Microgravity’s effect on the skeletal muscle: muscular adaptations and therapeutic intervention

Introdução – O incremento do tempo de exposição à microgravidade origina um descondicionamento músculo-esquelético que precisa de ser prevenido através do treino. Objetivos – Identificar os padrões destas alterações e descrever os programas de treino em microgravidade e estratégias pós-exposição. Método – A pesquisa da revisão da literatura foi conduzida através da MEDLINE/PubMed e PEDro com as seguintes palavras--chave: “spaceflight rehabilitation”, “spaceflight muscle”, “microgravity muscle” e “bed rest muscle”, seguida de uma seleção dos artigos. Resultados – Os estudos encontrados apresentam uma resposta músculo-tendinosa diferencial sendo que o treino protege total ou parcialmente estas estruturas. Conclusão – O treino de resistance de intensidade elevada e baixas repetições associado a exercícios específicos é o mais adequado para responder ao descondicionamento. - ABSTRACT - Introduction – The increased microgravity exposition time raised the need for training programs to avoid muscle and tendinous deconditioning. Objectives – To identify the deconditioning patterns and to identify and describe the training programs used for its prevention during and after microgravity exposure. Methods – This literature review is based on a search conducted via MEDLINE/PubMed and PEDro using the following search words: “spaceflight rehabilitation”, “spaceflight muscle”, “microgravity muscle” and “bed rest muscle”. The search was followed by an article selection. Results – The studies reveal a differential exposure phenomenon for which the training programs reviewed are partly effective. Conclusion – According to the literature the high intensity low volume resistance programs with specific exercises are more appropriate to address the deconditioning problem

reflexão e investigação em cuidados de enfermagem

No âmbito das atividades da Unidade de Investigação & Desenvolvimento em Enfermagem (ui&de) - “Linha de Investigação Emoções em Saúde” - proporcionou-se a participação das investigadoras no XIIe Colloque International PRAQSI, a 11 e 12 de outubro de 2012, no Luxemburgo. O propósito desta participação foi partilhar saberes, reflexões e percursos de investigação, e ainda estabelecer contactos internacionais com vista ao desenvolvimento de futuros projetos. Foram realizadas 2 comunicações com o mesmo conteúdo para auditórios diferentes. Cada comunicação teve a duração de 15 minutos, seguindo-se um período de discussão de respetivamente 20 e 30 minutos. As comunicações tiveram como objetivos: partilhar a experiência e a pesquisa sobre a dimensão emocional da prática de enfermagem; refletir sobre o trabalho emocional dos enfermeiros; apresentar um projeto de investigação. A sua finalidade foi sensibilizar para o trabalho emocional em enfermagem.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

First two unrelated cases of isolated sedoheptulokinase deficiency: A benign disorder?

We present the first two reported unrelated patients with an isolated sedoheptulokinase (SHPK) deficiency. The first patient presented with neonatal cholestasis, hypoglycemia, and anemia, while the second patient presented with congenital arthrogryposis multiplex, multiple contractures, and dysmorphisms. Both patients had elevated excretion of erythritol and sedoheptulose, and each had a homozygous nonsense mutation in SHPK. SHPK is an enzyme that phosphorylates sedoheptulose to sedoheptulose-7-phosphate, which is an important intermediate of the pentose phosphate pathway. It is questionable whether SHPK deficiency is a causal factor for the clinical phenotypes of our patients. This study illustrates the necessity of extensive functional and clinical workup for interpreting a novel variant, including nonsense variants

Wild dogs at stake: deforestation threatens the only Amazon endemic canid, the short-eared dog (Atelocynus microtis)

The persistent high deforestation rate and fragmentation of the Amazon forests are the main threats to their biodiversity. To anticipate and mitigate these threats, it is important to understand and predict how species respond to the rapidly changing landscape. The short-eared dog Atelocynus microtis is the only Amazon-endemic canid and one of the most understudied wild dogs worldwide. We investigated short-eared dog habitat associations on two spatial scales. First, we used the largest record database ever compiled for short-eared dogs in combination with species distribution models to map species habitat suitability, estimate its distribution range and predict shifts in species distribution in response to predicted deforestation across the entire Amazon (regional scale). Second, we used systematic camera trap surveys and occupancy models to investigate how forest cover and forest fragmentation affect the space use of this species in the Southern Brazilian Amazon (local scale). Species distribution models suggested that the short-eared dog potentially occurs over an extensive and continuous area, through most of the Amazon region south of the Amazon River. However, approximately 30% of the short-eared dog's current distribution is expected to be lost or suffer sharp declines in habitat suitability by 2027 (within three generations) due to forest loss. This proportion might reach 40% of the species distribution in unprotected areas and exceed 60% in some interfluves (i.e. portions of land separated by large rivers) of the Amazon basin. Our local-scale analysis indicated that the presence of forest positively affected short-eared dog space use, while the density of forest edges had a negative effect. Beyond shedding light on the ecology of the short-eared dog and refining its distribution range, our results stress that forest loss poses a serious threat to the conservation of the species in a short time frame. Hence, we propose a re-assessment of the short-eared dog's current IUCN Red List status (Near Threatened) based on findings presented here. Our study exemplifies how data can be integrated across sources and modelling procedures to improve our knowledge of relatively understudied species

Measurement of the cosmic ray spectrum above 4×10184{\times}10^{18} eV using inclined events detected with the Pierre Auger Observatory

A measurement of the cosmic-ray spectrum for energies exceeding $4{\times}10^{18}$ eV is presented, which is based on the analysis of showers with zenith angles greater than $60^{\circ}$ detected with the Pierre Auger Observatory between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2013. The measured spectrum confirms a flux suppression at the highest energies. Above $5.3{\times}10^{18}$ eV, the "ankle", the flux can be described by a power law $E^{-\gamma}$ with index $\gamma=2.70 \pm 0.02 \,\text{(stat)} \pm 0.1\,\text{(sys)}$ followed by a smooth suppression region. For the energy ($E_\text{s}$) at which the spectral flux has fallen to one-half of its extrapolated value in the absence of suppression, we find $E_\text{s}=(5.12\pm0.25\,\text{(stat)}^{+1.0}_{-1.2}\,\text{(sys)}){\times}10^{19}$ eV.Comment: Replaced with published version. Added journal reference and DO

Three potential methodologies to advance macrolitter reports

Andriolo, U., Gonçalves, G., Hidaka, M., Gonçalves, D., Gonçalves, L. M., Bessa, F., & Kako, S. (2024). Marine litter weight estimation from UAV imagery: Three potential methodologies to advance macrolitter reports. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 202, 1-10. Article 116405. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116405 --- This work was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and by the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) through COMPETE 2020, Operational Program for Competitiveness and Internationalization (POCI) under the project grant UIDB 00308/2020 with the doi 10.54499/UIDB/00308/2020, the research project UAS4Litter (PTDC/EAM-REM/30324/2017), through the strategic project UIDB/04292/2020 granted to MARE, and the project LA/P/0069/2020 granted to the Associate Laboratory ARNET. This research was performed by the Environment Research and Technology Development Fund (JPMEERF20231004) of the Environ mental Restoration and Conservation Agency provided by the Ministry of the Environment of Japan. This work was also supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number 23H03527. D. G. was supported by the PhD studentship funded by FCT (2022.10073.BD). The work of FB was supported through the contract (https://doi.org/10.54499/DL57/2016/CP1370/CT0106) from the University of Coimbra and by FCT, I.P., through the strategic project UIDB/04004/2020 (https://doi.org/10.54499/UIDB/04004/2020). Authors warmly acknowledge the valuable support of all volunteers during the field campaign, and Joao Carlos Hermenegildo Oliveira for the help in data management and processing. Also thanks go to ECO GESTUS Lda for the support during the sampling and processing of litter.In the context of marine litter monitoring, reporting the weight of beached litter can contribute to a better understanding of pollution sources and support clean-up activities. However, the litter scaling task requires considerable effort and specific equipment. This experimental study proposes and evaluates three methods to estimate beached litter weight from aerial images, employing different levels of litter categorization. The most promising approach (accuracy of 80 %) combined the outcomes of manual image screening with a generalized litter mean weight (14 g) derived from studies in the literature. Although the other two methods returned values of the same magnitude as the ground-truth, they were found less feasible for the aim. This study represents the first attempt to assess marine litter weight using remote sensing technology. Considering the exploratory nature of this study, further research is needed to enhance the reliability and robustness of the methods.publishersversionpublishe

Materiais obturadores em dentes decíduos

The filling materials are of great importance for endodontic treatment in deciduous teeth, therewith his article aims to discuss about pulp therapy in deciduous teeth, a topic of great value, after all, there are several techniques used and the ways to carry it out, which brings up a bigger problem, that is to identify the best methods and application in order to preserve the dental pulp, highlighting the best instruments and materials for filling. The treatment becomes complex, after all, deciduous teeth have their peculiarities, especially with regard to their anatomy and topography of the root canals. Its preservation must be taken into account, mainly to value its functional and aesthetic function for the patient.Os materiais obturadores têm grande importância para o tratamento endodôntico em dentes decíduos, com isso este artigo visa discutir acerca da terapia pulpar em dentes decíduos, tema de grande valia, afinal, várias são as técnicas utilizadas e as maneiras para sua realização, o que traz à tona um problema maior, qual seja identificar o melhor método e a melhor aplicação a fim de preservar a polpa dentária, evidenciando os melhores instrumentos e materiais para obturação. O tratamento se torna complexo, afinal, os dentes decíduos possuem suas peculiaridades, principalmente no que tange à sua anatomia e à topografia dos canais radiculares. A sua preservação também deve ser levada em consideração, principalmente para garantir a característica funcional e estética do paciente