Mild temperature palladium-catalyzed ammoxidation of ethanol to acetonitrile

The ammoxidation of ethanol is investigated as a renewable process for the production of acetonitrile from a bio-feedstock. Palladium catalysts are shown to be active and very selective (>99%) to this reaction at moderate to low temperatures (150-240 °C), with acetonitrile yields considered a function of Pd morphology. Further investigations reveal that the stability of these catalysts is influenced by an unselective product, and that any deactivation observed is reversible. Interpretation of this deactivation allows operating conditions to be defined for the stable, high yielding production of acetonitrile from ethanol.

Effects of tobacco products on the attachment and growth of periodontal ligament fibroblasts

BACKGROUND: Cigarette smoking is one of the most significant risk factors in the development and further advancement of inflammatory periodontal disease, however, the role of either nicotine or its primary metabolite cotinine in the progression of periodontitis is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of nicotine and cotinine on the attachment and growth of fibroblasts derived from human periodontal ligament (PDL).

METHODS: Primary cultures were prepared from the roots of extracted premolar teeth. Cells were used at both low (P3 to P5) and high (P11 to P13) passage. Cell numbers were determined over 14 days using either the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay or with a Coulter counter. Cultures were exposed to culture medium supplemented with 1) 15% fetal calf serum (FCS) only; 2) 1% FCS only; 3) 1% FCS and nicotine (concentration range 5 ng/ml to 10 mg/ml); or 4) 1% FCS and cotinine (concentration range 0.5 ng/ml to 10 microg/ml).

RESULTS: Nicotine significantly (P <0.05, by ANOVA) inhibits attachment and growth of low passage cells at concentrations >1 mg/ml and high passage PDL fibroblasts at concentrations >0.5 mg/ml. Cotinine, at the highest concentration used (10 microg/ml), appeared to inhibit attachment and growth of both low and high passage fibroblasts but this was not statistically significant (P >0.05, by ANOVA).

CONCLUSIONS: Tobacco products inhibit attachment and growth of human PDL fibroblasts. This may partly explain the role of these substances in the progression of periodontitis.

An evaluation of portion size estimation aids precision, ease of use and likelihood of future use

OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to evaluate the precision, ease of use and likelihood of future use of portion size estimation aids (PSEA).

DESIGN: A range of PSEA were used to estimate the serving sizes of a range of commonly eaten foods and rated for ease of use and likelihood of future usage.

SETTING: For each food, participants selected their preferred PSEA from a range of options including: quantities and measures; reference objects; measuring; and indicators on food packets. These PSEA were used to serve out various foods (e.g. liquid, amorphous, and composite dishes). Ease of use and likelihood of future use were noted. The foods were weighed to determine the precision of each PSEA.

SUBJECTS: Males and females aged 18-64 years (n 120).

RESULTS: The quantities and measures were the most precise PSEA (lowest range of weights for estimated portion sizes). However, participants preferred household measures (e.g. 200 ml disposable cup) - deemed easy to use (median rating of 5), likely to use again in future (all scored either 4 or 5 on a scale from 1='not very likely' to 5='very likely to use again') and precise (narrow range of weights for estimated portion sizes). The majority indicated they would most likely use the PSEA preparing a meal (94 %), particularly dinner (86 %) in the home (89 %; all P<0·001) for amorphous grain foods.

CONCLUSIONS: Household measures may be precise, easy to use and acceptable aids for estimating the appropriate portion size of amorphous grain foods.

Maternal breastfeeding in Portugal: factors associated with the duration and premature cessation

Tese de mestrado em Bioestatística, apresentada à Universidade de Lisboa, através da Faculdade de Ciências, 2013

Pharmacotherapy follow-up in the prevention of cardiovascular disease

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in Portugal, alike what is verified in the remaining western countries. There are factors that increase the risk of its occurrence, that do not usually emerge isolated, tending to group in the individual. This coexistence results in a combined effect which is larger than the one expected from the sum of its individual effects. The global cardiovascular risk is defined as the percentage change of developing a cardiovascular event over a given period of time (generally 10 years). The purpose of global cardiovascular risk assessment is to identify the individuals who should be counseled and receive treatment to prevent a cardiovascular disease, as well as to establish the therapeutics aggressiveness level.

Pharmacotherapy follow-up of patients with diabetes mellitus in a Primary Health Care Unit

Background: Diabetes mellitus is one of the major causes of chronic morbidity and loss of quality of life, and it seems to be increasing in the coming decades. Overall prevalence of diabetes in Portugal in 2010, according to the latest National Observatory of Diabetes Report, was 12.4%, which corresponds to a total of approximately 991 thousand individuals aged between 20 and 79 years. The level of control of diabetes mellitus, as measured by glycosilated haemoglobin A1c(HbA1c) influences the long-term risk of macrovascular and microvascular complications. Given the frequent association of diabetes with hypertension/dyslipidemia/overweight, managing these risk factors is a crucial part of the diabetes control.

Curricular Unit: Pharmacotherapy Follow-Up

Objectives: Pharmaceutical care is a patient-centered philosophy of assistential practice in which the pharmacist, as a health care team member, has responsibilities in patient medication. The correct use of medicines will significantly decrease the negative outcomes of pharmacotherapy, namely untreated health problem..

Translating proteomics into environmental health : biomarkers discovery for tobacco smoke-induced biological damage

Tese de doutoramento, Biologia (Biologia Molecular), Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências, 2015

Impacto do fator emocional quando da recuperação de informação da home page do Departamento de Doenças Sexualmente Transmissíveis, AIDS e Hepatites Virais da Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde do Ministério da Saúde/

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Ciência da Informação, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciência da Informação, 2016.

Modelling HIV/AIDS length of stay in Portugal

Tese apresentada como requisito parcial para obtenção do grau de Doutor em Estatística e Gestão de Informação pelo Instituto Superior de Estatística e Gestão de Informação da Universidade Nova de Lisboa

Tuberculose e infecção VIH/SIDA : uma análise comparativa em Portugal continental no biénio 2008-2009

RESUMO - Introdução: Actualmente 11,3 milhões de indivíduos estão co-infectados pela Tuberculose/Vírus Imunodeficiência Humana (TB/VIH), uma das principais causas de incapacidade e morte no mundo. É determinada pela exposição dos indivíduos aos factores de risco e condições/determinantes sociais de saúde. Várias são as medidas criadas a nível nacional e internacional na luta contra TB e a infecção VIH. Objectivo: Caracterizar e comparar os casos de TB entre os indivíduos não infectados com VIH e os infectados com VIH, considerando as características sócio-demográficas, o tratamento, patologias associadas e factores de risco. Método: Estudo descritivo, quantitativo e observacional. A informação foi obtida a partir da base de dados do Sistema Nacional de Vigilância Epidemiológica da Tuberculose dos casos de TB notificados entre 1 de Janeiro de 2008 a 31 de Dezembro de 2009. Para tratamento e análise estatística (descritiva e inferencial) o programa usado foi o SPSS versão 18,0. Resultados: 12,8% dos indivíduos estavam co-infectados com TB/VIH e 87,2% não estavam co-infectados. A presença de VIH nos casos de tuberculose apresenta evidência de relação com quase todas variáveis em estudo (p<0,00) excepto a presença de insuficiência renal (p<0,307). Apresentam maior probalidade de risco da co-infecção TB/VIH os homens, a faixa etária [35;44[, os estrangeiros, os desempregados, estar em retratamento e fumar. Os indivíduos com Doença Hepática (OR= 5,238; IC95%: 3,706;7,403; ORA = 3,104; IC95%: 2,164;4,454), patologias associadas (OR=13,199; IC95%: 11,246; 15,491; ORA=21,348; IC95%:17,569; 25,940) e factores de risco (OR=3,237; IC95%: 2,968; 3,531; ORA=2,644; IC95%: 2,414; 2,985) tem maior probalidade da co-infecção TB/VIH. O ajustamento para o sexo e a idade interferiu em todas variáveis em estudo. Conclusão: Os homens, da faixa etária [35;44 [, desempregados, estrangeiros, em retratamento, fumadores apresentam maior probalidade de risco de estar co-infectado com TB/VIH.

Impact of preoperative risk factors on morbidity after esophagectomy: is there room for improvement?

BACKGROUND: Despite progress in multidisciplinary treatment of esophageal cancer, oncologic esophagectomy is still the cornerstone of therapeutic strategies. Several scoring systems are used to predict postoperative morbidity, but in most cases they identify nonmodifiable parameters. The aim of this study was to identify potentially modifiable risk factors associated with complications after oncologic esophagectomy. METHODS: All consecutive patients with complete data sets undergoing oncologic esophagectomy in our department during 2001-2011 were included in this study. As potentially modifiable risk factors we assessed nutritional status depicted by body mass index (BMI) and preoperative serum albumin levels, excessive alcohol consumption, and active smoking. Postoperative complications were graded according to a validated 5-grade system. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify preoperative risk factors associated with the occurrence and severity of complications. RESULTS: Our series included 93 patients. Overall morbidity rate was 81 % (n = 75), with 56 % (n = 52) minor complications and 18 % (n = 17) major complications. Active smoking and excessive alcohol consumption were associated with the occurrence of severe complications, whereas BMI and low preoperative albumin levels were not. The simultaneous presence of two or more of these risk factors significantly increased the risk of postoperative complications. CONCLUSIONS: A combination of malnutrition, active smoking and alcohol consumption were found to have a negative impact on postoperative morbidity rates. Therefore, preoperative smoking and alcohol cessation counseling and monitoring and improving the nutritional status are strongly recommended.

Morbidity and aging in HIV-infected persons: the Swiss HIV cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Patterns of morbidity and mortality among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals taking antiretroviral therapy are changing as a result of immune reconstitution and improved survival. We studied the influence of aging on the epidemiology of non-AIDS diseases in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study. METHODS: The Swiss HIV Cohort Study is a prospective observational cohort established in 1988 with continuous enrollment. We determined the incidence of clinical events (per 1000 person-years) from January 2008 (when a new questionnaire on non-AIDS-related morbidity was introduced) through December 2010. Differences across age groups were analyzed using Cox regression, adjusted for CD4 cell count, viral load, sex, injection drug use, smoking, and years of HIV infection. RESULTS: Overall, 8444 (96%) of 8848 participants contributed data from 40,720 semiannual visits; 2233 individuals (26.4%) were aged 50-64 years, and 450 (5.3%) were aged ≥65 years. The median duration of HIV infection was 15.4 years (95% confidence interval [CI], 9.59-22.0 years); 23.2% had prior clinical AIDS. We observed 994 incident non-AIDS events in the reference period: 201 cases of bacterial pneumonia, 55 myocardial infarctions, 39 strokes, 70 cases of diabetes mellitus, 123 trauma-associated fractures, 37 fractures without adequate trauma, and 115 non-AIDS malignancies. Multivariable hazard ratios for stroke (17.7; CI, 7.06-44.5), myocardial infarction (5.89; 95% CI, 2.17-16.0), diabetes mellitus (3.75; 95% CI, 1.80-7.85), bone fractures without adequate trauma (10.5; 95% CI, 3.58-30.5), osteoporosis (9.13; 95% CI, 4.10-20.3), and non-AIDS-defining malignancies (6.88; 95% CI, 3.89-12.2) were elevated for persons aged ≥65 years. CONCLUSIONS: Comorbidity and multimorbidity because of non-AIDS diseases, particularly diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, non-AIDS-defining malignancies, and osteoporosis, become more important in care of HIV-infected persons and increase with older age.