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Introdução: A pandemia de COVID-19 forçou a reorganização dos serviços dos cuidados de saúde primários. Com este estudo pretendemos descrever como responderam os serviços de saúde às solicitações organizacionais, como envolveram e apoiaram os seus colaboradores; como os profissionais percecionaram o seu envolvimento nos procedimentos e que apoio lhes foi fornecido. Pretendemos também avaliar os níveis de ansiedade e depressão dos profissionais e a sua associação não só com o apoio sentido pelos profissionais, mas também com a disponibilidade de equipamentos de proteção individual e com o seu envolvimento nas tarefas relacionadas com a pandemia.Material e Métodos: Estudo transversal analítico dirigido aos profissionais de três agrupamentos de centros de saúde usando um questionário online. Colhemos dados sociodemográficos, informação sobre o acesso a equipamento de proteção individual, apoio percecionado, carga de trabalho e níveis de ansiedade e depressão. Entre cada variável e os níveis de ansiedade e depressão aplicou-se regressão logística multivariada.Resultados: Responderam 237 profissionais (83,8% mulheres; idade média 43,7 anos; 43,2% de médicos). Quase 60% trabalhou com doentes COVID-19. A disponibilidade de equipamento de proteção individual em março versus junho de 2020 aumentou (17,7% vs 55,3%). Existia plano de gestão do risco em 86% dos locais. Identificou-se uma alta carga de trabalho (90%) e pressão do tempo (74,6%). Médicos e enfermeiros apresentavam maior prevalência de depressão associada à carga de trabalho e fadiga (p < 0,001). Ter espaço para falar dos problemas, apoio sentido perante esses problemas e dispor na unidade de saúde de um espaço para relaxar foram alguns fatores protetores de ansiedade. Foi encontrado menor riso de depressão no grupo do secretariado clínico, nos profissionais que se sentiram apoiados, e nos que tiveram participação ativa nos planos de contingência.Conclusão: A pandemia de COVID-19 levou a grandes alterações na dinâmica dos CSP. A pressão do tempo para realização de tarefas e a concentração exigida associaram-se a maior risco de desenvolvimento de patologia mental. O apoio sentido pelos profissionais perante os seus problemas e preocupações, e a existência de espaços para relaxar nas USF foram identificados como fatores protetores. A promoção da saúde, a manutenção dos contactos sociais dos profissionais e o seu envolvimento nos processos deverão ser tidos em conta na dinâmica organizacional das instituições.

This paper focuses on the effect of the current COVID-19 global pandemic on the education system, namely on Mechanical Engineering courses offered at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto. A brief description of the responsive measures adopted is presented regarding the necessary adaptations to distance learning because of law-enforced social distancing and public hygiene measures. Short surveys were answered by both students and faculty members to evaluate their opinion on this topic. Analogous questions on these surveys allowed for the direct comparison of their perspectives. A statistical analysis of students’ final marks on all lectured courses was also implemented, which provided insight as to whether distance learning and assessment methods have had significant impact on their performance. This study showed that the pandemic had a significant impact, affecting students and professors.

Recent studies show that the chemical composition and shape of magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) play an important role in their properties. In particular, the bimagnetic NPs display useful and in many cases, more interesting properties than single-phase NPs. In this work, we prepared Fe3O4 and CoFe2O4 cube-like NPs and bimagnetic hard/soft (CoFe2O4/Fe3O4) and soft/hard (Fe3O4/CoFe2O4) nanocomposites (core/coating) using a facile and eco-friendly co-precipitation method that allows the synthesis of the cube-like NPs at temperatures near room temperature. The phase purity and the crystallinity of the NPs with a spinel structure were confirmed by the X-ray diffraction and infrared spectra techniques. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images revealed that the NPs have a cubic-like shape with an average dimension of 20 nm. Energy dispersive X-ray analysis, Mossbauer spectroscopy and SQUID magnetic measurements indicated the co-existence of Fe3O4 and CoFe2O4 phases in nanocomposites. In addition, the hysteresis loops exhibited a single-phase behavior in the nanocomposites that indicates there is a good exchange-coupling interaction between the hard and soft magnetic phases. The CoFe2O4/Fe3O4 nanocomposites presented a larger magnetic anisotropy and saturation magnetization than the CoFe2O4 NPs that both of these parameters are more affective for their use in magnetic hyperthermia. Finally, we studied the hyperthermia properties of samples in an alternating magnetic field with a frequency of 276 kHz and field amplitude of 13.9 kA/m. Our results showed that magnetic hyperthermia efficiency simultaneously depends on the composition of samples along with magnetic anisotropy and saturation magnetization.

OBJETIVO: A Trombocitopenia imune (PTI) resulta da destruição imuno-mediada de plaquetas e/ ou megacariócitos, com consequente diminuição da contagem plaquetária. Apesar de múltiplas etiologias, existe uma forte evidência da associação entre a infeção pelo Helicobacter pylori (Hp) e PTI. O presente trabalho tem como objetivo relembrar a forte associação previamente descrita, assim como incentivar ao estudo etiológico guiado pelos sintomas no caso dos doentes com sintomatologia gástrica e trombocitopenia de etiologia não determinada. MÉTODOS: Foi realizada a revisão de caso clínico através da consulta do processo clínico informático do paciente e da literatura na Pubmed. RESULTADOS: Os autores apresentam o caso clínico de um homem de 57 anos de idade com sintomas dispépticos e trombocitopenia grave. O estudo etiológico revelou a presença de infeção por Hp, cuja erradicação condicionou a resolução da trombocitopenia, sem necessidade de outros estudos complementares. CONCLUSÃO: A infeção por Hp é uma causa pouco reconhecida de trombocitopenia imune. Deve ser considerada em doentes com sintomas gástricos e trombocitopenia de etiologia não determinada, uma vez que o tratamento tem potencial de aumentar a contagem plaquetária, poupando tempo e dinheiro em outros exames complementares fúteis.

A sustentabilidade tem vindo a exercer grande importância no Turismo, e, o Ecoturismo, sendo um dos segmentos mais sustentáveis tem ganho cada vez mais destaque. De acordo com a literatura acerca deste tema, os autores opinam de uma forma mútua sobre o comportamento do consumidor, este que atualmente tem apresentado um aumento da preocupação ambiental, optando assim por escolher destinos cada vez mais ligados à sustentabilidade e à preservação ambiental. Esta investigação tem como objetivo analisar a perceção do consumidor português, perceber as suas motivações para o ecoturismo e entender se os mesmos estão conscientes ambientalmente optando por escolhas turísticas mais ecológicas. De forma a responder a este objetivo realizou-se uma revisão de literatura sobres os temas primordiais da dissertação que são o comportamento e motivações ecológicas dos consumidores e o Marketing Ambiental em torno do Ecoturismo. Optou-se pela utilização de recolha de dados por questionário, onde se concluiu que apesar de existir uma maior consciência ambiental, assim como conhecimentos acerca de Ecoturismo, este segmento ainda não se tornou o mais relevante. Sustainability has been exercising great importance in Tourism, and Ecotourism, being one of the most sustainable segments has gained increasing prominence. According to the literature on this topic, the authors opine in a mutual way about consumer behavior, which currently has shown an increased environmental concern, thus opting to choose destinations increasingly linked to sustainability and environmental preservation. This research aims to analyze the perception of the Portuguese consumer, understand their motivations for ecotourism and understand if they are environmentally conscious opting for more ecological tourism choices. In order to respond to this objective a literature review was carried out on the main themes of the dissertation which are the behaviour and ecological motivations of consumers and Environmental Marketing around Ecotourism. It was decided to use data collection by questionnaire, where it was concluded that although there is a greater environmental awareness, as well as knowledge about Ecotourism, this segment has not yet become the most relevant. Mestrado em Gestão e Planeamento em Turismo

Anisotropic nanoparticles (NPs) have garnered a great deal of attention for their applications in catalysis, magnetism and biomedicine. However, synthetic strategies to grow such NPs are still limited as their growth mechanisms are poorly understood. This work presents the synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) based on the decomposition of iron(III) acetylacetonate in organic solvents to form anisotropic IONPs that are branched or multiply branched. We fully explore their growth parameters to understand the effect of varying amounts of oleylamine (OAm), as well as a nitrogen purge on particle morphology. We show here the synthetic relationship between a wide range of sizes and shapes of IONPs that are both isotropic and anisotropic. Of all the parameters, the amount of oleylamine in the reaction is the key to tune the particle size while the effect of a nitrogen gas purge during synthesis was shown to be crucial for the formation of the branched and multiply branched NPs. Two multiply branched NP systems with only a small difference in the synthetic conditions were shown to have radically different magnetic properties, such as heating in an alternating magnetic field. This was attributed to the defects found in the structure of one and not in the other. By following their development during growth, crystal defects were observed in both systems during the early stages of the reaction. However, for the multiply branched structure that became single crystalline, the aggregation of the nuclei occurred earlier in the reaction, allowing more time for growth and crystallite rearrangement to occur. These results have wide ranging implications for controlling the properties of anisotropic nanomaterials with similar structures, including their magnetic behavior.

Magnetite nanoparticles were synthesized by the co-precipitation method with and without the assistance of an additive, namely, gelatin, agar-agar or pectin, using eco-friendly conditions and materials embodying a green synthesis process. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy were used to analyze the structure and morphology of the nanoparticles. Magnetic properties were investigated by SQUID magnetometry and 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy. The results show that the presence of the additives implies a higher reproducibility of the morphological magnetic nanoparticle characteristics compared with synthesis without any additive, with small differences associated with different additives. To assess their potential for magnetic hyperthermia, water-based suspensions of these nanoparticles were prepared with and without citric acid. The stable solutions obtained were studied for their structural, magnetic and heating efficiency properties. The results indicate that the best additive for the stabilization of a water-based emulsion and better heating efficiency is pectin or a combination of pectin and agar-agar, attaining an intrinsic loss power of 3.6 nWg−1.

Sustainably made, flexible and biocompatible composites, having environmentally friendly compositions and multifunctional capabilities, are promising materials for several emerging biomedical applications. Here, the development of flexible and multifunctional chitosan-based bionanocomposites with a mixed reduced graphene oxide-iron oxide (rGO-Fe3−xO4) filler is described. The filler is prepared by one-pot synthesis, ensuring good dispersibility of the Fe3−xO4 nanoparticles and rGO within the chitosan matrix during solvent casting. The resulting bionanocomposites present superparamagnetic response at room temperature. The antioxidant activity is 9 times higher than that of pristine chitosan. The mechanical properties of the films can be tuned from elastic (∼8 MPa) chitosan films to stiff (∼285 MPa) bionanocomposite films with 50% filler. The magnetic hyperthermia tests showed a temperature increase of 40 °C in 45 s for the 50% rGO-Fe3−xO4 film. Furthermore, the composites have no cytotoxicity to the nontumorigenic (HaCat) cell line, which confirms their biocompatibility and highlights the potential of these materials for biomedical applications, such as hyperthermia treatments.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the reorganization of primary health care services. The aim of this study was to describe how the health services responded to organizational requests; how the health services involved and supported their employees; how professionals perceived their involvement in the procedures and what support was provided to them. Additions aims included assessing the levels of anxiety and depression of professionals and their association with the perceived support, availability of personal protective equipment and involvement in pandemic-related tasks.Cross-sectional, analytical study directed at professionals from three health center groups using an online questionnaire. We collected information from sociodemographic data, access to personal protective equipment, perceived support, workload and levels of anxiety and depression. Between each variable and the levels of anxiety and depression, multivariate logistic regression was applied.There were responses from 237 professionals (83.8% women; mean age 43.7 years; 43.2% physicians). Almost 60% worked with COVID-19 patients. The availability of personal protective equipment in March versus June 2020 increased (17.7% vs 55.3%). There was a risk management plan in 86% of the workplaces. A high workload (90%) and time pressure (74.6%) were identified. Physicians and nurses had a higher prevalence of depression associated with workload and fatigue (p0.001). Protective anxiety factors were having space to talk about problems, support in face of these problems and having a place to relax in the health unit. A lower risk of depression was found in the administrative staff group, in those who felt supported, and in those who actively participated in the contingency plans.The COVID-19 pandemic led to considerable changes in the dynamics of primary health care. The time pressure to carry out tasks and the level of concentration required were associated with a higher risk of mental disease. The support felt by healthcare professionals regarding their problems and concerns and the existence of places to relax in the health units were identified as protective factors. Health promotion, the maintenance of the social contacts of healthcare professionals and their involvement in the processes should be taken into account in the organizational dynamics of the institutions.Introdução: A pandemia de COVID-19 forçou a reorganização dos serviços dos cuidados de saúde primários. Com este estudo pretendemos descrever como responderam os serviços de saúde às solicitações organizacionais, como envolveram e apoiaram os seus colaboradores; como os profissionais percecionaram o seu envolvimento nos procedimentos e que apoio lhes foi fornecido. Pretendemos também avaliar os níveis de ansiedade e depressão dos profissionais e a sua associação não só com o apoio sentido pelos profissionais, mas também com a disponibilidade de equipamentos de proteção individual e com o seu envolvimento nas tarefas relacionadas com a pandemia.Material e Métodos: Estudo transversal analítico dirigido aos profissionais de três agrupamentos de centros de saúde usando um questionário online. Colhemos dados sociodemográficos, informação sobre o acesso a equipamento de proteção individual, apoio percecionado, carga de trabalho e níveis de ansiedade e depressão. Entre cada variável e os níveis de ansiedade e depressão aplicou-se regressão logística multivariada.Resultados: Responderam 237 profissionais (83,8% mulheres; idade média 43,7 anos; 43,2% de médicos). Quase 60% trabalhou com doentes COVID-19. A disponibilidade de equipamento de proteção individual em março versus junho de 2020 aumentou (17,7% vs 55,3%). Existia plano de gestão do risco em 86% dos locais. Identificou-se uma alta carga de trabalho (90%) e pressão do tempo (74,6%). Médicos e enfermeiros apresentavam maior prevalência de depressão associada à carga de trabalho e fadiga (p0,001). Ter espaço para falar dos problemas, apoio sentido perante esses problemas e dispor na unidade de saúde de um espaço para relaxar foram alguns fatores protetores de ansiedade. Foi encontrado menor riso de depressão no grupo do secretariado clínico, nos profissionais que se sentiram apoiados, e nos que tiveram participação ativa nos planos de contingência.Conclusão: A pandemia de COVID-19 levou a grandes alterações na dinâmica dos CSP. A pressão do tempo para realização de tarefas e a concentração exigida associaram-se a maior risco de desenvolvimento de patologia mental. O apoio sentido pelos profissionais perante os seus problemas e preocupações, e a existência de espaços para relaxar nas USF foram identificados como fatores protetores. A promoção da saúde, a manutenção dos contactos sociais dos profissionais e o seu envolvimento nos processos deverão ser tidos em conta na dinâmica organizacional das instituições.

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Involvement of the central nervous system, although uncommon, is one of the most frequent extramedullary manifestations of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). Various conditions can lead to neurological symptoms in CLL patients and distinguishing between clinically significant CLL involvement of the CNS and other aetiologies can be challenging. The authors report the case of a 90-year-old woman with a previous diagnosis of low-risk CLL who presented to the emergency room with altered mental status. After the most frequent causes were ruled out and considering the underlying disease, CNS infiltration by clonal B-cells was hypothesised and later confirmed. Treatment was initiated, but the patient died soon afterwards. LEARNING POINTS Central nervous system involvement in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) is rare and characterized by a heterogeneous clinical presentation. CNS localisation of CLL should be considered in patients with any neurological symptom, irrespective of the stage and activity of CLL. Brain imaging and cerebrospinal fluid examination should be performed.

This article belongs to the Special Issue Multifunctional Magnetic Nanocomposites: Innovative Processing and Applications., Magnetic nanoparticles (NP), such as magnetite, have been the subject of research for application in the biomedical field, especially in Magnetic Hyperthermia Therapy (MHT), a promising technique for cancer therapy. NP are often coated with different compounds such as natural or synthetic polymers to protect them from oxidation and enhance their colloidal electrostatic stability while maintaining their thermal efficiency. In this work, the synthesis and characterization of magnetite nanoparticles coated with fucoidan, a biopolymer with recognized biocompatibility and antitumoral activity, is reported. The potential application of NP in MHT was evaluated through the assessment of Specific Loss Power (SLP) under an electromagnetic field amplitude of 14.7 kA m−1 and at 276 kHz. For fucoidan-coated NP, it was obtained SLP values of 100 and 156 W/g, corresponding to an Intrinsic Loss Power (ILP) of 1.7 and 2.6 nHm2kg−1, respectively. These values are, in general, higher than the ones reported in the literature for non-coated magnetite NP or coated with other polymers. Furthermore, in vitro assays showed that fucoidan and fucoidan-coated NP are biocompatible. The particle size (between ca. 6 to 12 nm), heating efficiency, and biocompatibility of fucoidan-coated magnetite NP meet the required criteria for MHT application., This work was developed within the scope of the project CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials, UIDB/50011/2020 & UIDP/50011/2020, financed by national funds through the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology/MCTES. The work was also funded through FCT projects PTDC/NAN-MAT/28785/2017 (OrMagNa), UID/MULTI/04046/2019 (BioISI) and UIDP/50017/2020 & UIDB/50017/2020 (CESAM). This work was also funded by national funds (OE), through FCT—Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P., in the scope of the framework contract foreseen in the numbers 4, 5 and 6 of the article 23, of the Decree-Law 57/2016, of August 29, changed by Law 57/2017, of July 19. The Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) is also acknowledged for the research contract under Stimulus of Scientific Employment of P. Ferreira (IF/00300/2015) and H. Oliveira (CEECIND/04050/2017), the Post-Doctoral grant of C. Nunes (SFRH/BPD/100627/2014), and the research contract of V. Bastos (CDL-CTTRI-161-ARH/2018) funded by the FCT project (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-031794). AM acknowledges the Spanish Ministry of Science (RYC2018-024561-I) and to the Natural National Science Foundation of China through the grants NSFC- 21850410448 & NSFC- 21835002. The authors acknowledge to The Centre for High-resolution Electron Microscopy (CħEM), supported by SPST of ShanghaiTech University under contract No. EM02161943. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 823717—ESTEEM3.

L'entrée des femmes à l'Académie Française révèle la reconnaissance des évolutions actuelles de la société. Cet article a pour objectif démontrer où sont situées les femmes à l’Académie Française au cours des années. La première partie rappelle sa création, l’importance de sa mission, le dictionnaire et les prix remis par l’Académie. Ensuite, on analyse l’histoire des femmes à l’Académie Française et trois de ses membres féminins : Marguerite Yourcenar, Assia Djebar et Simone Veil. On présente aussi le récent processus de féminisation des noms adapté par l’Académie qui accompagne l’admission des femmes dans l’Académie., E- Revista de Estudos Interculturais , N.º 8 (2020)

In future fusion power plants, the tritium (T) breeding inside the reactor is a key aspect to ensure the so-called tritium self-sufficiency. The continuous availability of the fuel for further fusion reactions requires the continuous separation of small molecules such as hydrogen isotopologues (e.g., HT) from helium. Pressure-driven separation with membranes is a promising method to fulfill these requirements, especially if molecular-sieving membranes are available to separate these gas species. In this work, the single gas permeances of He, H2 and D2 were measured with a MFI-ZSM-5 zeolite-type tubular membrane. These experiments were performed in the membrane’s temperature range: 298 – 398 K . At these temperatures, a transition in the transport regime was observed at 360 K , which is attributed to the transition from surface-diffusion dominant to gas-translational diffusion dominant. Using the measured permeances, the permselectivities for H2/He and D2/He were calculated. In the temperature range tested, the permselectivities exceed the Knudsen selectivity, indicating that the membrane is of rather high-quality. Instead, the H2/D2 permeances ratio was around the Knudsen ratio (i.e., ∼ 1.41 ). Moreover, the permeances of the binary mixture H2/D2, at the whole concentration range, were also measured at 298 K to study the isotopic effects on the transport through the MFI-ZSM-5 membrane. We found that the mixed gas behaves macroscopically as a hydrogen isotopologue molecule, and its permeance falls with M eff - 0.5 , where M eff is the effective mass of the mixture determined by the concentrations of H2 and D2. Using this result, the Q2 permeances and the Q2/He permselectivities (where Q = H, D, T) for the other hydrogen isotopologues (i.e., HD, HT, DT and T2) were also calculated.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) primary infection usually presents with classic symptoms of infectious mononucleosis (IM) like fever, lymphadenopathies and tonsillopharyngitis. Liver damage is frequently mild and self-limited and there are only a few cases of severe EBV-induced cholestatic hepatitis and jaundice reported in the literature. The authors present the case of a 22-year-old woman who was admitted with acute fever and jaundice. Physical examination revealed posterior cervical lymphadenopathies and painful hepatosplenomegaly. Laboratorial findings suggested an obstructive cause for jaundice but ultrasound and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography excluded biliary duct pathology. Heterophile antibodies were negative but EBV-specific antibodies revealed isolated positive viral capsid antigen (VCA) immunoglobin (Ig) M suggesting the diagnosis of early phase of EBV primary infection. The diagnosis of EBV-induced cholestatic hepatitis was confirmed after identification of EBV deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in blood and by liver biopsy. Supportive management was provided and, despite an initial clinical deterioration, the patient had a favorable outcome. EBV is a virus with a high prevalence worldwide, mainly subclinical, and jaundice is a rare manifestation of the infection. Although the majority of the patients recover without sequelae, progression to liver failure has been described and a careful assessment for complications is mandatory. Therefore, EBV infection should be included in the comprehensive differential diagnosis of jaundice in all age groups.

The present work reports the production and key properties of the CuCrFeTiV high entropy alloy synthetized mechanical alloying and spark plasma sintering. The milled powders and the as-sintered samples were analysed through scanning electron microscopy, coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and particle induced X-ray emission. Magnetic properties together with electrical resistivity, thermal conductivity, specific heat differential thermal analysis were also evaluated on the consolidated samples. The powders reveal an increasing content in iron as the millings are prolonged up to 20 h. The elemental composition of the sintered alloy, determined through particle induced X-ray emission, confirms the final composition after mechanical alloying with an increase of iron and a decrease in the remaining elements. Furthermore, although the alloy presents electrical resistivity typical of a high entropy alloy, a ferromagnetic behaviour was found, consistently with major Fe content as detected in prior observations. Finally, thermal measurements show that this CuCrFeTiV entropy alloy possesses thermal properties suitable for its potential use as thermal barriers. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Background Health and fitness apps have potential benefits to improve self-management and disease control among patients with asthma. However, inconsistent use rates have been reported across studies, regions, and health systems. A better understanding of the characteristics of users and nonusers is critical to design solutions that are effectively integrated in patients’ daily lives, and to ensure that these equitably reach out to different groups of patients, thus improving rather than entrenching health inequities. Objective This study aimed to evaluate the use of general health and fitness apps by patients with asthma and to identify determinants of usage. Methods A secondary analysis of the INSPIRERS observational studies was conducted using data from face-to-face visits. Patients with a diagnosis of asthma were included between November 2017 and August 2020. Individual-level data were collected, including age, gender, marital status, educational level, health status, presence of anxiety and depression, postcode, socioeconomic level, digital literacy, use of health services, and use of health and fitness apps. Multivariate logistic regression was used to model the probability of being a health and fitness app user. Statistical analysis was performed in R. Results A total of 526 patients attended a face-to-face visit in the 49 recruiting centers and 514 had complete data. Most participants were ≤40 years old (66.4%), had at least 10 years of education (57.4%), and were in the 3 higher quintiles of the socioeconomic deprivation index (70.1%). The majority reported an overall good health status (visual analogue scale [VAS] score>70 in 93.1%) and the prevalence of anxiety and depression was 34.3% and 11.9%, respectively. The proportion of participants who reported using health and fitness mobile apps was 41.1% (n=211). Multivariate models revealed that single individuals and those with more than 10 years of education are more likely to use health and fitness mobile apps (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.22, 95%CI 1.05-4.75 and aOR 1.95, 95%CI 1.12-3.45, respectively). Higher digital literacy scores were also associated with higher odds of being a user of health and fitness apps, with participants in the second, third, and fourth quartiles reporting aORs of 6.74 (95%CI 2.90-17.40), 10.30 (95%CI 4.28-27.56), and 11.52 (95%CI 4.78-30.87), respectively. Participants with depression symptoms had lower odds of using health and fitness apps (aOR 0.32, 95%CI 0.12-0.83). Conclusions A better understanding of the barriers and enhancers of app use among patients with lower education, lower digital literacy, or depressive symptoms is key to design tailored interventions to ensure a sustained and equitable use of these technologies. Future studies should also assess users’ general health-seeking behavior and their interest and concerns specifically about digital tools. These factors may impact both initial engagement and sustained use.

BACKGROUND Health and fitness apps have potential benefits to improve self-management and disease control in patients with asthma. However, inconsistent use rates have been reported across studies, regions and health systems. A better understanding of the characteristics of users and non-users is critical to design solutions that are effectively integrated in patients daily life, and to ensure that these equitably reach out to different groups of patients, improving rather than entrenching health inequities. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the use of general health and fitness apps by patients with asthma and to identify determinants of usage. METHODS A secondary analysis of Inspirers observational studies was conducted using face-to-face visits. Patients with a diagnosis of asthma were included between November 2017 and August 2020. Individual-level data were collected, including age, gender, marital status, educational level, health status, presence of anxiety and/or depression, postcode, socio-economic index, digital literacy, health services use, and use of health and fitness apps. Multivariate logistic regression was used to model the probability of being a health and fitness app user. Statistical analysis was performed in R. RESULTS A total of 526 patients attended a face-to-face visit in the 49 recruiting centers and 514 had complete data. Most participants were 40 years or less (66.4%), had at least 10 years of education (57.4%) and were in the three higher quintiles of the socio-economic deprivation index (70.1%). The majority reported an overall good health status (visual analogue scale-VAS > 70 in 93.1%) and the prevalence of anxiety and depression was, respectively, 34.3% and 11.9%. The proportion of participants that reported using health and fitness mobile apps was 41.1% (n=211). The multivariate models revealed that single individuals and those with more than 10 years of education are more likely to use health and fitness mobile apps (adjusted OR 2.22 (95%CI [1.05-4.75]) and 1.95 (95%CI [1.12-3.45]), respectively). Higher digital literacy scores were also associated with higher odds of being a user of health and fitness apps, with participants in the second, third and fourth quartiles showing, respectively, adjusted ORs of 6.74 (95%CI [2.90-17.40]), 10.30 (95%CI [4.28-27.56]), and 11.52 (95%CI [4.78-30.87]). Participants with depression symptoms had lower odds of using mobile health and fitness apps (adjusted OR 0.32, 95%CI [0.12-0.83]). CONCLUSIONS A better understanding of the barriers and enhancers of app use by patients with lower education, lower digital literacy, or with depressive symptoms, is key to design tailored interventions to improve a sustained and equitable use of these technologies. Future studies should also assess users’ general health-seeking behavior, as well as their interest and concerns about digital tools specifically. These factors may impact both initial engagement and sustained use. CLINICALTRIAL

Bendamustine is a chemotherapeutic drug associated with frequent haematological and gastrointestinal adverse effects and, more rarely, neurological toxicity. We present the case of a 79-year-old man with follicular lymphoma, grade 2, Ann-Arbor stage IV-A, FLIPI 4, high risk, with bulky disease and vital organ compression, treated with R-CHOP and then rituximab-bendamustine, who developed encephalopathy approximately 2 months after the last cycle. After ruling out other possible aetiologies, we assumed the patient’s encephalopathy was due to a delayed bendamustine side effect, possibly aggravated by the concomitant administration of rituximab. The authors hope to alert clinicians to this rare adverse effect, its difficult identification and the need to rule out other aetiologies. LEARNING POINTS: Bendamustine neurotoxicity is a rare side effect. Bendamustine neurotoxicity should be considered a diagnosis of exclusion in a patient with progressive encephalopathy treated with the drug. Drug cessation is the mainstay of treatment in cases of bendamustine-induced encephalopathy.

Tuberculosis remains one of the most common infectious diseases. Miliary presentation is a rare and possibly lethal form, resulting from massive lymphohaematogenous dissemination of Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacilli. The authors describe the case of a 47-year-old immunocompetent woman, diagnosed with miliary tuberculosis, with both lung and central nervous system involvement, who showed total recovery after starting anti-tuberculous drugs. The atypical neutrophilic-predominant pleocytosis and negative cerebrospinal fluid microbiological results made the diagnosis even more challenging. Since prognosis largely depends on timely treatment, recognition and prompt diagnosis is important. Thus, clinicians should be aware and treatment should be initiated as soon as the diagnosis is suspected. LEARNING POINTS Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) characteristics in central nervous system tuberculosis (CNS TB) are variable and may even be normal. Typical CSF findings include lymphocytic-predominant pleocytosis, although neutrophilic predominance may occur. CSF microbiological testing for Mycobacterium tuberculosis has low sensitivity, so a negative test does not eliminate the diagnosis. Cerebral magnetic resonance imaging is usually the test of choice, given its superiority in CNS TB diagnosis over computed tomography (CT), which can be normal. Chest x-ray may appear normal and miss miliary TB, which however a CT scan can identify.

Dissertação de Mestrado em Engenharia e Gestão Industrial apresentada à Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia This report presents the results of a case study developed in the ceramic company Grespor. Grespor has been facing inherent challenges in stock management, resulting from the changing demand for its products and the interdependence of its production. Therefore, due to the problems that arise from the complexity of this task, the company intends to adopt better practices by implementing a stock replacement model.This study aims to develop a stock management approach in order to create a robust and efficient replenishment system. Taking this into account, it is essential to determine a stock management model for big bags, that indicates when revisions should be made and what are the appropriate values of stock level for each product, preventing stock ruptures and excess stocks.Through the state-of-the-art, this paper proposes a methodology for implementing a stock management model. Firstly, a study is conducted to understand the characteristics of each product and all the factors that condition the production of atomized powder. Secondly, the products are sorted both in terms of their relevance to the company and its demand behavior. According to the demand patterns that have been obtained, demand forecasting methods are applied, and a periodic review stock policy is defined, the Naddor's heuristic, with different levels of performance taking into account the ABC / XYZ analysis. Once the parameters of the heuristic have been defined, it is crucial to structure a strategy for the gradual implementation of this new model so that the company can apply it simply and coherently.After the proposal to solve the central problem, it is suggested a reorganization of the storage area, since the allocation of products was made randomly, making their location complex and confusing. O presente relatório contempla um caso de estudo desenvolvido na Grespor, uma empresa do ramo cerâmico. Inserida numa indústria com algum grau de incerteza, a Grespor tem vindo a encarar desafios inerentes à gestão de stocks, resultantes da procura irregular dos seus produtos e da interdependência das suas produções. Neste sentido, devido aos problemas que advêm da complexidade desta tarefa, a empresa pretende adotar melhores práticas nesta área com a adoção de um modelo de reposição de stocks que até então não existe.O objetivo deste trabalho passa por desenvolver uma abordagem de gestão de stocks, de forma a criar um sistema de reaprovisionamento robusto e eficiente. Neste sentido, torna-se importante determinar um modelo de gestão de stocks de big bags que indique quando é que devem ser feitas as revisões e em que valores é que o nível de stock deve situar-se para cada produto, impedindo ruturas e excessos de stock. Através do estado da arte foi proposta uma metodologia de implementação de um modelo de gestão de stocks. Numa primeira análise procurou-se compreender as características de cada produto e todos os fatores que condicionavam a produção de pó atomizado. Prosseguiu-se com a classificação dos produtos tanto a nível da sua relevância para a empresa, como a nível do comportamento da procura. Consoante os padrões da procura obtidos, foram aplicados métodos de previsão da procura e foi definida uma política de stocks de revisão periódica, a heurística de Naddor, com diferentes níveis de desempenho tendo em conta a análise ABC/XYZ. Após definidos os parâmetros da heurística, foi importante estruturar uma estratégia de implementação gradual deste novo modelo para que a empresa pudesse adotá-lo de forma simples e coerente.Após a proposta de resolução do problema central, foi sugerida uma reorganização da zona de armazenagem, uma vez que a alocação dos produtos era feita de forma aleatória, tornando a sua localização complexa e confusa.

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Co-precipitation is by far the most common synthesis for magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs), as cheap and environmentally friendly precursors and simple experimental procedures facilitate IONP production in many labs. Optimising co-precipitation syntheses remains challenging however, as particle formation mechanisms are not well understood. This is partly due to the rapid particle formation (within seconds) providing insufficient time to characterise initial precipitates. To overcome this limitation, a flow chemistry approach has been developed using steady-state operation to “freeze” transient reaction states locally. This allowed for the first time a comprehensive analysis of the early stages of co-precipitation syntheses via in-situ Small Angle X-ray Scattering and in-situ synchrotron X-Ray Diffraction. These studies revealed that after mixing the ferrous/ferric chloride precursor with the NaOH base solution, the most magnetic iron oxide phase forms within 5 s, the particle size changes only marginally afterwards, and co-precipitation and agglomeration occur simultaneously. As these agglomerates were too large to achieve colloidal stability via subsequent stabiliser addition, co-precipitated IONPs had to be de-agglomerated. This was achieved by adding the appropriate quantity of a citric acid solution which yielded within minutes colloidally stable IONP solutions around a neutral pH value. The new insights into the particle formation and the novel stabilisation procedure (not requiring any ultra-sonication or washing step) allowed to design a multistage flow reactor to synthesise and stabilise IONPs continuously with a residence time of less than 5 min. This reactor was robust against fouling and produced stable IONP solutions (of ~1.5 mg particles per ml) reproducibly via fast mixing ( 500 ml/h) for low materials cost.

Magnetic nanoparticles offer multiple possibilities for biomedical applications. Besides their physico-chemical properties, nanoparticle-cellular interactions are determinant for biological safety. In this work, magnetic nanoparticles were synthesized by one-shot precipitation or two-step reaction and coated with biocompatible polymers, such as poly(l-lysine) and poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamide-co-acrylic acid), and carbohydrates, like l-ascorbic acid, d-galactose, d-mannose, and sucrose. The resulting magnetic nanoparticles were characterized by dynamic light scattering, FT-Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, SQUID magnetometry, and Mossbauer spectroscopy. Ability of the nanoparticles to be used in theranostic applications was also evaluated, showing that coating with biocompatible polymers increased the heating efficiency. Nanoparticles synthesized by one-shot precipitation were 50% larger (∼13nm) than those obtained by a two-step reaction (∼8nm). Magnetic nanoparticles at concentrations up to 500μgmL-1 were non-cytotoxic to L929 fibroblasts. Particles synthesized by one-shot precipitation had little effect on viability, cell cycle and apoptosis of the three human colon cancer cell lines used: Caco-2, HT-29, and SW-480. At the same concentration (500μgmL-1), magnetic particles prepared by a two-step reaction reduced colon cancer cell viability by 20%, affecting cell cycle and inducing cell apoptosis. Uptake of surface-coated magnetic nanoparticles by colon cancer cells was dependent on particle synthesis, surface coating and incubation time.

The increased use of superparamagnetic nanoparticles in medical applications motivates the development of new nanostructured materials and nanocomposites with tailored properties. In magnetic fluid hyperthermia, iron oxide nanoparticles destroy or weaken malignant tumor cells by increasing their temperature above a critical value. Therefore, magnetic nanoparticles with high heating efficiency are required. In this work, Ag-Fe3O4 composite nanoparticles and their corresponding ferrofluids are explored for hyperthermia applications. The iron oxide nanoparticles were first synthesized in an egg-white medium via coprecipitation and hydrothermal methods and then decorated with Ag, using honey as a reducing agent. The obtained nanoparticles were fully characterized and used to prepare water-based ferrofluids. The ferrofluid specific loss power was evaluated in an alternating magnetic field with frequency of 274 kHz and amplitude of 13.9 kA/m, confirming that Ag-Fe3O4 composite magnetic nanoparticles have a high potential for heat generation when compared with Fe3O4 nanoparticles. The observed physical properties and heating power values are discussed based on the synthesis route, particle size distribution, and physical properties.

Background: Colorectal cancer in pregnancy is a rare pathology with limited high-grade evidence available for guidance. The diagnosis of CRC in pregnant women is usually delayed, and once diagnosis is made, challenges exist as treatment options may be limited. Objective: The study aims to highlight the importance of early investigation of symptomatic patients during pregnancy, as well as to update treatment and prognosis in CRC. Methods: A literature search in PubMed database, including articles from 2006 to 2016 and cross-research articles with the initial research. Results: Pregnancy can limit and contraindicate the utilization of standard diagnostic and therapeutic tools, which in particular can hamper the liberal use of colonoscopy and CT. Physical evaluation and abdominal US are first recommended; besides, MRI or CT may be used, only in indicated cases. Surgery is the main stay of treatment but radiotherapy and chemotherapy have significant role in posterior management of tumour. Conclusions: Many studies are needed in order to achieve development in CRC pathogenesis during pregnancy as well as in treatment outcomes. The potential curative treatment of the disease should be the main aim of treatment when considering CRC in pregnancy. However, it is crucial to adapt the treatment to each patient, taking into account conscious decision on pregnancy further management. Resumo: Introdução: O cancro colorretal na gravidez é uma patologia rara, com limitada evidência científica para orientação terapêutica. O diagnóstico de cancro coloretal em mulheres grávidas é tardio e, quando o diagnóstico é feito, as opções de tratamento podem ser limitadas. Objetivo: O objetivo deste estudo é ressalvar a importância da investigação precoce de pacientes sintomáticas durante a gravidez, assim como avaliar os atuais métodos de tratamento e prognóstico no CCR. Métodos: A pesquisa bibliográfica foi realizada na base de dados PubMed, incluindo artigos a partir de 2006 até 2016, assim como artigos de pesquisa cruzada com os artigos iniciais. Resultados: A gravidez pode limitar e contra-indicar a utilização de ferramentas de diagnóstico e terapêuticas convencionais, assim como dificultar o uso indiscriminado de colonoscopia e tomografia computadorizada. A avaliação física e a ecografia abdominal são a primeira linha para diagnóstico. No entanto, em casos selecionados, a ressonância magnética ou a tomografia computadorizada também podem ser usadas. A cirurgia é o gold-standard mas a radioterapia e a quimioterapia assumem um papel cada vez mais relevante no tratamento multidisciplinar destes tumores. Discussão: Como os sintomas abdominais são comuns na gravidez e cancro coloretal pode simulá-los, o diagnóstico diferencial entre estas duas patologias é crucial, já que intervenções precoces podem ser curativas. Após diagnóstico, o seguimento das grávidas deve ser individualizado, dependendo de vários fatores. Porém, já que atualmente o tratamento do cancro é possível na gravidez, a probabilidade de sobrevivência da paciente não deve ser diminuída devido ao diagnóstico tardio. Conclusões: Mais estudos são necessários para saber mais acerca da patogénese do cancro coloretal na gravidez, assim como os resultados após tratamento. O potencial objetivo é o tratamento oncológico do cancro coloretal. No entanto, é crucial adaptar o tratamento a cada paciente, tendo em conta a sua decisão consciente acerca da continuação da gravidez. Keywords: Colon cancer, Rectal cancer, Pregnancy, Cancer diagnosis, Cancer treatment, Palavras-chave: Cancro do cólon, Cancro do reto, Gravidez, Diagnóstico do cancro, Tratamento do cancro

CoFe2O4 and MnFe2O4 nanoparticles were obtained by hydrothermal synthesis method in aqueous and in gelatinous media, at 175 °C and 230 °C. The structural, morphological and magnetic characterization of all samples was performed using different techniques: XRD, SEM, TEM, SQUID magnetometry and 57Fe Mossbauer spectroscopy. Their ability to be used as nanoheaters for magnetic hyperthermia applications was evaluated by determining their heating efficiency in aqueous suspension. The mean size of the CoFe2O4 nanoparticles ranges from 4.2 to 6.7 nm, while larger nanoparticles with broader distributions were obtained for the MnFe2O4 nanoparticles (from 4.4 to 17 nm). It was shown that both the temperature of the thermal treatment and the medium influence the mean size and size distribution of the nanoparticles, with the gelatin-assisted synthesis method producing nanoparticles with the highest specific heating ability. MnFe2O4 nanoparticles synthesized at 175 °C in gelatine medium display one of the best reported heating efficiency for manganese ferrite with values comparable to those of commercial magnetic nanoparticles.

OBJECTIVE: To update the recommendations for the treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) with biological therapies, endorsed by the Portuguese Society of Rheumatology (SPR). METHODS: These treatment recommendations were formulated by Portuguese rheumatologists based on literature evidence and consensus opinion. At a national meeting the 10 recommendations were discussed and updated. The document resulting from this meeting circulated to all Portuguese rheumatologists, who anonymously voted online on the level of agreement with the recommendations. RESULTS: These recommendations cover general aspects as shared decision, prospective registry in Reuma.pt, assessment of activity and RA impact and treatment objective. Consensus was also achieved regarding specific aspects as initiation of biologic therapy, assessment of response, switching and definition of persistent remission. CONCLUSION: These recommendations may be used for guidance of treatment with biological therapies in patients with RA. As more evidence becomes available and more therapies are licensed, these recommendations will be updated. publishersversion published

Trabalho Final de Mestrado Integrado, Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Farmácia, 2019 Made available in DSpace on 2020-05-04T22:59:30Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2019-12-20 Universitas Veterinaria et Pharmaceutica Brunensis, Brno, Czech Republic; Farmácia Joleni; Hospital Curry Cabral

Background: Hand osteoarthritis (HOA) is a highly prevalent rheumatic disease that predominates in females and causes pain, joint deformities and loss of functional capacity. Overweight and metabolic syndrome have been previously suggested to associate with the severity of HOA, but clarity on these associations is yet to be achieved. Objectives: To test the possible association between body mass index (BMI) and other individual components of metabolic syndrome with severity of HOA in females from a nationwide epidemiological study. Methods: EpiReumaPt was a three-stage national health survey where, in the first phase, 10,661 adult participants were randomly selected and interviewed using a structured face-to-face questionnaire that included screening for rheumatic diseases, such as HOA. In the second phase, positive screenings for ≥1 rheumatic complaint plus 20% of the negative screenings were invited for an assessment by rheumatologists. Finally, 3 rheumatologists revised all the information and defined the final diagnosis by consensus. Female patients with a final clinical diagnosis of primary HOA were included in this analysis. Hand functional status as assed by the Cochin questionnaire was the outcome of interest. The explanatory variables of interest were: BMI evaluated as a categorical variable (Normal: 18-24.99; overweight: 25-29.99; obesity: ≥ 30), diabetes mellitus, hypertension and hypercholesterolemia (all self-reported and as binary variables: yes/no). The possible associations between BMI and the individual components of the metabolic syndrome with the Cochin score were tested in a multivariable linear regression model. Only significant variables (p Results: Out of the 3,877 participants evaluated by Rheumatologists, 473 women had primary HOA (national prevalence: 6.6%). In this population, 40% were overweight and 29% were obese. Ninety-three (20%) participants had diabetes, 261 (56%) had hypertension and 261 (56%) had hypercholesterolemia. In the multiple regression model, BMI and diabetes were found to significantly associate with HOA severity, whereas hypertension and hypercholesterolemia did not, thus not being selected in the final model (table). Conclusion: In this study, higher BMI and the presence of diabetes mellitus associated with a worse functional capacity in women with primary HOA. These data add to the body of evidence suggesting a possible role of metabolic factors in the severity of HOA. References: [1] Yusuf E, Nelissen RG, Ioan-Facsinay A et al. Association between weight or body mass index and hand osteoarthritis: a systematic review. Ann Rheum Dis 2010. 69: 761-765 [2] Schett G, Kleyer A, Perricone C et al. Diabetes is an independent predictor for severe osteoarthritis: results from a longitudinal cohort study. Diabetes Care 2013; 36: 403-409 Acknowledgement: The authors thank all the participants of EpiReumaPt survey, the interviewers and staff and the Rheumatologists that worked in the field Disclosure of Interests: Margarida Cruz: None declared, Alexandre Sepriano: None declared, Sara Dias: None declared, Ana Maria Rodrigues: None declared, Helena Canhao: None declared, Nelia Gouveia: None declared, Monica Eusebio: None declared, Sofia Ramiro Grant/research support from: MSD, Consultant for: AbbVie, Lilly, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, Sanofi, Speakers bureau: AbbVie, Lilly, MSD, Novartis, Pfizer, Sanofi, Jaime Branco: None declared

Submitted by halves@ufp.pt (halves@ufp.pt) on 2019-04-01T12:05:59Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DM_Ana Margarida Moreira.pdf: 1350701 bytes, checksum: b98774f61d8ab5dc520576d0d0a58ae8 (MD5) Approved for entry into archive by halves@ufp.pt (halves@ufp.pt) on 2019-04-01T12:07:50Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DM_Ana Margarida Moreira.pdf: 1350701 bytes, checksum: b98774f61d8ab5dc520576d0d0a58ae8 (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2019-04-01T12:07:50Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DM_Ana Margarida Moreira.pdf: 1350701 bytes, checksum: b98774f61d8ab5dc520576d0d0a58ae8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2019-03-27

The discovery of clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats (CRISPR), a defense system against viruses found in bacteria, launched a new era in gene targeting. The key feature of this technique is the guiding of the endonuclease Cas9 by single guide RNAs (sgRNA) to specific sequences, where a DNA lesion is introduced to trigger DNA repair. The CRISPR/Cas9 system may be extremely relevant for gene therapy, but the technique needs improvement to become a safe and fully effective tool. The Cas9-induced double-strand break (DSB) is repaired by one of two pathways, the error-prone Non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) or the high-fidelity Homology Direct Repair (HDR). Shifting the repair of the DSB to HDR is challenging, given the efficiency of NHEJ. Here we describe an engineered protein approach to increase knock-in efficiency by promoting the relative increase in Cas9 activity in G2, the phase of the cell cycle where HDR is more active. Cas9 was fused to the degradation domain of proteins known to be degraded in G1. The activity of two chimeric proteins, Geminin-Cas9 and CyclinB2-Cas9, is demonstrated, as well as their cell-cycle-dependent degradation. The chimeras shifted the repair of the DSBs to the HDR repair pathway compared to the commonly used Cas9. The application of cell cycle specific degradation tags could pave the way for more efficient and secure gene editing applications of the CRISPR/Cas9 system.

CoFe2O4 nanoparticles were synthesized using a simple precipitation method in the presence of three natural templates: flax, gauze and sisal. Each preparation gave rise to two different types of samples. The structural, morphological and magnetic properties of the nanoparticles were characterized, and their usefulness as nano-heaters in magnetic hyperthermia was explored. The specific loss powers obtained for all CoFe2O4 nanoparticles in water shared similar magnitudes and were attributed to a dominant Brown relaxation. The nanoparticles obtained after template calcination at 550 °C display morphologies determined by the threaded templates, with enhanced magnetic anisotropy and associated magnetic coercivities similar to that of nanofibers or nanorods.

Autoimmune Polyendocrine Syndromes (APS) are rare autoimmune endocrinopathies, characterized by the association of two or more organ-specific disorders. Type II Autoimmune Polyendocrine Syndromes (APS II) comprises the association of Addison’s disease with thyroid autoimmune disease and/or type 1 diabetes mellitus. Although the classic presentation is symptomatic hypotension, it can manifest as an adrenal crisis - a life-threatening condition. We report a case of a 41-year-old woman with prolonged asthenia, cutaneous hyperpigmentation and symptomatic hypotension refractory to intravenous fluids. APS II was diagnosed with a presentation of an Addisonian crisis, resolved after the onset of hydrocortisone.

Maghemite (γ-Fe2O3) nanoparticles obtained through co-precipitation and oxidation were coated with heparin (Hep) to yield γ-Fe2O3@Hep, and subsequently with chitosan that was modified with different phenolic compounds, including gallic acid (CS-G), hydroquinone (CS-H), and phloroglucinol (CS-P), to yield γ-Fe2O3@Hep-CS-G, γ-Fe2O3@Hep-CS-H, and γ-Fe2O3@Hep-CS-P particles, respectively. Surface modification of the particles was analyzed by transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. Magnetic measurements indicated that the polymer coating does not affect the superparamagnetic character of the iron oxide core. However, magnetic saturation decreased with increasing thickness of the polymer coating. The antioxidant properties of the nanoparticles were analyzed using a 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. Cellular uptake and intracellular antioxidant activity of the particles were evaluated by an iron assay and flow cytometry, respectively, using L-929 and LN-229 cells. Compared to the control, the phenolic modification significantly reduced intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels to 35–56%, which was associated with a 6–8-times higher cellular uptake in L-929 cells and a 21–31-times higher cellular uptake in LN-229 cells. In contrast, γ-Fe2O3@Hep particles induced a 3.8-times and 14.9-times higher cellular uptake without inducing antioxidant activity. In conclusion, the high cellular uptake and the antioxidant properties associated with the phenolic moieties in the modified particles allow for a potential application in biomedical areas.

Magnetotactic bacteria are a group of organisms deeply studied in the last years due to their interesting magnetic behavior and potential applications in nanometrology, hyperthermia, and biosensor devices. One intrinsic common characteristic is the presence, inside the bacteria, of magnetic nanoparticles called magnetosomes. The role of magnetosomes as bacterial tools to orient the bacteria and find new habitats is universally accepted, but the way they develop still is not fully understood. A strain of Magnetospirillum magnetotacticum was grown and investigated at the nanoscale using transmission electron microscopy and atomic/magnetic force microscopy techniques. Magnetosomes were observed as well as long filaments with magnetic response that could be associated to the actin-like filaments being crucial to allow the nanoparticles orientation and magnetosomes formation. To the best of our knowledge, this paper is the first to visualize these reproducible long-range size magnetic crystalline structures.

MFe2O4 (M = Co, Fe, Mn) compounds were synthesized using hydrothermal treatment in the presence of medicinal cotton. Two sets of nanoparticles were produced for each composition and subsequently characterized by XRD, TEM and SEM. The nanoparticles obtained from the solution display the expected spinel structure and different mean sizes (below 16 nm); the nanoparticles embedded in cotton were subjected to a calcination process for cotton elimination. Regarding these calcinated samples, the spinel structure was maintained for CoFe2O4, a mixture of phases was identified for the M = Mn sample and, in the case of iron, the magnetite phase was converted to hematite (α-Fe2O3). After cotton elimination the samples exhibit a morphology which evidences the role of cotton as a template. To evaluate the quality of the nanoparticles for hyperthermia, SQUID magnetometry and Mossbauer spectroscopy were used to perform the magnetic characterization of all products, and the specific loss power (SLP) was determined by induction heating measurements. All the ferrite NP obtained by hydrothermal synthesis in the presence of cotton display good hyperthermia performance. MnFe2O4 nanoparticles exhibit the highest SLP value, 90 W g−1, followed by Fe3−xO4, and CoFe2O4. In the case of CoFe2O4, the specific loss power of the NP obtained after cotton elimination is enhanced by 50% which is explained by the NP morphology adopted from the cotton template during the synthesis.