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To ensure sustainable and efficient production, dairy farms must reduce their environmental impacts and nitrogen losses, which are sources of pollution, while increasing their feed self-sufficiency. Grass-based dairy systems, frequently combine fresh grass with maize silage when grass is scarce or during dietary transitions. However, the effects of combining fresh grass and maize silage on cow performance and N excretion are poorly known. This study aimed to quantify the effects of increasing the proportion of maize silage in a fresh grass diet on cow N flows and metabolism, in the context of grass-based dairy systems. Four proportions of maize silage in a fresh grass diet (objectives of 0, 17, 34 and 51% DM of maize silage) were investigated. The experiment was performed in a 4 × 3 Latin square design using eight lactating cows during three 3-week periods. DM intake (DMI), milk yield, faeces and urine outputs, and their N concentrations were measured for each cow. The fresh grass CP concentration was lower than planned (106 ± 13.0 g/kg DM). This resulted in very low dietary CP concentration, which decreased from 108 to 86 g/kg DM when maize silage in the diet increased from 0 to 51% DM, respectively. DM intake and milk yield both decreased linearly by 3.3 kg/day from 0 to 51% DM of maize silage in the diet. Thus, N intake decreased linearly by 100 g/day from 0 to 51% DM of maize silage in the diet. The N concentration of milk was highest for the diet with 0% DM of maize silage. Nitrogen excreted in faeces and urine decreased linearly by 29 and 23 g/day, respectively, from 0 to 51% DM of maize silage in the diet. The low dietary N concentration resulted in low ruminal NH3-N concentrations (8 mg/L, on average) and urinary urea excretion (down to 8% urea N in urinary N). Increasing the proportion of maize silage in an unusually low-N grass diet, without protein-rich concentrates, induced highly N-deficient diets with minimal N losses in faeces and urine but large and unsustainable decreases in DMI and milk yield.

Natural fibers are used to produce environmental-friendly composites with good specific mechanical and acoustical properties. Production of woven reinforcement from natural fibers is challenging because of the distinct length of the fibers. A lot of parameters at fiber extraction, spinning and weaving stages have an impact on the composite produced. The purpose of this paper is to study the influence of yarn type and weave diagram on the mechanical properties of woven fabrics, in terms of tensile and shear behavior and deformability at forming. It was observed that weft density is one of the most impacting parameters during forming.

On the 27th of February 2015, it was published, in Portugal, the Regulation for Sustainability and Efficient Use of Resources (RESEUR). This is one of the thematic areas created of Portugal 2020, a partnership agreement between Portugal and the European Commission, that regulates the access to European Structural and Investment Funds. RESEUR frames different Investment Priorities (IP) and this research focus on the one that respects energy efficiency, intelligent energy management and the use of renewable energy in local government buildings, street lighting and social housing. We concluded that, despite there were, until now, 87 opportunities for proposal submission, only 46 % of the municipalities have approved projects and no more than 35 % of the budget for this IP is allocated. Until now, € 121 million were approved in this IP, with only 4.2 % meant to interventions in public buildings, although it is the intervention axis with a closer approach to Triple Bottom Line (TBL). Defining a “Decision Triangle” and introducing a political dimension in TBL, we verified that most of the approved projects and the funds allocated refer to social housing and street lighting, i.e. based on the available data there is no demand for TBL balance.

Abstract Background The Patient Activation Measure (PAM-13) was developed using Rasch analysis to assess knowledge, skills and confidence in the management of one’s health. Previous studies report positive relationships between PAM-13 scores, self-management behaviours and longitudinal health outcomes in adults with chronic disease. There is little extant measurement property evidence for the use of PAM-13 in specific osteoarthritis (OA) populations. This study tested measurement properties of the PAM-13 in people living with hip and knee OA. Methods Item response frequency analysis was conducted. Rasch analysis evaluated the fit of the PAM-13 data to the Rasch model. Model-data fit was evaluated using infit and outfit statistics; person/item reliability and person separation indices were computed. Unidimensionality was evaluated using Principal Components Analysis of Rasch residuals and the data were assessed for item redundancy. Differential Item Functioning (DIF) examined bias in respondent subgroups and correlations tested relationships between PAM-13 and other patient-reported outcomes. Results Two-hundred-and-seventeen PAM-13 surveys were completed; there were no missing responses, floor or ceiling effects. Person and item reliability were acceptable (0.98 and 0.87 respectively) with good separation (person separation index 2.58). Unidimensionality was evaluated, with 49.4% of the variance explained by the first eigenvector. There was evidence of potential local response-dependence. The Rasch fit statistics were acceptable (except for item-2). There were some issues identified with targeting of the PAM-13 items to people with higher ability and the item difficulty order was different to that proposed in original cohorts. Significant DIF was identified for sex and educational level for a small number of items. PAM-13 scores were moderately correlated with depressive symptoms on the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale and Assessment of Quality of Life-6D. There were small correlations between PAM-13 and Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score pain and activities of daily living scores. Conclusions This study provides some evidence of adequate person and item reliability, unidimensionality, and construct validity to support the use of PAM-13 to measure patient activation in people living with hip and knee OA. Possible limitations regarding targeting, different item difficulty order, DIF and local response dependence should be investigated in future research.

The discussion on the management of urban solid waste gained global contours in the 70’s, but its interest in some developing countries is relatively recent. Namely in Brazil, the legislation was only approved in 2010 (Law 12,305). Almost 10 years after the approval of this policy instrument, a low evolution is identified with regard to the 4 basic management processes (generation, collection, selective collection and final disposal of waste). The impacts of inefficient management offer irreparable damage to the environment, including the uncontrolled emission of gases such as methane (CH4) which, although one of the main responsible for global warming, has great potential for electricity generation. Although Brazil already has technologies for power generation, the exploration of this sector, as well as others aimed at reuse, depend directly on the efficiency of the basic waste management processes. This paper aims discussing the evolution on the characterization of Urban Solid Waste Management — USWM in the Northeast Region of Brazil in a period from 2007 to 2017. The results and conclusion show the low application of the more recent legislation (deliberations of Law 12,305) on the Northeast Region, materialized on the low effectiveness in the processes, as well as the small evolution concerning the guidelines of the National Waste Plan of the year 2012 and the present objectives in the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development published by the United Nations Organization in 2015. The identified scenario points to the urgent need to fill the gaps in the Northeast, in order to make legislation more effective, reduce environmental impacts and boost waste reuse sectors. Keywords: Brazil, Characterization, Northeast Region, Solid waste management

This study investigates the effect of eco-efficiency actions on firm performance, considering both turnover and employment growth, in the European enterprises with different firm size classes. The sample includes 63303 firms from 13 different European Union countries. The main contributions of this work are the use of the most recent Community Innovation Survey (CIS) and the consideration of firms’ size when analysing the relationship between the introduction of environmental benefits and firm performance. Using the ordinary least squares and simultaneous equation models the results showed that eco-innovations may affect negatively turnover growth as well as employment growth, a result which is not sensitive to firms’ size. However, environmental benefits introduced in products, demanded by the end user, are sensitive to the different size class to which the enterprise belongs. Both human capital and the number of adopted eco-innovation strategies influence positively firm performance, revealing to be more sensitive to the firm size. Overall, policy makers should be aware of the size as an important driver, or conditioning factor, for firm performance when forcing firms to introduce policies regarding environmental benefits. Keywords: Community innovation survey, Dimension effects, Eco-innovation, Europe, Firm performance

The socioeconomic development of any region requires electricity for operating the various sectors of the economy. Sometimes energy is scarce, not only because of the lack of energy resources, but also because energy policy is inadequate or non-existent. This paper examines the situation in the province of Namibe, Angola, characterising the energy sector, and proposing an energy mix for the security of electricity supply, environmental protection and sustainable economic development. Using the Long-range Energy Alternative and Planning System, energy scenarios were simulated and the greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) for the period 2014-2040 calculated and analysed. The most sustainable scenario, in terms of energy mix diversification and GHG reduction, as well as the least costly (considering electricity production and carbon costs), has an increase of hydro capacity and the insertion of wind, solar photovoltaic, thermoelectric sources and natural gas. Given the intermittency of photovoltaic and wind systems, natural gas appears in this scenario as a way to avoid interruptions in the electricity supply. This scenario is the one with the largest production reserve margin of 24.47 %, and emissions are avoided at 386 550 tCO2eq compared to the base scenario in 2040. Energy policymakers can take this scenario as a model to assist in making decisions on how power capacities can be installed over the planned time for the desired energy output.

Abstract This research was carried out aiming at evaluating the effects of nitrate and ammonium ions on nutrient accumulation, biochemical components and yield of Italian zucchini (cv. Caserta) grown in a hydroponic system under salt stress conditions. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse utilizing an experimental design in randomized blocks, arranged in a 2 x 5 factorial scheme, with 4 replications. The treatments consisted of two forms of nitrogen (nitrate - NO3- and ammonium - NH4+) and 5 electrical conductivity levels of irrigation water (ECw) (0.5, 2.0, 3.5, 5.0 and 6.5 dS m-1). The analysis of the results indicated that supply of N exclusively in NH4+ form promotes greater damage to the leaf membrane and reduction in accumulation of macronutrients and higher Na+/K+, Na+/Ca++ and Na+/Mg++ ratios in the shoots of zucchini plants. Electrical conductivity of irrigation water above 2.0 dS m-1 reduces the accumulation of nutrients in shoot and yield of Italian zucchini plant. The toxicity of NH4+ under Italian zucchini plants overlap the toxicity of the salinity, since its fertilization exclusively with this form of nitrogen inhibits its production, being the NO3- form the most suitable for the cultivation of the species.

Objective: To evaluate if the cancer registry database can be used to monitor treatment effectiveness using nivolumab treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) as an example. Method: An observational inception cohort was used, where all registered cases of NSCLC with authorisation to initiate treatment with nivolumab were monitored retrospectively to evaluate disease characteristics and response to prior treatments. Current exposure to nivolumab was prospectively characterised and treatment outcomes classified based on the clinical information registered in the patient medical record. The main outcome measure used to assess treatment effectiveness was overall survival (OS). Secondary outcomes considered were progression free survival (PFS) as a measure of effectiveness and occurrence of Adverse Drug Reaction (ADRs) as a measure of safety. Data were analysed using SPSS, version 24. Results: A total of 115 patients received treatment with nivolumab for NSCLC, between November 1st 2015 and July 31st 2016, and were registered in the database. The majority were non-squamous type (n = 107). The median OS was 11.4 months {CI95%: 11.1–11.7}, with a 1-year survival of 44%, in line with clinical trial data. Median PFS was 5.4 months {CI95%: 2.8–7.9}. Treatment was discontinued in 82 cases, most frequently due to disease progression. There were 38 cases of ADRs documented in the patient medical chart, 21 of which led to treatment discontinuation. Conclusion: The analysed data suggest that the cancer registry is a powerful tool to monitor treatment effectiveness, although considerable investment is needed to improve the medical culture of recording treatment exposure, particularly documentation of ADRs. Keywords: Immunotherapy, Registries, Lung neoplasms, Treatment effectiveness, Survival analysis, Drug-related side effects and adverse reactions

Background: The use of low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) for long-term therapy of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients without cancer has not been consistently evaluated. Methods: We used the data in the RIETE registry to compare the 3-month outcomes (VTE recurrences, major bleeding or death) in non-cancer patients with VTE, according to long-term therapy with LMWH or vitamin K antagonists (VKAs). Results: As of March 2018, 14,582 non-cancer patients with VTE had received initial therapy with LMWH and then switched to VKAs, while 9151 were prescribed LMWH for initial and long-term therapy. Overall, 11,494 had initially presented with pulmonary embolism (PE) and 12,239 with isolated deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Among 11,494 patients initially presenting with PE, 84 had VTE recurrences, 204 major bleeding and 406 died. Among 12,239 patients with isolated DVT, 133 developed VTE recurrences, 137 bled and 289 died. On propensity score analysis, PE patients on long-term LMWH therapy were at increased risk for PE recurrences (OR: 3.30; 95%CI: 1.67–6.48), major bleeding (OR: 1.68; 95%CI: 1.21–2.32) or death (OR: 3.16; 95%CI: 2.43–4.09) compared with those receiving VKAs. In patients with DVT, those on long-term LMWH also were at increased risk for PE recurrences (OR: 2.31; 95%CI: 1.13–4.73), major bleeding (OR 2.28; 95%CI: 1.51–3.44) or death (OR: 2.32; 95%CI: 1.54–3.51). Conclusions: In the RIETE non-cancer patients with VTE, long-term therapy with VKAs was associated with a lower risk for recurrences, major bleeding or death.

Abstract A new concept for the direct measurement of muons in air showers is presented. The concept is based on resistive plate chambers (RPCs), which can directly measure muons with very good space and time resolution. The muon detector is shielded by placing it under another detector able to absorb and measure the electromagnetic component of the showers such as a water-Cherenkov detector, commonly used in air shower arrays. The combination of the two detectors in a single, compact detector unit provides a unique measurement that opens rich possibilities in the study of air showers.

Introduction: Asthma is one of the most frequent chronic diseases, putting a considerable economic burden on societies and individuals. We aimed to estimate the total cost of adult asthma in Portugal, as well as the extent to which direct and indirect costs are influenced by the level of asthma control. Methods: A nationwide, prevalence-based, cost-of-illness study using a bottom-up approach to calculate direct and indirect costs of asthma was conducted, using participant data from the Portuguese National Asthma Survey (INAsma). Direct (healthcare service usage, diagnostic tests and treatment) and indirect (absenteeism and transportation) costs were measured. Decision analytic modelling was used to perform multivariate deterministic sensitivity analysis. Results: On average, each adult costs 708.16€ (95%CI: 594.62–839.30) a year, with direct costs representing 93% (658.46€; 95%CI: 548.99–791.29) and indirect costs representing 7% (49.70€; 95%CI: 32.08–71.56). This amounts to a grand total of 386,197,211.25€ (95%CI: 324,279,674.31–457,716,500.18), with direct costs being 359,093,559.82€ (95%CI: 299,391,930.03–431,533,081.07). Asthma direct costs are 2.04% of the total Portuguese healthcare expense in 2010. The major cost domains were acute care usage (30.7%) and treatment (37.4%). Asthma control was significantly associated with higher costs throughout several domains, most notably in acute medical care. Conclusions: Asthma in adults poses a significant economic burden on the Portuguese healthcare system, accounting for over 2% of the total healthcare expenditure in Portugal in 2010. It is important to note that a considerable portion of this burden might be eased by improving asthma control in patients, as uncontrolled patients’ costs are more than double those of controlled asthma patients.

Abstract We here report on the progress of the HHH Workshop, that took place in Dubrovnik in July 2023. After the discovery of a particle that complies with the properties of the Higgs boson of the Standard Model, all Standard Model (SM) parameters are in principle determined. However, in order to verify or falsify the model, the full form of the potential has to be determined. This includes the measurement of the triple and quartic scalar couplings. We here report on ongoing progress of measurements for multi-scalar final states, with an emphasis on three SM-like scalar bosons at 125 $$\,\text {Ge}\hspace{-.08em}\text {V}$$ Ge V , but also mentioning other options. We discuss both experimental progress and challenges as well as theoretical studies and models that can enhance such rates with respect to the SM predictions.

Enquadramento: A Organização Mundial de Saúde (OMS) preconiza o aleitamento Materno (AM) exclusivo até aos 6 meses e, a partir desta idade, a introdução oportuna de alimentos complementares adequados e seguros em termos nutricionais, enquanto se continua a amamentar durante um período de dois anos ou mais que, no puerpério, o estado emocional da mãe e outras condições psicológicas, incluindo a própria personalidade pode levá-la a desistir do aleitamento materno, e/ou a sentir-se pouco motivada para amamentar. Objectivos: Assim, o objectivo do nosso estudo é analisar a relação entre os traços de personalidade e a motivação para o AM nas puérperas Metodo: O estudo realizado é de natureza quantitativa, não experimental, transversal e descritivo. Foi aplicado um questionário a 144 puérperas, no dia da alta médica (após 48horas), constituído pela caracterização sócio – demográfica e obstétrica, e por duas escalas, a Escala de Motivação para Amamentação (EMA) de Nelas, Ferreira e Duarte. (2008), para avaliar a motivação para a amamentar e a Escala de Avaliação de Sintomas (SCL-90) de Degoratis (1977), para avaliar os traços de personalidade materna. Resultados: Os resultados sugerem que são as mulheres mais velhas (70,8%), com maior grau de escolaridade (50%) e que já tiveram experiências anteriores agradáveis (61,8%), que se encontram mais motivadas para o aleitamento materno (AM). Relativamente à nossa variável independente, a hostilidade é o traço de personalidade materna que possui maior valor preditor na dimensão cognitiva (0,063), psicossocial (0,184) e motivação total (0,088); na dimensão fisiológica é a somatização (0,115). Conclusão: Este estudo sugere-nos que o traço de personalidade que influencia a motivação para o AM foi a hostilidade com valores preditores superiores.

Background: Neonatal infection is a serious public health problem. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of the antenatal care on the risk of early-onset neonatal healthcare associated infection in two Brazilian maternities. Methods: Cohort study – Newborns admitted at two public neonatal intensive care units from 2008 to 2009 were included in the study. Data on antenatal and perinatal variables were collected from maternal prenatal cards and medical charts. Newborns were actively surveyed for early-onset neonatal healthcare associated infection, defined as a neonatal infection diagnosed within 48 h after birth. Multiple logistic regression was used to assess variables independently associated with early-onset neonatal healthcare associated infection. Results: 561 neonate–mother pairs were included in the study. Early-onset neonatal healthcare associated infection was diagnosed in 283 neonates (51%), an incidence rate of 43.5/1000 live births. Neonates whose mothers had less then six antenatal visits were under risk significantly higher for early-onset neonatal healthcare associated infection (OR = 1.69, 95% CI = 1.11–2.57), after adjusting for birth weight, membranes ruptured for >18 h, maternal complications during delivery, maternal infection at admission, and hospital where patients received care. Conclusions: The risk of neonatal early-onset neonatal healthcare associated infection was significantly associated with insufficient number of antenatal care visits. Further studies assessing the quality of antenatal care and targeting its improvement are warranted. Keywords: Early-onset healthcare associated infections, Antenatal care, Newborn, Public maternity

Produce ethyl esters using waste sources is of interest because compared with conventional technologies it does has lower raw material cost. In this context, the present work studied the conversion of fatty acids present in distillate from soy bean oil deodorization into ethyl ester through an ethyl esterification reaction with sulphuric acid and free catalyst in a batch reactor. The reaction time was in a range of 15 to 180 minutes, and the alcohol:oil molar ratio was 10, 20, 30 and 50. The reactions were carried out in the temperature range of 100 to 320 °C. The yield was determined by gas chromatography. The results show significant conversion of oil into biodiesel with and without catalyst. In presence of sulfuric acid the maximum conversion in ethyl ester was 99.7% in 180 minutes and catalyst free was 89.0% with 105 minutes at 553.15K. Kinect model shows very good agreement with the experimental measured data, and the maximum absolute computed deviation between the experimental and calculated values was 5.6%.

A gravidez, sendo um momento privilegiado de transformações pessoais e sociais, muda inevitavelmente a vida de uma mulher, ao ponto de questionar a sua própria identidade e conceito pessoal, em todo o processo de adaptção a uma nova condição e papel. A forma como a grávida vivencia todas as mudanças e os acontecimentos significativos exige, em termos desenvolvimentais, um duplo esforço físico e psicológico, nem sempre fáceis de gerir, no sentido de prevenir desequilíbrios e perturbações emocionais. Realizou-se um estudo quantitativo, transversal, decritivo-correlacional e analítico, com o objectivo de analisar o auto-conceito da grávida, bem como a influência de variáveis socio-demográficas e obstétricas. Utilizou-se para o efeito um questionário destinado à caracterização da amostra e o Inventário Clínico de Auto-Conceito de Vaz Serra (1986), tendo sido inquiridas 219 grávidas. Do estudo conclui-se que o exercício da actividade profissional influencia a auto-eficácia da grávida, mas não as outras dimensões do auto-conceito; o estado civil influencia o auto-conceito da grávida, excepto a dimensão maturidade pscológica; a paridade influencia a dimensão impulsivide/actividade; a patologia obstétrica, a idade da grávida, o tempo de gestação e a aceitação por parte da mulher não influenciam o seu auto-conceito.

Background: several prognostic systems have been developed and validated in general Intensive Care Units (ICUs). No assessment of these scores was performed in specialized Gastroenterology Intensive Care Units (GICUs). Aim: to assess the prognostic accuracy of Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II, Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS) II and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores systems to predict mortality in a GICU. Methods: retrospective study of 300 consecutively admissions in a GICU. Demographics, indication for admission, APACHE II, SAPS II and SOFA scores and survival at GICU discharge were recorded. Discrimination was evaluated using receiver operations characteristic (ROC) curves and area under a ROC curve (AUC). Calibration was estimated using the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test. Results: overall GICU mortality was 5.3%. APACHE II, SAPS II and SOFA mean scores of nonsurvivors (21.9, 46.2 and 9.3, respectively) were found to be significantly higher than those of survivors (11.9, 26.7 and 2.2, respectively) (p < 0.001). Discrimination was excellent for all the prognostic systems, with AUC = 0.900, 0.903 and 0.965 for APACHE II, SAPS II and SOFA, respectively. Similarly, APACHE II, SAPS II and SOFA scores achieved good calibration, with p = 0.671, 0.928 and 0.775, respectively. Among the three scores, SOFA showed the best performance, with overall correctness of prediction of 94.0%, while it was 86.2% for APACHE II and 82.7% for SAPS II. Conclusions: in GICU, APACHE II, SAPS II and SOFA scores have excellent prognostic accuracy and, among the three scores, SOFA has the greatest overall correctness of prediction.

This paper shows the use of a new system (hardware, firmware and software) to assess the negative impact of transportation on postharvest fruit quality. Fruit and vegetable postharvest losses are very high, using this system it is possible to diagnose and implement improvements in transport, thus decreasing mechanical impact. The system has a hardware endowed with a tri-axial accelerometer and a global positioning system (GPS). The firmware of the system is composed of a threshold based detection algorithm that measures acceleration peaks during transport. The system software allows reporting impact magnitude, geographic location and time of the event on a map using a virtual instrument developed in LabVIEW ™ platform. The main goal of this research was to test this equipment in the transportation of oranges and analyze the number of occurrences when exceeding a determined acceleration threshold. Orange boxes of about 23 kg each were set on a small truck, filling the body and the equipment was positioned evenly in the back and middle. The test was done through repetition and comparison of data taking into account the position of the equipment in the truck body (back and middle) and different types of pavements on a chosen path of 20.5 km divided among unpaved, asphalt and urban avenues – with and without speed bumps and roundabouts. The chi-square test at 5 % was used for the quantitative data analysis. The results show the frequency of repetition of acceleration peaks according to their orientation (X, Y, Z axes and their combinations). For the total route, a difference was observed between the frequencies of threshold violations depending on the location of the boxes. For the chosen route, the unpaved road and urban avenues showed the highest threshold violation for vertical position- axis Z. Box position in the truck and variations in pavement causes a distinctive impact magnitude. The map showing all impact data showed to be an important tool to give support to food traceability, recording critical points and situations that can be changed.

Physical damage can be considered one of the main causes of postharvest losses for fruits and vegetables. One of the challenges is to measure the impact magnitude on packing lines. There is a number of equipment that can be applied, and the most common are instrumented spheres. A Wireless Instrumented Sphere (WIS) was developed being a low cost alternative that acquires and transmits, in real time, three axis acceleration measurements from a packing line. The WIS was tested on three apple commercial packinghouses located in the south of Brazil, and in an commercial orange packinghouse, located in interior of São Paulo state, Brazil. The WIS was submitted to all those packing lines with fruits at regular speed from the fruit reception to the packaging step. For each packing line at least four repetitions were conducted, and three levels of acceleration were considered: >10 G, > 20 G, and above 30 G. In parallel, a laboratory trial was conducted with the WIS and a commercial instrumented sphere, Instrumented Recorded Device – IRD (Techmark, Inc., Lansing, USA). The instrumented spheres were subjected to drop fall, using a dedicated equipment, from three known distances (20, 30 and 40 cm) to solid steel and two different padded surfaces, such as: polyurethane foam and courvin at a foam thickness 8 mm. The data for the three apple packinghouse showed different results as number of impacts at the three different thresholds (>10 G, > 20 G and > 30 G) and the maximum peak acceleration found. The orange packing line showed higher acceleration range peaks than the apple packinghouses. For the laboratory trial it was possible to detect different impact magnitudes among distinctive highs and surfaces. This new Wireless Instrument Sphere (WIS) showed to be an important device for measuring impact magnitude in fruit packing lines.

Tomato classification can bring advantages to farmers and consumers. However, classification is usually done in packinghouses of difficult access for small farmers, which in most cases have little access to technology, and need solutions adapted to their conditions. The development of a compact mobile sorting unit can combine the advantages of this process and therefore be used in field conditions, providing fruits with a better classification and giving benefits to the whole production chain. This study aimed to evaluate injury incidence and postharvest quality changes of tomato fruits subjected to cleaning without water and classification in a mobile sorting unit that applies a three way compact brush system – two brushes in down position and one up, comparing them to those of a traditional, static unit. Tomato fruits (cv. Pizzadoro) were harvested at breaker and turning stage and separated into three groups. The first group was subjected to sorting in a traditional, static unit; the second group was submitted in a mobile compact unit; the third group was used as a control. Fruits were stored in a cold room (21±2°C) for 14 days and subjected to the following quality analyzes: mechanical injury incidence, weight loss, pH, soluble solids, firmness, lightness, chroma, hue angle, maturation index and CO2 production. The traditional static unit sorting resulted in the highest total number of injured fruits, about 2.5 times more than the mobile fruit sorting unit. The average quality analyses results obtained over the 14 days of storage indicate no significant difference among treatments for all attributes except firmness and color components (lightness, chroma and hue angle). Based on the found results, there is a great potential for use of the mobile unit by small farmers, with a possibility of bringing benefits to the entire chain.

Determining the indoor location is usually performed by using several sensors. Some of these sensors are fixed to a known location and either transmit or receive information that allows other sensors to estimate their own locations. The estimation of the location can use information such as the time-of-arrival of the transmitted signals, or the received signal strength, among others. Major problems of indoor location include the interferences caused by the many obstacles in such cases, causing among others the signal multipath problem and the variation of the signal strength due to the many transmission media in the path from the emitter to the receiver. In this paper, the creation and usage of perfect sequences that eliminate the signal multipath problem are presented. It also shows the influence of the positioning of the fixed sensors to the precision of the location estimation. Finally, genetic algorithms were used for searching the optimal location of these fixed sensors, therefore minimizing the location estimation error.

Infection with Helicobacter pylori strains containing high number of EPIYA-C phosphorylation sites in the CagA is associated with significant gastritis and increased risk of developing pre-malignant gastric lesions and gastric carcinoma. However, these findings have not been reproduced in animal models yet. Therefore, we investigated the effect on the gastric mucosa of Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) infected with CagA-positive H. pylori strains exhibiting one or three EPIYA-C phosphorilation sites. Mongolian gerbils were inoculated with H. pylori clonal isolates containing one or three EPIYA-C phosphorylation sites. Control group was composed by uninfected animals challenged with Brucella broth alone. Gastric fragments were evaluated by the modified Sydney System and digital morphometry. Clonal relatedness between the isolates was considered by the identical RAPD-PCR profiles and sequencing of five housekeeping genes, vacA i/d region and of oipA. The other virulence markers were present in both isolates (vacA s1i1d1m1, iceA2, and intact dupA). CagA of both isolates was translocated and phosphorylated in AGS cells. After 45 days of infection, there was a significant increase in the number of inflammatory cells and in the area of the lamina propria in the infected animals, notably in those infected by the CagA-positive strain with three EPIYA-C phosphorylation sites. After six months of infection, a high number of EPIYA-C phosphorylation sites was associated with progressive increase in the intensity of gastritis and in the area of the lamina propria. Atrophy, intestinal metaplasia, and dysplasia were also observed more frequently in animals infected with the CagA-positive isolate with three EPIYA-C sites. We conclude that infection with H. pylori strain carrying a high number of CagA EPIYA-C phosphorylation sites is associated with more severe gastric lesions in an animal model of H. pylori infection.

A análise da superfície de fratura é um método extremamente confiável para se identificar as razões da falha em um material, uma vez que o caminho percorrido pela trinca fornece informações importantes sobre sua origem e direção de propagação, além das distribuições de tensões no momento da fratura, as causas de sua iniciação, a interação da trinca com a microestrutura e a seqüência de propagação da mesma. Nos vidros e cerâmicos, as principais características morfológicas da superfície de fratura são a origem, o espelho de fratura, a região de névoa ou bruma ("mist") e a região de ramificação de trincas ("hackle"). Além destas características, outras marcas importantes podem ocorrer na superfície de fratura de vidros, tais como: linhas de "Wallner", escarpas de aceleração e desaceleração, ramificações de rotação ("twist hackle"), asas de gaivotas ("gull wings") e os rastros de ramificação ("wake hackle"). As características morfológicas descritas são bem definidas nos vidros, uma vez que estes materiais são homogêneos, isotrópicos e não possuem cristais que interfiram com a propagação da trinca.

"Downhill" varices or upper esophageal varices are a rare cause of proximal digestive tract hemorrhage with only 16 cases described in the literature. In our series, hemorrhage due to "Downhill" varices represents 0.1% of all acute esophageal variceal bleeding. Their etiology differs from that of the usual "uphill' varices secondary to portal hypertension, and the clinical management should be directed to vascular obstruction if present. We report a case of an 89-year-old male with hemorrhagic "Downhill" varices not associated, as usually, with superior vena cava obstruction or compression, but with severe pulmonary hypertension and drug-related hemorrhagic risk factors, whose removal proved sufficient to prevent rebleeding.

To enhance the sustainability of construction and meet the sector’s environmental agenda, it is essential to comprehensively scrutinize the environmental, social, and economic impacts of construction projects from the project’s design stage. Such assessment is of utmost importance to minimize the impacts of both new construction and rehabilitation projects and is particularly critical during the selection of building materials and construction solutions. This work reports improvements in functionality and user-friendliness of an eco-design tool (UAveiroGreenBuilding) targeting the construction/rehabilitation sector and previously developed within our research group. The optimized version of the eco-design tool underwent validation through the assessment of competitive window frame materials (e.g., wood, PVC, and aluminum) for potential implementation in a rehabilitation project. Windows with PVC frames were identified as the preferred window configuration due to their superior environmental performance and favorable economic profile. Additionally, a digital communication interface was developed to connect the eco-design tool with building information modeling (BIM) projects, achieved through a routine integrated using a Dynamo application. Such successful integration not only streamlined and expedited the data transfer process by obviating the need for manual input but it also enabled the storage of environmental data throughout the life cycle of the project using a simple and reliable data storage protocol.