In Angola, about 70% of the population relies on subsistence agriculture, with cattle production crucial to the economy and culture of the southern regions. Local cattle breeds face extinction due to crossbreeding with improved breeds or replacement by exotic commercial breeds, risking the loss of unique genetic traits vital for adapting to Angola's ecosystems. This project aims to establish a biobank represent...
Natural and artificial selection in African sheep populations has left distinctive genomic signatures. In southern Angola, pastoralist tribes breed fat-tailed sheep adapted to arid and mesic savannas for protein and cultural purposes. This study aims to identify candidate genes associated with productivity and adaptation in these sheep. We sequenced genomes from Namibe (n = 3) and Cunene (n = 5) and compared th...
Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a prevailing nosocomial infection in critically ill patients requiring invasive mechanical ventilation (iMV). The impact of VAP is profound, adversely affecting patient outcomes and placing a significant burden on healthcare resources. This study assessed for the first time the contemporary VAP epidemiology in Portugal and its burden on the healthcare system and clinical...
Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a prevailing nosocomial infection in critically ill patients requiring invasive mechanical ventilation (iMV). The impact of VAP is profound, adversely affecting patient outcomes and placing a significant burden on healthcare resources. This study assessed for the first time the contemporary VAP epidemiology in Portugal and its burden on the healthcare system and clinical...
The consumption of non-sugar sweeteners (NSS) has increased during pregnancy. The European Food Safety Agency suggested that steviol glycosides, such as Rebaudioside A (RebA), the major sweetener component of stevia, are safe for humans up to a dose of 4 mg/kg body weight/day. However, the World Health Organization recommended in 2023 the restraint of using NSS, including stevia, at any life stage, highlighting...
This work assesses the isolation, identification and characterization of two cyanobacterial strains isolated from Morocco and Cape Verde, as well as their biofilm-forming ability at two different surfaces, in a long-term assay under controlled hydrodynamic conditions. Cyanobacteria are new sources of value-added compounds but also ubiquitous and harmful microfoulers on marine biofouling. In this work, the isola...
Although a range of disinfecting formulations is commercially available, hydrogen peroxide is one of the safest chemical agents used for disinfection in aquatic environments. However, its effect on cyanobacterial biofilms is poorly investigated. In this work, biofilm formation by two filamentous cyanobacterial strains was evaluated over seven weeks on two surfaces commonly used in marine environments: glass and...
Early-life gut dysbiosis has been associated with an increased risk of inflammatory, metabolic, and immune diseases later in life. Data on gut microbiota changes in infants undergoing intestinal surgery requiring enterostomy are scarce. This prospective cohort study examined the enterostomy effluent of 29 infants who underwent intestinal surgery due to congenital malformations of the gastrointestinal tract, nec...
The progress of nanotechnology has prompted the development of novel marine antifouling coatings. In this study, the influence of a pristine graphene nanoplatelet (GNP)-modified surface in cyanobacterial biofilm formation was evaluated over a long-term assay using an in vitro platform which mimics the hydrodynamic conditions that prevail in real marine environments. Surface characterization by Optical Profilome...
The development of environmentally friendly antifouling strategies for marine applications is of paramount importance, and the fabrication of innovative nanocomposite coatings is a promising approach. Moreover, since Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is a powerful imaging technique in biofilm science, the improvement of its analytical power is required to better evaluate the biofilm structure under different s...