteristics of their propulsion systems. It also includes the research on superconducting machines for the purpose of high specific power, considering the impact on the redesign of aircraft systems in the electrical, cooling, and fuel source sense.

Global climate change has induced a rise in sea surface temperature (SST), although this increase is not uniform across the world. Significant variations exist between coastal and offshore waters, particularly in regions affected by upwelling processes. This study focuses on the Canary Current Upwelling System (CCUS), stretching from Northwest Iberia to Northwest Africa. High-resolution remotely sensed SST data (0.05°) from the ODYSSEA Level 4 Sea Surface Temperature Reprocessed dataset were validated with in-situ measurements and employed to establish a regional climatological baseline for 1982 – 2012. Subsequent years were compared to this baseline to construct SST anomaly maps, revealing SST changes since 2012. The study area was further divided into sub-regions for comparative analysis. Results indicate that SST consistently increased at a higher rate offshore compared to the adjacent nearshore regions. A reference dataset spanning 1951 – 1981 was used to gauge SST variability between the two baselines. SST exhibited a 0.59°C increase from 1951 – 1981 to 1982 – 2012, with a slowing of SST trends beyond the 1982 – 2012 baseline. This research offers valuable insights into the climatological dynamics of the CCUS. These findings enhance our understanding of this critical coastal system's climatology, laying the groundwork for future investigations into evolving climate patterns in coastal regions.

In this paper, we introduce the application of Type-I fuzzy inference systems (FIS) as an alternative to improve the prioritization in the FMECA analysis applied in cyber-power grids. Classical FMECA assesses the risk level through the Risk Priority Number (RPN). The multiplication between three integer numbers computes this, called risk factors, representing the severity, occurrence, and detectability of each failure mode and are defined by a team of experts. The RPN does not consider any relative importance between the risk factors and may not necessarily represent the real risk perception of the FMECA team members, usually expressed by natural language; this is the main FMECA shortcoming criticized in the literature. Our approach considers fuzzy variables defined by FMECA experts to represent the uncertainty associated with the human language and a rule base consisting of 125 fuzzy rules to represent the risk perception of the experts. To test our approach, we select a cyber-power grid previously analyzed by the authors using the classical FMECA. The results reveal our proposed fuzzy approach as promissory to represent the uncertainty associated with expert knowledge and to perform an accurate prioritization of failure modes in the context of electrical power systems.

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is one of the most popular elastomers and has been used in different fields, especially in biomechanics research. Among the many interesting features of this material, its hyperelastic behaviour stands out, which allows the use of PDMS in various applications, like the ones that mimic soft tissues. However, the hyperelastic behaviour is not linear and needs detailed analysis, especially the characterization of shear strain. In this work, two approaches, numerical and experimental, were proposed to characterize the effect of shear strain on PDMS. The experimental method was implemented as a simple shear testing associated with 3D digital image correlation and was made using two specimens with two thicknesses of PDMS (2 and 4 mm). A finite element software was used to implement the numerical simulations, in which four different simulations using the Mooney-Rivlin, Yeoh, Gent, and Polynomial hyperelastic constitutive models were performed. These approaches showed that the maximum value of shear strain occurred in the central region of the PDMS, and higher values emerged for the 2 mm PDMS thickness. Qualitatively, in the central area of the specimen, the numerical and experimental results have similar behaviours and the values of shear strain are close. For higher values of displacement and thicknesses, the numerical simulation results move further away from experimental values.

The next generation of wireless and mobile networks will have to handle a significant increase in traffic load compared to the actual one. This situation calls for novel ways to increase spectral efficiency. Therefore in this paper, we propose a wireless spectrum hypervisor architecture that abstracts a radio frequency (RF) front-end into a configurable number of virtual RF front-ends. The proposed architecture has the ability to enable flexible spectrum access in existing wireless and mobile networks, which is a challenging task due to the limited spectrum programmability, $i.e.$, the capability a system has to change the spectral properties of a given signal to fit an arbitrary frequency allocation. The main goal of the proposed approach is to improve spectral efficiency by efficiently using vacant gaps in congested spectrum-bandwidths or adopting network densification through infrastructure sharing. We demonstrate mathematically how our proposed approach works and present several simulation results proving its functionality and efficiency. Additionally, we designed and implemented an open-source and free proof of concept prototype of the proposed architecture, which can be used by researchers and developers to run experiments or extend the concept to other applications. We present several experimental results used to validate the proposed prototype. We demonstrate that the prototype can easily handle up to 12 concurrent physical layers.

The explosive emergence of wireless technologies and standards, covering licensed and unlicensed spectrum bands has triggered the appearance of a huge amount of wireless technologies, with many of them coexisting in the same band. Unfortunately, the wireless spectrum is a scarce resource, and the available frequency bands will not scale with the foreseen demand for new capacity. Certain parts of the spectrum, in particular the license-free ISM bands, are overcrowded, while other parts, mostly licensed bands, may be significantly underutilized. As such, there is a need to introduce more advanced techniques to access and share the wireless medium, either to improve the coordination within a given band, or to explore the possibilities of intelligently using unused spectrum in underutilized (e.g., licensed) bands. Therefore, in this paper, we present an open source SDR-based framework that can be employed to devise disruptive techniques to optimize the sub-optimal use of radio spectrum that exists today. Additionally, we describe three use cases where the proposed framework can be employed along with intelligent algorithms to achieve improved spectrum utilization.

This paper proposes a method based on genetic algorithm (GA) for the security-constrained optimal dispatch of integrated natural gas and electricity networks, considering operating scenarios in both energy systems. The mathematical formulation of the optimization problem consists of a multi-objective function which aims to minimize both cost of thermal generation (diesel and natural gas) as well as the production and transportation of natural gas. The joint gas-electricity system is modeled by two separate groups of nonlinear equation, which are solved by the combination of Newton's method with the GA. The applicability of the proposed method is tested in the Belgian gas network integrated with the IEEE 14-bus test system and a 15-node natural gas network integrated with the IEEE 118-bus test system. The results demonstrate that the proposed method provides efficient and secure solutions for different operating scenarios in both energy systems.

Commercial classification is essential to spatially describe commerce. Although most of the proposed classifications have been classic functional analyses, rooted on qualitative studies, some recent classifications efforts are found to rely heavily on more quantitative methods, due eventually to increasing data availability and technological advancements. In this paper, a classification is proposed, using k-means clustering and a minimal set of variables (density, diversity and clustering) to derive the commercial structure of Lisbon. The classification is implemented for 1995, 2002 and 2010, using a 150m-sided square grid. The cross-sectional analysis of the results shows the rise of shopping-malls against city centre decline and gentrification, along with changes in cluster composition considering 9 different commercial categories (6 categories of retail, and restaurants, cafes and bars). These findings are in line with literature, thus supporting the obtained classification. Since the classification can be used to accurately describe the commercial structure of the city in different time periods, it is implied that it may also be generalized to different cities. Furthermore, the potential use of cluster membership in retail location models, which is an advantage of the proposed classification, could help strengthen the relationship between location modelling and commercial classification, thus reinforcing the role of commercial studies in urban planning and policymaking.

The move towards a new Circular Economy (CE) economic model has been advocated and supported in Portugal, however, there is limited research on this topic. To address this gap, a quantitative research based on an online survey was carried out among 99 Portuguese organizations, encompassing a wide range of sectors and sizes. The results show that CE is regarded as a strategic and relevant issue for profitability and value creation. Furthermore, the perception that it requires the adoption of new business models in addition to the classical “reduce, reuse, and recycle” approach is growing. Moreover, based on the hypotheses raised, results suggest that the level of CE adoption is positively impacted by the status of the EMS (Environmental Management System) certification and the willingness to improve the environmental performance and achieve a sustainable business model. However, CE activities are still relatively modest and a friendlier context (fiscal, legal, organizational, etc.) and the stronger support from supply chain agents and consumers are required. Future research should focus on how to design and shape the transition from a linear to a CE economy, and to ascertain if the positive attitude towards CE is materialized in changing the way business is done.

The number of people with gluten-related illnesses has been increasing and the available treatments include the introduction of a gluten-free diet. In the bakery industry, there are problems with gluten-free products, namely the important characteristics that this component gives to doughs and the low nutritional value they present. A disease that has also increased in recent years is diabetes mellitus, which is characterized by a lack of insulin and the effectiveness of its action (type 1 diabetes) or tissue insensitivity to the hormone (type 2 diabetes). In terms of treatments, there are several approaches: inhibition of digestive enzymes (α-amylase and α-glucosidase) or techniques based on mechanisms of action (stimulation of insulin production and release, insulin transport and decreased glucose absorption). Hyperglycemia is also associated with the production of reactive oxygen species, which leads to cell apoptosis. On the other hand, there was also an association with high levels of cholesterol in the body, which contributed to the development of other types of diseases. In this sense, macroalgae have been studied as a source of natural compounds and used as food supplements, due to their protein, amino acid and mineral content, and the anti-diabetic effect in controlling the glycemic index, oxidative stress and cholesterol have already been demonstrated. Seaweed emerges as a promising source of bioactive nutraceuticals for individuals with coeliac disease, diabetes, and hyperglycemia. The rising prevalence of gluten-related illnesses calls for effective treatments, and seaweed's potential in enhancing the nutritional value of gluten-free products is noteworthy. Additionally, its demonstrated anti-diabetic effects, including glycemic index control, oxidative stress reduction, and cholesterol management, make it a valuable dietary supplement. Further research is needed to explore the specific bioactivities of seaweed compounds and their mechanisms of action. Integrating seaweed-based nutraceuticals into diets could complement traditional treatments, offering potential health benefits to those with coeliac disease and diabetes.

Natural polysaccharides, which are described in this study, are some of the most extensively used biopolymers in food, pharmaceutical and medical applications, because they are renewable and have a high level of biocompatibility and biodegradability. The fundamental understanding required to properly exploit polysaccharides potential in the biocomposite, nanoconjugate, and pharmaceutical industries is depended on detailed research of these molecules. Polysaccharides are preferred over other polymers because of their biocompatibility, bioactivity, homogeneity, and bioadhesive. Natural polysaccharides have also been discovered to have excellent rheological and biomucoadhesive properties, which may be used to design and create a variety of useful and cost-effective drug delivery systems. Polysaccharide-based composites derived from natural sources have been widely exploited due to their multifunctional properties, particularly in drug delivery systems and biomedical applications. These materials have achieved global attention and are in great demand because to their biochemical properties, which mimic both human and animal cells. Although synthetic polymers account for a substantial amount of organic chemistry, natural polymers play a vital role in a range of industries, including biomedical, pharmaceutical, and construction. As a consequence, the current study will provide information on natural polymers, their biological uses, food and pharmaceutical applications.Keywords: Polymers Biopolymers, Excipient, Natural source, Food and Pharmaceutical applications.

The Cantareira Water Producer System (CWPS), which supplies water to the most populous Brazilian region, Metropolitan Region of São Paulo (MRSP), faces significant challenges due to climate change, threatening its water security. Climate change affects the hydrological cycle affecting water availability. The CWPS is vulnerable to periods of scarcity and instability due to increased climatic variability and increasing water consumption. Current water resource management systems do not consider the impacts of climate change, making it difficult to ensure water security in the future. This study analyzes the impact of climate change on the availability of CWPS using hydrological modeling approach with forecast precipitation data by CMIP6 and assessment of existing systems. The finds will provide a comprehensive understanding of the challenges faced by CWPS in the context of climate change, as well as support strategies and adaptive measures to ensure water security for MRSP.

Beach sand may act as a reservoir for numerous micro-organisms, including enteric pathogens. Several of these pathogens originate in human or animal feces, which may pose a public health risk. In August 2019, high levels of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) were detected in the sand of the Azorean beach Prainha, Terceira Island, Portugal. Remediation measures were promptly implemented, including sand removal and the spraying of chlorine to restore the beach sand quality. To determine the biological source of the contamination, during the first campaign, supratidal sand samples were collected from several sites along the beach, followed by microbial source tracking (MST) analyses of Bacteroides markers for five animal species, including humans. Some of the sampling sites revealed the presence of marker genes from dogs, seagulls, and ruminants. Making use of the information on biological sources originating partially from dogs, the municipality enforced restrictive measures for dog-walking at the beach. Subsequent sampling campaigns detected low FIB contamination due to the mitigation and remediation measures that were undertaken, thereby no longer requiring MST marker-gene analysis. This is the first case study where the MST approach was used to determine the contamination sources in the supratidal sand of a coastal beach. Our results show that MST can be an essential approach to determine sources of fecal contamination in the sand. This study shows the importance of holistic management of beaches that should go beyond water quality monitoring for FIB, putting forth evidence for the need for sands also to be monitored.