Predictors of Interstitial Lung Disease in Mixed Connective Tissue Disease.

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) frequently complicates mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) and contributes to increased mortality. We aimed to identify predictors of ILD in MCTD patients. This is a nationwide, multicentre, retrospective study including patients with an adult-onset MCTD clinical diagnosis who met Sharp's, Kasukawa, Alarcón-Segovia, or Kahn's diagnostic criteria and had available chest high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) data. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted. We included 57 MCTD patients, with 27 (47.4%) having ILD. Among ILD patients, 48.1% were asymptomatic, 80.0% exhibited a restrictive pattern on pulmonary function tests, and 81.5% had nonspecific interstitial pneumonia on chest HRCT. Gastroesophageal involvement (40.7% vs. 16.7%, p = 0.043) and lymphadenopathy at disease onset (22.2% vs. 3.3%, p = 0.045) were associated with ILD. Binary logistic regression identified lymphadenopathy at disease onset (OR 19.65, 95% CI: 1.91-201.75, p = 0.012) and older age at diagnosis (OR 1.06/year, 95% CI: 1.00-1.12, p = 0.046) as independent ILD predictors, regardless of gender and gastroesophageal involvement. This study is the first to assess a Portuguese MCTD cohort. As previously reported, it confirmed the link between gastroesophageal involvement and ILD in MCTD patients. Additionally, it established that lymphadenopathy at disease onset and older age at diagnosis independently predict ILD in MCTD patients.

The impact of a Fracture Liaison Service after 3 years on secondary fracture prevention and mortality in a Portuguese tertiary center.

Despite the establishment of Fracture Liaison Services (FLS) worldwide, no study has evaluated their impact on the Portuguese population. Our work has shown that the implementation of an FLS is associated with a significant increase in OP treatment and a lower risk of secondary fracture. PURPOSE: Fracture Liaison Services (FLS) have been established worldwide, with positive effects on treatment, secondary fracture, mortality, and economic burden. However, no study has evaluated their impact on the Portuguese population. Therefore, we purposed to evaluate the effect of an FLS model in a Portuguese center on osteoporosis (OP) treatment, secondary fracture, and mortality rates, 3 years after a fragility fracture. METHODS: Patients over 50 years old, admitted with a fragility fracture, between January 2017 and December 2020, were included in this retrospective study. Patients evaluated after FLS implementation (2019-2020) were compared with those evaluated before (2017-2018) and followed for 36 months. Predictors of secondary fracture and mortality were assessed using a multivariate Cox regression model, adjusted to potential confounders. RESULTS: A total of 551 patients were included (346 before and 205 after FLS). The FLS significantly increased the rate of OP treatment, when compared with standard clinical practice (8.1% vs 77.6%). During follow-up, the secondary fracture rate was 14.7% and 7.3%, before and after FLS, respectively. FLS was associated with a lower risk of secondary fracture (HR 0.39, C.I. 0.16-0.92). Although we observed a lower mortality rate (25.1% vs 13.7%), FLS was not a significant predictor of survival. CONCLUSION: Implementing the FLS model in a Portuguese center has increased OP treatment and reduced the risk of secondary fracture. We believe that our work supports adopting FLS models in national programs.

A new modelling approach for predicting process evolution of cork-rubber composites slabs vulcanization.

In order to predict the evolution of the vulcanization process of cork-rubber slabs, a numerical approach was developed combining heat transfer by conduction and kinetics models. A one-dimensional model was applied to predict the evolution of temperature and degree of cure at different stages of the vulcanization of a cork-rubber composite. Also, due to the degradation verified by the compound, an existent reversion model was added to the problem. Based on rheometer data, cure and reversion parameters were determined. Experimental data were used to determine the thermal properties of the compound, assuming a constant value or according to its degree of cure and temperature. The results obtained by simulation showed a good correspondence with experimental results, even when assuming constant thermal properties. The application of the proposed methodology provides information about the optimum process parameters for each thickness slab, without compromising the homogeneity and characteristics of the final product, which can be a valuable tool during the development and product stages of cork-rubber composites.

Real-time monitoring shows substantial excess all-cause mortality during second wave of COVID-19 in Europe, October to December 2020.

The European monitoring of excess mortality for public health action (EuroMOMO) network monitors weekly excess all-cause mortality in 27 European countries or subnational areas. During the first wave of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Europe in spring 2020, several countries experienced extraordinarily high levels of excess mortality. Europe is currently seeing another upsurge in COVID-19 cases, and EuroMOMO is again witnessing a substantial excess all-cause mortality attributable to COVID-19.

Excess all-cause mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe - preliminary pooled estimates from the EuroMOMO network, March to April 2020.

A remarkable excess mortality has coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe. We present preliminary pooled estimates of all-cause mortality for 24 European countries/federal states participating in the European monitoring of excess mortality for public health action (EuroMOMO) network, for the period March-April 2020. Excess mortality particularly affected ≥ 65 year olds (91% of all excess deaths), but also 45-64 (8%) and 15-44 year olds (1%). No excess mortality was observed in 0-14 year olds.

Evaluation of antimicrobial properties of cork.

Cork presents a range of diverse and versatile properties making this material suitable for several and extremely diverse industrial applications. Despite the wide uses of cork, its antimicrobial properties and potential applications have deserved little attention from industry and the scientific community. Thus, the main purpose of this work was the evaluation of the antibacterial properties of cork, by comparison with commercially available antimicrobial materials (Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate copolymer and a currently used antimicrobial commercial additive (ACA)), following the previous development and optimization of a method for such antimicrobial assay. The AATCC 100-2004 standard method, a quantitative procedure developed for the assessment of antimicrobial properties in textile materials, was used as reference and optimized to assess cork antibacterial activity. Cork displayed high antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, with a bacterial reduction of almost 100% (96.93%) after 90 minutes of incubation, similar to the one obtained with ACA. A more reduced but time-constant antibacterial action was observed against Escherichia coli (36% reduction of the initial number of bacterial colonies). To complement this study, antibacterial activity was further evaluated for a water extract of cork and an MIC of 6 mg mL(-1) was obtained against the reference strain S. aureus.

Cork stoppers as an effective sorbent for water treatment: the removal of mercury at environmentally relevant concentrations and conditions.

The technical feasibility of using stopper-derived cork as an effective biosorbent towards bivalent mercury at environmentally relevant concentrations and conditions was evaluated in this study. Only 25 mg/L of cork powder was able to achieve 94 % of mercury removal for an initial mercury concentration of 500 µg/L. It was found that under the conditions tested, the efficiency of mercury removal expressed as equilibrium removal percentage does not depend on the amount of cork or its particle size, but is very sensitive to initial metal concentration, with higher removal efficiencies at higher initial concentrations. Ion exchange was identified as one of the mechanisms involved in the sorption of Hg onto cork in the absence of ionic competition. Under ionic competition, stopper-derived cork showed to be extremely effective and selective for mercury in binary mixtures, while in complex matrices like seawater, moderate inhibition of the sorption process was observed, attributed to a change in mercury speciation. The loadings achieved are similar to the majority of literature values found for other biosorbents and for other metals, suggesting that cork stoppers can be recycled as an effective biosorbent for water treatment. However, the most interesting result is that equilibrium data show a very rare behaviour, with the isotherm presenting an almost square convex shape to the concentration axis, with an infinite slope for an Hg concentration in solution around 25 µg/L.

Use of cork powder and granules for the adsorption of pollutants: a review.

Cork powder and granules are the major subproducts of the cork industry, one of the leading economic activities in Portugal and other Mediterranean countries. Many applications have been envisaged for this product, from cork stoppers passing through the incorporation in agglomerates and briquettes to the use as an adsorbent in the treatment of gaseous emissions, waters and wastewaters. This paper aims at reviewing the state of the art on the properties of cork and cork powder and their application in adsorption technologies. Cork biomass has been used on its original form as biosorbent for heavy metals and oils, and is also a precursor of activated carbons for the removal of emerging organic pollutants in water and VOCs in the gas phase. Through this literature review, different potential lines of research not yet explored can be more easily identified.

Isolation of friedelin from black condensate of cork.

Black condensates (BC) are wastes of the insulation corkboard industry that contain several valuable chemicals, including friedelin, a terpene exhibiting biological activity. Herein, we report a straightforward procedure to extract friedelin from BC. Using this procedure, we were able to extract friedelin with yields between 0.4% and 2.9% and to further purify it obtaining purities from 77.0% to 99.3% (HPLC). The initial BC (2 batches), extracted raw product and purified friedelin were analyzed using FTIR. The extraction yields and purities were found to be directly related to the intensity of the carbonyl vibration at 1713 cm(-1) in the FTIR spectrum of the used BC batch. Therefore, these spectra can be used to screen and select BC batches suitable for friedelin extraction.