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In this study, we utilised ground-based in situ measurements of the aerosol chemical composition and particle size distribution, along with meteorological data from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), to predict vertical profiles of aerosol optical properties, including the aerosol scattering coefficient, backscatter coefficient, extinction coefficient, and lidar ratio. The predicted ambient profiles were compared to retrievals by a multi-wavelength Raman lidar during the Ruisdael Land–Atmosphere Interactions Intensive Trace-gas and Aerosol (RITA) campaign in the Netherlands in 2021 for 26 time periods of approximately 1 h each. Predicted and retrieved extensive aerosol properties (scattering, backscatter, and extinction coefficient) were comparable only approximately 35 % of the time, mostly under the condition of well-mixed boundary layers. In this case, ground-based measurements can provide a way to extend extinction profiles to lower altitudes, where they cannot be retrieved, and to verify the lidar-measured profiles. Accurate representation of hygroscopic growth is required for adjusting the dry size distribution to ambient size distribution, and the estimated relative humidity profile may have a substantial influence on the shape of the calculated profiles. On the other hand, the lidar ratio profiles predicted by ground-based data also compared reasonably well to the retrieved lidar profiles (starting at 800 m) for conditions where the predicted and retrieved backscatter profiles differed considerably. The difference in the predicted and retrieved lidar ratio is usually less than ±30 %. Our study thus shows that, for well-mixed boundary layers, a representative lidar ratio can be estimated from ground-based in situ measurements of chemical composition and dry size distribution. This approach offers a method of providing lidar ratios calculated from independent in situ measurements for simple backscatter lidars or at times when Raman lidar profiles cannot be measured (e.g. during the daytime). It only uses data that are routinely available at aerosol measurement stations and is therefore not only useful for further validating lidar measurements but also for bridging the gap between in situ measurements and lidar remote sensing.

Resumo: Introdução: Os agentes sedativos têm vindo a ser cada vez mais utilizados na broncofibroscopia (BF) para melhorar o conforto do doente. Devido à sua rápida ação, propriedades ansiolíticas e amnésicas, o midazolam é um dos sedativos mais frequentemente usados. Objetivos: Avaliar o efeito da sedação com midazolam na BF, incluindo a tolerância do doente, complicações e a sua potencial aplicação na prática clínica diária. Material e métodos: Estudo multicêntrico, prospetivo, randomizado, controlado com placebo, com inclusão de 100 indivíduos submetidos a BF em 2 Serviços de Pneumologia. Doentes do Grupo 1 receberam midazolam (0,05 mg/kg) e doentes do Grupo 2 receberam placebo (0,9% NaCl), 5 minutos antes do procedimento. A escala de ansiedade «The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale» (HADS-A) foi aplicada para determinar o nível de ansiedade basal do doente. Questionários subjetivos acerca dos principais receios e queixas relativamente à BF foram aplicados antes e depois do exame. Resultados: Média de idades de 56,0 ± 14,1 anos; 66% do sexo masculino. A maioria (65%) dos doentes apresentava baixa pontuação ( 0,05) e à dor (4 vs 12%; p > 0,05). Foi demonstrada recetibilidade em repetir o exame por todos os doentes do Grupo 1 e em 82% dos doentes do Grupo 2 (p = 0,003). Conclusão: A sedação com midazolam na BF aumentou o conforto e diminuiu queixas dos doentes, não se verificando alterações hemodinâmicas significativas. Deve ser pois oferecida, de forma regular, ao doente submetido a BF. Abstract: Introduction: Sedatives have been increasingly used to improve patient comfort during flexible bronchoscopy (FOB). Due to its rapid-onset, anxiolytic and amnestic properties, midazolam is one of the most commonly used sedatives. Objectives: To evaluate the effect of sedation with midazolam, including patient tolerance, complications and its potential use on a daily routine basis. Material and methods: A multi-centre, prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled study was made on 100 patients submitted to FOB in two Pulmonology Departments. Midazolam (0.05 mg/kg) was administered to patients in Group 1 and saline solution (0,9% NaCl) to patients in Group 2, five minutes before the procedure. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-A) was used to determine patient anxiety level. Subjective questionnaires concerning main fears and complaints were answered before and after FOB. Results: Mean age was 56.0 ± 14.1 years; 66% male. Most (65%) patients had low score (0.05) and pain (4% vs 12%; p>0.05) were not statistically different. Willingness to repeat the exam was reported in all patients in Group 1 and in 82% in Group 2 (p=0.003). Conclusion: Sedation with midazolam in FOB improved patient's comfort and decreased complaints, without significant haemodynamic changes. It should be offered to the patient on a routine basis. Palavras-chave: Sedação, Midazolam, Broncofibroscopia, Keywords: Sedation, Midazolam, Bronchoscopy

Objetivo: Explorar la relación entre la satisfacción corporal, las actitudes hacia el cuerpo y hacia la obesidad, la calidad de la dieta y la salud emocional en un grupo de estudiantes universitarias. La hipótesis de partida fue que las actitudes favorables a la delgadez y de miedo a la obesidad inducirían conductas de control de peso y una peor calidad de la dieta. Métodos: Participaron 55 mujeres de 19-25 años. Se analizó la relación entre índice de masa corporal (IMC), calidad de la dieta (CD), conductas restrictivas, actitudes alimentarias (EDI-2, CIMEC) y hacia la obesidad (AFA). Asimismo se recogieron medidas de salud (SF12) y estado emocional (PNA). Resultados: El 10,9% de las participantes presentó una dieta "pobre", el 83,6% "necesita mejorar" y el 5,5% una dieta "buena". La mayoría estaba insatisfecha con su peso corporal aún cuando su IMC se situaba en parámetros normales. Las conductas restrictivas de control de peso se asociaron a actitudes de riesgo para trastornos de la conducta alimentaria, pero la CD no discriminó grupos de alto y bajo IMC, ni se relacionó con las actitudes. La insatisfacción corporal y las presiones sobre la imagen corporal fueron más frecuentes cuanto mayor era la ansiedad (afecto negativo). La imagen social idealizada de la delgadez se relacionó con estigmatización de la obesidad, con menor diversidad de la dieta y con más conductas restrictivas. Conclusión: Los resultados de este estudio piloto contribuyen a esclarecer la asociación entre índices psicológicos y conductuales relacionados con la alimentación en mujeres jóvenes universitarias.Objective: Investigate the relationship between body satisfaction, attitudes toward body and obesity, diet quality and emotional health in a group of university students. The initial hypothesis was that attitudes to thinness and fear of obesity induces weight control behaviours and lower diet quality. Methods: 55 women of 19-25 years. The relationship between body mass index (BMI), diet quality (DQ), restrictive behaviours, eating attitudes (EDI-2, CIMEC) and attitudes toward obesity (AFA) was analyzed. Measures of health (SF-12) and emotional state (PNA) were also collected. Results: 10.9% of the sample had a diet classified as "poor", 83.6% "needs improvement" and 5.5% followed a "good" diet. Most of participants were dissatisfied with their weight even when their BMI was located in the normal range. Weight-restrictive behaviors were associated with risk attitudes to eating disorders, but DQ did not discriminate among high and low BMI groups, nor was related to attitudes. The more was the anxiety (negative affect), the more were the body dissatisfaction and pressures on body image. Idealized social image of thinness was linked to the stigmatization of obesity, lower dietary diversity and more restrictive practices. Conclusion: The results of this pilot study contributes to clarify the relationship between psychological and behavioral indices related to diet in university women students.

The present study aims to investigate the relationship between culture and body image. We intend to know how socio-cultural factors influence the levels of satisfaction with body image. The emphasis is given to the cultural values as represented by the sociocultural norms of societies such as the United States of America and Europe. It is argued that through the media, the values of these industrialized societies are dissipated throughout the world provoking cultural changes and uniformization of behavioural standards. From the literature review, it is possible to conclude that body dissatisfaction is a reality to both sexes and a direct result of the non-conformity to cultural-esthetical patterns promoted by the profit-oriented societies.

The installation of international thermonuclear experimental reactor-relevant materials for the plasma facing components (PFCs) in the Joint European Torus (JET) is expected to have a strong impact on the operation and protection of the experiment. In particular, the use of all-beryllium tiles, which deteriorate at a substantially lower temperature than the formerly installed carbon fiber composite tiles, imposes strict thermal restrictions on the PFCs during operation. Prompt and precise responses are therefore required whenever anomalous temperatures are detected. The new vessel thermal map real-time application collects the temperature measurements provided by dedicated pyrometers and infrared cameras, groups them according to spatial location and probable offending heat source, and raises alarms that will trigger appropriate protective responses. In the context of the JET global scheme for the protection of the new wall, the system is required to run on a 10 ms cycle communicating with other systems through the real-time data network. In order to meet these requirements a commercial off-the-shelf solution has been adopted based on standard x86 multicore technology. Linux and the multithreaded application real-time executor (MARTe) software framework were respectively the operating system of choice and the real-time framework used to build the application. This paper presents an overview of the system with particular technical focus on the configuration of its real-time capability and the benefits of the modular development approach and advanced tools provided by the MARTe framework.

The interest of researchers in understanding the stage of development of specific areas of knowledge is a way to understand their scientific maturity and their capacity for consolidation. This “popularization” of the knowledge of researchers working in a specific area of knowledge also allows a greater ability to recognize where science is produced and which actors participate in this effort from a series of evaluation parameters, indicative of the productivity of researchers through the number of articles published and the consistency of production and its relationship with the impact of this in the scientific community through citations of articles. Chemometrics, a science that relates measurements obtained in chemical systems or processes through the application of statistical and mathematical methods, an area created 50 years ago, still does not have a study evaluating the evolution of the area in qualitative and quantitative terms. In this sense, this article aims to present data from the profile of Brazilian scientific production in Chemometrics, as well as the training of human resources, in its scientometric aspects to allow an understanding of the dynamics and contemporary reality of the area. In terms of national scientific production is growing proportionally faster than the rest of the world, placing Brazil among the leading producers of knowledge in the area. Researchers in Chemometrics working in Brazil not only publish a significant number of articles, but these publications have a large number of citations, in addition to the training of human resources spread throughout Brazil, distributed among most graduate courses in chemistry, but not restricted to this area. Finally, the area of Chemometrics, which is about fifty years old, is mature, with numbers of publications and training of human resources, but it is noted that a plateau has not been reached in these two numbers, because the critical mass of researchers working in the area is still increasing.

Abstract Several biochemical and biophysical methods are available to determine ligand binding affinities between a biological target and its ligands, most of which require purification, labelling or surface immobilisation. These measurements, however, remain challenging in regards to membrane proteins, as purification processes require their extraction from their native lipid environment, which may in turn impact receptor conformation and functionality. In this study, we have developed a novel experimental procedure using microscale thermophoresis (MST) directly from cell membrane fragments, to determine different ligand binding affinities to a membrane protein, the dopamine D2 receptor (D2R). In order to achieve this, two main challenges had to be overcome: determining the concentration of dopamine D2R in the crude sample; finding ways to minimize or account for non-specific binding of the ligand to cell fragments. Using MST, we were able to determine the D2R concentration in cell membrane fragments to approximately 36.8 ± 2.6 pmol/mg. Next, the doses-responses curves allowed for the determination of KD, to approximately 5.3 ± 1.7 nM, which is very close to the reported value. Important details of the experimental procedure have been detailed in this paper to allow the application of this novel method to various membrane proteins.

AimsTo evaluate clinical and electrocardiographic outcomes of patients with COVID-19, comparing those using chloroquine compounds (chloroquine) to individuals without specific treatment.MethodsOutpatients with suspected COVID-19 in Brazil who had at least one tele-electrocardiography (ECG) recorded in a telehealth system were enrolled in two arms (Group 1: chloroquine and Group 2: without specific treatment) and one registry (Group 3: other treatments). Outcomes were assessed through follow-up calls (phone contact, days 3 and 14) and linkage to national mortality and hospitalization databases. The primary outcome was composed of: hospitalization, intensive care admission, mechanical ventilation, and all-cause death, and the ECG outcome was the occurrence of major abnormalities by the Minnesota code. Significant variables in univariable logistic regression were included in 4 models: 1-unadjusted; 2-adjusted for age and sex; 3-model 2 + cardiovascular risk factors and 4-model 3 + COVID-19 symptoms.ResultsIn 303 days, 712 (10.2%) patients were allocated in group 1, 3,623 (52.1%) in group 2 and 2,622 (37.7%) in group 3; 1,969 had successful phone follow-up (G1: 260, G2: 871, and G3: 838). A late follow-up ECG was obtained for 917 (27.2%) patients [group 1: 81 (11.4%), group 2: 512 (14.1%), group 3: 334 (12.7%)]. In adjusted models, chloroquine was independently associated with greater chance of the composite clinical outcome: phone contact (model 4): OR = 3.24 (95% CI 2.31–4.54), p < 0.001. Chloroquine was also independently associated with higher mortality, assessed by phone + administrative data (model 3): OR = 1.67 (95% CI 1.20–2.28). However, chloroquine did not associate with the occurrence of major ECG abnormalities [model 3; OR = 0.80 (95% CI 0.63–1.02, p = 0.07)]. Abstracts with partial results of this work was accepted in the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, November 2022, in Chicago, IL, USA.ConclusionChloroquine was associated with a higher risk of poor outcomes in patients suspected to have COVID-19 when compared to those who received standard care. Follow-up ECGs were obtained in only 13.2% of patients and did not show any significant differences in major abnormalities amongst the three groups. In the absence of early ECG changes, other side effects, late arrhythmias or deferral of care may be hypothesized to explain the worse outcomes.

Aim: To evaluate the hearing of children with congenital hypothyroidism (CH) and to analyze the knowledge that parents’ have on the possible auditory impacts of the disease. Methods: A total of 263 parents/guardians were interviewed about aspects of CH and hearing. Audiological evaluation was performed on 80 participants, divided into two groups: with CH (n= 50) and without CH (n=30). Clinical and laboratory CH data were obtained from medical records, pure tone auditory thresholds and acoustic reflexes were analyzed. The auditory data was compared between groups. Student’s t-test and Chi-square were used for statistical analysis at a significance level of 5% (p ≤0.05). Results: The majority (78%), of the parents were unaware that CH when not treated early is a potential risk to hearing. There was no correlation between socioeconomic class and level of information about CH and hearing (p>0,05; p=0.026). There was a statistically significant difference between the auditory tone thresholds of the groups and between the levels of intensity necessary for the triggering of the acoustic reflex. The group with CH presented the worst results (p≤0.05) and absence of acoustic reflex in a normal tympanometric condition. Conclusions: Children with CH are more likely to develop damage to the auditory system involving retrocochlear structures when compared to healthy children, and that the disease may have been a risk factor for functional deficits without deteriorating hearing sensitivity. The possible impacts of CH on hearing, when not treated early, should be more publicized among the parents/guardians of this population.

Abstract MEMS acoustic sensors have been developed to mimic the highly-accurate sound-locating system of the Ormia ochracea fly, which detects sound wavelengths much larger than its hearing organ. A typical ormia-based MEMS directional sound sensor possesses two coupled wings that vibrate in response to sound according to a superposition of its two main resonant modes, rocking and bending. Vibrations are transduced into electronic signals by interdigitated comb finger capacitors at each wing’s end along with a capacitance measuring circuitry. A sensor designed to exhibit resonant modes closely placed in frequency, enhancing their coupling, was operated with a closed cavity behind the wings. Simultaneous and independent measurements of electronic signals generated at each of the single sensor wings were used to determine incident sound direction of arrival (DOA). DOA was found proportional to the phase shift between them and to the difference over the sum of their amplitudes as well. Single sensor phase shift DOA measurement presented a resolution better than 3° for sound pressure levels of 25 mPa or greater. These results indicate that a single sensor operating in closed-cavity configuration can provide hemispherical unambiguous direction of arrival of sound waves which wavelength is much larger than the sensor size.

Seroprevalence studies are crucial both for estimating the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 exposure and to provide a measure for the efficiency of the confinement measures. Portuguese universities were closed on March 16th 2020, when Portugal only registered 62 SARS-CoV-2 infection cases per million. We have validated a SARS-CoV-2 ELISA assay to a stabilized full-length spike protein using 216 pre-pandemic and 19 molecularly diagnosed SARS-CoV-2 positive individual's samples. At NOVA University of Lisbon, presential work was partially resumed on May 25th with staggered schedules. From June 15th to 30th, 3–4 weeks after the easing of confinement measures, we screened 1,636 collaborators of NOVA university of Lisbon for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 spike specific IgA and IgG antibodies. We found that spike-specific IgG in 50 of 1,636 participants (3.0%), none of which had anti-spike IgA antibodies. As participants self-reported as asymptomatic or paucisymptomatic, our study also provides a measurement of the prevalence of asymptomatic/paucisymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections. Our study suggests that essential workers have a 2-fold increase in viral exposure, when compared to non-essential workers that observed confinement. Additional serological surveys in different population subgroups will paint a broader picture of the effect of the confinement measures in the broader community.

Objetivou - se avaliar o efeito e o melhor nível de inclusão de glicerina bruta na ensilagem de cana-de-açúcar sobre os parâmetros da composição química e perdas fermentativas. Os tratamentos consistiram de cinco níveis de inclusão de glicerina bruta (0, 1, 5, 10 e 15% de inclusão na matéria natural) durante a ensilagem de cana-de-açúcar. Utilizou-se o delineamento inteiramente casualizado sendo cinco tratamentos com seis repetições. As silagens foram confeccionadas em tubos de PVC. A utilização de glicerina bruta aumentou em média 16,3; 54,1; 24,0 e 17,8% os teores de matéria seca, extrato etéreo, carboidratos não fibrosos e nutrientes digestíveis totais da silagem de cana em relação à silagem de cana sem aditivo (nível 0%; P≤0,05). Incrementos de 0,56% e 0,18% nos teores de matéria seca e extrato etéreo foram verificados nas silagens de cana para cada 1% de inclusão de glicerina, respectivamente. Entre os níveis de inclusão, a adição de cada unidade percentual de glicerina na matéria natural reduziu 2,3% e 2,1% às perdas por efluentes e perdas por gases, respectivamente. A adição de glicerina bruta na ensilagem de cana-de-açúcar no nível de 15% na matéria natural melhora a composição bromatológica e reduz perdas fermentativas.

Artificial olfaction is a fast-growing field aiming to mimic natural olfactory systems. Olfactory systems rely on a first step of molecular recognition in which volatile organic compounds (VOCs) bind to an array of specialized olfactory proteins. This results in electrical signals transduced to the brain where pattern recognition is performed. An efficient approach in artificial olfaction combines gas-sensitive materials with dedicated signal processing and classification tools. In this work, films of gelatin hybrid gels with a single composition that change their optical properties upon binding to VOCs were studied as gas-sensing materials in a custom-built electronic nose. The effect of films thickness was studied by acquiring signals from gelatin hybrid gel films with thicknesses between 15 and 90 μm when exposed to 11 distinct VOCs. Several features were extracted from the signals obtained and then used to implement a dedicated automatic classifier based on support vector machines for data processing. As an optical signature could be associated to each VOC, the developed algorithms classified 11 distinct VOCs with high accuracy and precision (higher than 98%), in particular when using optical signals from a single film composition with 30 μm thickness. This shows an unprecedented example of soft matter in artificial olfaction, in which a single gelatin hybrid gel, and not an array of sensing materials, can provide enough information to accurately classify VOCs with small structural and functional differences. Keywords: Gelatin, Ionic liquid, Liquid crystal, Gas sensor, Electronic nose, Machine learning

Chitin-glucan complex (CGC) is a copolymer composed of chitin and glucan moieties extracted from the cell-walls of several yeasts and fungi. Despite its proven valuable properties, that include antibacterial, antioxidant and anticancer activity, the utilization of CGC in many applications is hindered by its insolubility in water and most solvents. In this study, NaOH/urea solvent systems were used for the first time for solubilization of CGC extracted from the yeast Komagataella pastoris. Different NaOH/urea ratios (6:8, 8:4 and 11:4 (w/w), respectively) were used to obtain aqueous solutions using a freeze/thaw procedure. There was an overall solubilization of 63−68%, with the highest solubilization rate obtained for the highest tested urea concentration (8 wt%). The regenerated polymer, obtained by dialysis of the alkali solutions followed by lyophilization, formed porous macrostructures characterized by a chemical composition similar to that of the starting co-polymer, although the acetylation degree decreased from 61.3% to 33.9−50.6%, indicating that chitin was converted into chitosan, yielding chitosan-glucan complex (ChGC). Consistent with this, there was a reduction of the crystallinity index and thermal degradation temperature. Given these results, this study reports a simple and green procedure to solubilize CGC and obtain aqueous ChGC solutions that can be processed as novel biomaterials.

Plasmon waveguide resonance (PWR) sensors exhibit narrow resonances at the two orthogonal polarizations, transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM), which are narrower by almost an order of a magnitude than the standard surface plasmon resonance (SPR), and thus the figure of merit is enhanced. This fact is useful for measuring optical anisotropy of materials on the surface and determining the orientation of molecules with high resolution. Using the diverging beam approach and a liquid crystal retarder, we present experimental results by simultaneous detection of TE and TM polarized resonances as well as using fast higher contrast serial detection with a variable liquid crystal retarder. While simultaneous detection makes the system simpler, a serial one has the advantage of obtaining a larger contrast of the resonances and thus an improved signal-to-noise ratio. Although the sensitivity of the PWR resonances is smaller than the standard SPR, the angular width is much smaller, and thus the figure of merit is improved. When the measurement methodology has a high enough angular resolution, as is the one presented here, the PWR becomes advantageous over other SPR modes. The possibility of carrying out exact numerical simulations for anisotropic molecules using the 4 × 4 matrix approach brings another advantage of the PWR over SPR on the possibility of extracting the orientation of molecules adsorbed to the surface. High sensitivity of the TE and TM signals to the anisotropic molecules orientation is found here, and comparison to the experimental data allowed detection of the orientation of lipids on the sensor surface. The molecular orientations cannot be fully determined from the TM polarization alone as in standard SPR, which underlines the additional advantage of the PWR technique.