25 documents found, page 1 of 3
Seaweed-derived biochar for effective treatment of dye-contaminated wastewater
Dias, Ana Paula Soares; Santos, Francisco Ascenção; Rijo, Bruna; Simes, Dina; Pereira, Leonel; Pereira, Manuel Francisco CostaFreshwater scarcity is a growing concern, exacerbated by industrial effluents containing dyes and other pollutants that endanger aquatic ecosystems. This study explores the potential of biochar sorbents, derived from renewable seaweed biomass, as a sustainable solution for water decontamination. Seaweed biomass (sarga & ccedil;o), collected from Portuguese seashores, was carbonized at 300 degrees C and 400 degr...
An extremely acidic environment microalga from Tinto River as a novel source of...
Robles, María; Viegas, Carla; Torronteras, Rafael; Garbayo, Inés; Vega, José M.; Simes, Dina; Vílchez, CarlosCoccomyxa onubensis (C. onubensis) is an acidotolerant microalga isolated from the extremely acidic Tinto River (Huelva), which contains high levels of metals in solution, mainly Fe and Cu. This makes C. onubensis an adequate candidate to easily cope with high levels of oxidative stress by increasing the levels of certain molecules and enzymes, which helps them elicit an adequate antioxidant biochemical respons...
Mediterranean Diet favors Vitamin K intake: A descriptive study in a Mediterran...
Pinto, Ezequiel; Viegas, Carla; Ventura Martins, Paula; Marreiros, Catarina; Nascimento, Tânia; Schurgers, Leon; Simes, DinaThe Mediterranean diet (MD) is associated with improved longevity and the prevention and management of chronic inflammatory diseases (CIDs). Vitamin K, which is present in MD core components such as leafy green vegetables, is also known as a protective factor for CIDs. Estimates of vitamin K intake in Mediterranean settings are still scarce, and the association between MD and vitamin K intake is yet to be estab...
Gla-Rich protein is associated with vascular calcification, inflammation, and m...
MARREIROS, CATARINA; Viegas, Carla; Malho Guedes, Anabela; Silva, Ana Paula de Andrade; Águas, Ana Catarina; Faísca, Marília; Schurgers, LeonVascular calcification (VC) is a crucial risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVD), particularly in chronic kidney disease (CKD) populations. However, the specific relationship between VC and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD) remains to be fully understood. The identification of new biomarkers to improve VC diagnosis and monitoring would significantly impact cardiov...
A guide to the use of bioassays in exploration of natural resources
Sabotič, Jerica; Bayram, Engin; Ezra, David; Gaudêncio, Susana P.; Haznedaroğlu, Berat Z.; Janež, Nika; Ktari, Leila; Luganini, AnnaBioassays are the main tool to decipher bioactivities from natural resources thus their selection and quality are critical for optimal bioprospecting. They are used both in the early stages of compounds isolation/purification/ identification, and in later stages to evaluate their safety and efficacy. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the most common bioassays used in the discovery and devel...
Gla rich protein (GRP) mediates vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) osteogenic d...
Maia, Teresa M.; Macedo, Anjos L.; Matos, António P.; Neves, José; Viegas, Carla; Camilo Carreira, Joana Sofia; Simes, DinaVascular calcification (VC) is a complex process involving vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) osteogenic differentiation, inflammation, and extracellular vesicle (EV) calcification and communication networks. Gla rich protein (GRP) is a calcification inhibitor involved in most of these processes. However, the molecular mechanism of GRP in VC and the specific characteristics, cargo, and functionality of calcifyi...
Monitoring invasive macroalgae in southern Portugal: drivers and citizen scienc...
Jiménez, Javier; Simes, Dina; Abecasis, Ana Rita Costa; Relvas, Paulo; Garel, Erwan; Martins, Paula Ventura; Santos, RuiUnder certain environmental and oceanographic conditions, macroalgae can overgrow and accumulate in massive quantities on beaches, causing serious ecological and economic impacts. To address this problem, a citizen science monitoring platform was created to determine the spatial and temporal distribution of macroalgae accumulations along the beaches of Algarve in southern Portugal, with the aim to assess the ex...
New food frequency questionnaire to estimate vitamin K intake in a Mediterranea...
Pinto, Ezequiel; Viegas, Carla; Martins, Paula Ventura; Nascimento, Tânia; Schurgers, Leon; Simes, DinaVitamin K is a multifunctional micronutrient essential for human health, and deficiency has been linked to multiple pathological conditions. In this study, we aimed to develop and validate a new food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to estimate total vitamin K intake, over the course of a 30-day interval, in a Portuguese, Mediterranean-based, population. We conducted a prospective study in a non-random sample of 3...
Targeting a silent disease: vascular calcification in chronic Kidney disease
Marreiros, Catarina; Viegas, Carla; Simes, DinaChronic kidney disease (CKD) patients have a higher risk of developing early cardiovascular disease (CVD). Although vascular calcification (VC) is one of the strongest predictors of CVD risk, its diagnosis among the CKD population remains a serious clinical challenge. This is mainly due to the complexity of VC, which results from various interconnected pathological mechanisms occurring at early stages and at mu...
Nanoencapsulation of Gla-Rich Protein (GRP) as a novel approach to target infla...
Viegas, Carla; Araújo, Nuna; Carreira, Joana; Pontes, Jorge Filipe; Macedo, Anjos L.; Vinhas, Maurícia; Moreira, Ana S.; Faria, Tiago Q.; Grenha, AnaChronic inflammation is a major driver of chronic inflammatory diseases (CIDs), with a tremendous impact worldwide. Besides its function as a pathological calcification inhibitor, vitamin K-dependent protein Gla-rich protein (GRP) was shown to act as an anti-inflammatory agent independently of its gamma-carboxylation status. Although GRP’s therapeutic potential has been highlighted, its low solubility at physio...