Sapientia
Repositório Científico da UAlg
Entradas recentes
Impacto do tratamento cirúrgico da obesidade no cancro da mama
Publication . Silva, Mafalda Maria de Carvalhal da; Coelho, Ana Luísa de Sousa; Estêvão, Maria Dulce da Mota Antunes de Oliveira
Introdução: A obesidade é uma doença crónica caracterizada pela acumulação anormal de gordura corporal, ocorrendo um desequilíbrio entre as calorias que são ingeridas e as que são gastas. A obesidade pode contribuir para o desenvolvimento de várias outras patologias, entre as quais o cancro da mama. Embora existam vários fármacos que podem ser utilizados para o tratamento da obesidade, o tratamento que tem demonstrado ser mais eficaz a longo prazo é a cirurgia bariátrica. Para além da perda de peso, o tratamento cirúrgico demonstrou melhorar vários dos problemas de saúde associados à obesidade. Objetivo: Compreender a influência que a cirurgia bariátrica tem no risco do desenvolvimento de cancro da mama. Métodos: Foi realizada uma pesquisa de revisões sistemáticas nas bases de dados PubMed e Web of Science, com o objetivo de avaliar a relação entre a cirurgia bariátrica e a incidência de cancro da mama. Foram considerados como critérios de inclusão os artigos serem revisões sistemáticas e/ou meta-análises e relacionarem a realização de cirurgia bariátrica com o cancro da mama. Foram excluídos artigos que reportem estudos originais ou ensaios clínicos, ou outros artigos que não são revisões sistemáticas e/ou meta-análises, artigos que refiram apenas outras cirurgias, e artigos que refiram outros cancros, mas não incluem o cancro da mama. Resultados: Após seleção, foram analisados 6 artigos que relacionam a cirurgia bariátrica com o risco de desenvolvimento de cancro da mama. Os resultados analisados indicam que houve uma redução de 44% a 51% na redução do risco de desenvolvimento de cancro da mama após o tratamento cirúrgico da obesidade. Conclusão: Com esta revisão do tipo umbrella, conclui-se que os pacientes com obesidade, depois de submetidos a cirurgia bariátrica, apresentam um menor risco de desenvolvimento de cancro da mama em relação aos pacientes que não fizeram a cirurgia.
Repurposing bacterial lysates: Engineering inhalable locust bean gum microparticles for respiratory infection prevention
Publication . da Silva, Joana Pinto; Berzosa, Melibea; Chiarentin, Lucas; Delgado-López, Alberto; Almeida, Maria Patricia; Vitorino, Carla; Figueiras, Ana; Rosa da Costa, Ana M; Gamazo, Carlos; Grenha, Ana
This study explores the development of inhalable microparticles containing bacterial lysates (BL) from multiple relevant bacterial species that include Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes and Klebsiella pneumoniae, and locust bean gum (LBG) for pulmonary immunization against respiratory infections. LBG, a galactomannan, was chosen for its mucoadhesive properties and affinity for antigen-presenting cells. Microparticles were prepared by spray-drying, testing different LBG:BL ratios. The morphological analysis revealed convoluted microparticles, and BL association efficiency up to 81 % was determined. Antigenic assays confirmed that bacterial antigens of S. pyogenes, used as reference, remained preserved on the microparticles despite the applied processing conditions. The aerodynamic analysis showed that lower BL content (LBG:BL = 10:0.2, w/w) produced more suitable particles for pulmonary delivery, with 4.6 μm mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) and 29 % fine particle fraction (FPF). Fluorescence microscopy confirmed uniform distribution of BL within the LBG matrix and LBG microparticles demonstrated superior adhesive properties compared to controls. Sustained release of BL from microparticles was observed in vitro, reaching around 80 % after 6 h, which increased to around 85 % after 24 h. Cytotoxicity studies showed appropriate cell viability at physiologically relevant concentrations (around 70 % or more). These findings suggest that LBG-based microparticles loaded with BL have potential to be explored as inhalable formulation for prevention of respiratory infections, offering targeted delivery and prolonged antigen presentation to enhance immune responses.
Energy transition effects on food security amidst climate change and progress toward sustainable development goals
Publication . Tamasiga, Phemelo; Dzingai, Valentine Munyaradzi; Onyeaka, Helen; Ngameni Tchonkouang, Rose Daphnee; Siyanbola, Kehinde Favour; Genesis, Ulakom; Mudimu, George T.
Transitioning to net-zero societies affects how energy is produced and consumed, with consequences for food security. Through a systematic review of 43 peer-reviewed studies that follow the PRISMA protocol, results reveal that renewable energy can enhance agricultural productivity by reducing operational costs, increasing efficiency in irrigation and processing, and providing reliable access to energy. However, challenges exist, including competition for land and water resources between renewable energy projects and food production, high upfront costs of clean energy technologies, limited access to credit facilities, and institutional bottlenecks. To overcome these challenges, recommended policies include offering subsidies and financial incentives to make clean energy more affordable for farmers, as well as providing education and training to support the adoption of sustainable practices. Furthermore, promoting collaboration between the public and private sectors is crucial to stimulate investment in renewable energy infrastructure. Moreover, these policies must be designed for specific national circumstances. High-income or upper-middle-income countries can deploy capital-intensive agrivoltaic and biogas technologies via concessional finance. In contrast, low-income settings should prioritize low-cost, decentralized solar pumps and off-grid dryers to build farmer confidence and trust. Countries with stronger regulatory frameworks and secure land tenure systems are better equipped to support large-scale renewable energy projects. At the same time, regions with weaker governance tend to benefit most from community-owned mini-grids. The mapping of policy options onto economic, institutional, and agro-ecological dimensions provides a nuanced, context-sensitive framework to guide equitable and effective energy transitions in diverse agricultural landscapes.
Mobility of populations in the transition from muslim world to portuguese kingdom in the Algarve, South Portugal, 11th-13th centuries
Publication . Maurer, Anne-France; MacRoberts, Rebecca; López-Aceves, Judith Margarita; Ortega-González, Alvaro Felipe; Relvado, Cláudia; Fernandes, Teresa; Curate, Francisco; Teixeira, João; Roca-Rada, Xavier; Llamas, Bastien; Luzia, Isabel; Pires, Alexandra; Simões Dias de Oliveira, Luís Filipe; Garcia, Cristina Alexandra Tété; Barrocas , Cristina; Schöne, Bernd R.; Ribeiro, Sara; Santos, Jose Francisco; Valente, Maria João
This study investigates mobility during the transition from Muslim to Christian rule in the Algarve, southern Portugal (11th–13th centuries), using multi-isotope analysis to understand population dynamics during this complex conquest period. Skeletal remains from two key populations were analysed: the final Muslims buried in Loulé before the Christian conquest (necropolises of Quinta da Boavista and Hospital da Misericórdia) and the earliest Christians buried in Cacela-aVelha following the Order of Santiago’s capture in 1240 (necropolis of Poço Antigo). Contemporary faunal remains from trash pits and storage silos were also examined (Loulé: Oficina do Senhor Carrilho; Cacela: Silo 7 of Largo da Fortaleza). Strontium, oxygen, and sulphur isotope analysis of human and animal remains were combined with plant sampling for environmental baselines. Machine learning algorithms integrated this data with published Iberian Peninsula plant isotope ratios to create updated strontium isoscape maps, enabling probabilistic geographic assignment of non-local individuals. Ancient DNA analysis of selected Muslim individuals provided additional mobility insights. Results reveal strikingly different mobility patterns. Muslim individuals were largely local (~95%) with a few non-local likely from the Maghreb or eastern Spain. Conversely, the Christian population displayed extensive mobility, greater for males than females, with nearly 50% non-local to the Algarve. Potential origins were diverse and included regions along the Guadiana River and N/ NE areas. While Muslims showed no sex-based isotope mobility patterns, paleogenetic analysis suggested patrilocal social structures and highlight the complex genetic landscape of the region. The overall data showcase a colonisation process poorly documented in other sources.
Using ECG-derived respiration for explaining BOLD-fMRI fluctuations during rest and respiratory modulations
Publication . Esteves, Inês; Rodrigues Fouto, Ana Lúcia; Ruiz-Tagle, Amparo; Caetano, Gina; Figueiredo, Patrícia
Recording physiological signals during fMRI is valuable for multiple purposes but often requires additional setup, increasing complexity and participant discomfort. This is particularly challenging in simultaneous EEG-fMRI studies, which typically already include electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings. Here, we aim to leverage the known modulation of ECG by respiration to obtain an ECG-derived respiration (EDR) signal without extra equipment. We acquired EEG-fMRI data from 15 healthy subjects during resting state and two respiratory challenges (slow-paced breathing and breath-holding), with simultaneous ECG and respiratory recordings. Multiple methods were used to extract EDR signals, and the results were evaluated by comparing them with recorded respiration and assessing the quality of physiological regressors for denoising and cerebrovascular reactivity estimation. Amplitude-based EDR methods showed lower correlations with respiration, likely due to ECG distortion in the MRI. Nevertheless, coherence analysis showed that EDR preserved the relevant spectral content. EDR-based regressors were similar to those obtained from measured respiration. Notably, a method based on heart rate variability performed best overall, yielding physiological noise correction and reactivity estimates comparable to those using recorded respiration. Our results demonstrate that meaningful respiratory information can be extracted from ECG within the MRI environment, benefiting EEG-fMRI studies when respiration cannot be reliably recorded.