Percorrer por autor "Moura, Alexandra"
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- Changes in the bacterial community structure in two-stage constructed wetlands with different plants for industrial wastewater treatmentPublication . Calheiros, Cristina S.C.; Duque, Anouk F.; Moura, Alexandra; Henriques, Isabel S.; Correia, António; Rangel, António O.S.S.; Castro, Paula M.L.This study focused on the diversity of bacterial communities from two series of two-stage constructed wetlands (CWs) treating tannery wastewater, under different hydraulic conditions. Series were separately planted with Typha latifolia and Phragmites australis in expanded clay aggregates and operated for 31 months. The effect of plant species, hydraulic loading and unit stage on bacterial communities was addressed through bacterial enumeration and denaturating gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Diverse and distinct bacterial communities were found in each system unit, which was related in part to the type of plant and stage position (first or second unit in the series). Numerical analysis of DGGE profiles showed high diversity in each unit with an even distribution of species. No clear relation was established between the sample collection time, hydraulic loading applied and the bacterial diversity. Isolates retrieved from plant roots and substrates of CWs were affiliated with c-Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, a-Proteobacteria, Sphingobacteria, Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes. Both series were effective in removing organic matter from the inlet wastewater, however, based on batch degradation experiments it seems that biodegradation was limited by the recalcitrant properties of the wastewater
- Effect of aging in the perception of health-related quality of life in end-stage renal disease patients under online-hemodiafiltrationPublication . Moura, Alexandra; Madureira, José; Alija, Pablo; Fernandes, João Carlos; Oliveira, José Gerardo; Lopez, Martin; Filgueiras, Madalena; Amado, Leonilde; Sameiro-Faria, Maria; Miranda, Vasco; Santos-Silva, Alice; Costa, ElísioThis work aimed to evaluate how aging could influence patients' perception of health quality of life (HRQOL), as well as, the effect of aging on dialysis adequacy and in hematological, iron status, inflammatory and nutritional markers. In this transversal study were enrolled 305 ESRD patients under online-hemodiafiltration (OL-HDF) (59.67% males; 64.9 ± 14.3 years old). Data about comorbidities, hematological data, iron status, dialysis adequacy, nutritional and inflammatory markers were collected from patient's records. Moreover, HRQOL score, by using the Kidney Disease Quality of Life-Short Form (KDQOL-SF), was assessed. Analyzing the results according to quartiles of age, significant differences were found for some parameters evaluated by the KDQOL-SF instrument, namely for work status, physical functioning and role-physical, which decreased with increasing age. We also found a higher proportion of diabetic patients, a decrease in creatinine, iron, albumin serum levels, transferrin saturation and nPCR, with increasing age. Moreover, significant negative correlations were found between age and mean cell hemoglobin concentration, iron, transferrin saturation, albumin, nPCR, work status, physical functioning and role-physical. In conclusion, our results showed that aging is associated with a decreased work status, physical functioning and role-physical, with a decreased dialysis adequacy, iron availability and nutritional status, and with an increased proportion of diabetic patients and of patients using central venous catheter, as the vascular access. The knowledge of these changes associated with aging, which have impact in the quality of life of the patients, could be useful in their management.
- Long term performance of constructed wetlands for tannery wastewater treatmentPublication . Calheiros, Cristina S. C.; Duque, Anouk F.; Moura, Alexandra; Henriques, Isabel S.; Correia, António; Rangel, António O. S. S.; Castro, Paula M. L.
- Risk factors for mortality in end-stage kidney disease patients under online-hemodiafiltration: three-year follow-up studyPublication . Sousa-Martins, Pedro; Moura, Alexandra; Madureira, José; Alija, Pablo; Oliveira, José Gerardo; Lopez, Martin; Filgueiras, Madalena; Amado, Leonilde; Sameiro-Faria, Maria; Miranda, Vasco; Mesquita, Edgar; Teixeira, Laetitia; Santos-Silva, Alice; Lobato, Luísa; Costa, ElísioEnd-stage kidney disease (ESRD) patients under dialysis have high mortality rate. Infl ammation, poor nutritional status and disturbances in erythropoiesis and iron metabolism have been reported in these patients. Moreover, there is a growing concern about the health related quality of life (HRQOL) in the context of ESRD. The aim of this work was to study the predictive value of these disturbances, dialysis adequacy and of HRQOL for mortality risk, by performing a three-year follow-up study. Clinical, socio-demographical and analytical data (dialysis adequacy, nutritional status, hematological data, lipid profi le, iron metabolism and infl ammatory markers) were obtained from 236 patients (61.02% male; 67.50 [56.00-75.00] years old) under online-hemodiafi ltration. Patient’s reported HRQOL score was assessed by using the Kidney Disease Quality of Life-Short Form (KDQOL-SF). 54 patients died during the 3 years follow-up period. Our data showed that mean cell hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), transferrin and albumin are signifi cant predictors of mortality. The risk of death was higher in patients presenting lower levels of MCHC (Hazard ratio [HR] = 0.70; 95% confi dence interval [CI] = 0.500-0.984), transferrin (HR = 0.99; 95% CI = 0.982 – 0.998), and albumin (HR = 0.96; 95% CI = 0.938- 0.994). Our study showed that poor nutritional status and an infl ammatory-induced iron depleted erythropoiesis are important factors for mortality in these patients. MCHC, transferrin and albumin may provide useful biomarkers of risk in ESRD patients under OL-HDF.
- Substrate effect on bacterial communities from constructed wetlands planted with Typha latifolia treating industrial wastewaterPublication . Calheiros, Cristina S.C.; Duque, Anouk F.; Moura, Alexandra; Henriques, Isabel S.; Correia, António; Rangel, António O.S.S.; Castro, Paula M.L.Constructed wetlands (CWs) have been recognized as being able to effectively treat wastewater from municipal and industrial sources. This study focused on the effect of different substrates and long-term operation of horizontal subsurface flowCWstreating tannery wastewater on the bacterial communities. The CWs were planted with Typha latifolia in three types of substrate: two units with different types of expanded clay aggregates and one unit with fine gravel. Another unit with expanded clay was left unvegetated. Changes in the bacterial community related to the type of substrate, different hydraulic loading rates and along CW operationwere examined using denaturating gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Bacterial enumerationwas also performed and several bacterial isolateswere retrieved from the CWs. Phylogenetic affiliations of those isolates were obtained on the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequences and revealed that they were closely related to the genera Bacillus (TM1S1, TM1R3, TNR1 and TAR1), Paracoccus (TM1R2), Pseudomonas (TM1R1) and Halomonas (TM1S2). The type of substrate and the presence of T. latifolia had a major effect on the species richness and the structure of bacterial communities as inferred by numerical analysis of DGGE profiles.