Abstract The almond tree is an important and expanding crop, well adapted to the Mediterranean climate, and which fruit has been widely recognized for its potential health benefits. Among the dried fruits class, the almond has one of the highest vitamin E concentrations, a potent and fat-soluble antioxidant with a renowned protective effect against polyunsaturated fatty acid peroxidation. In the industrial context, this compost also contributes to an almond shelf-life increase. This work intends to identify genes from the Vitamin E biosynthetic pathway, more specifically tocopherol (α-, β-, δ e γ-tocoferol), the compost with the highest activity for the vitamin in the study. At first, the PdVTE 2, 3, and 4 putative genes genomic sequences were identified and characterized by in silico analysis. Thus, using Sanger Sequencing techniques, it was possible to identify genetic polymorphisms of the SNP and InDels type, associated with the promotor, ORF, and 3’-UTR regions in the PdVTE4 gene, which were present in three cultivars: Lauranne, Antoñeta, and Soleta. This work has contributed to increase the comprehension of the genetic mechanisms regulation tocopherol production in almond trees, constituting an allelic frequency database, specific for the studied population to select, in the future, genotypes more tolerant to oxidative stress, and consequently the production of almonds with differentiated vitamin E quality.

Resumo A amendoeira é uma cultura importante e em crescente expansão, bem adaptada a regiões de clima mediterrâneo, e cujo fruto tem sido amplamente reconhecido pelo seu potencial benéfico para a saúde. A amêndoa é dos frutos secos mais rico em vitamina E, composto antioxidante poderoso, lipossolúvel, e com reconhecido efeito protetor contra a peroxidação dos ácidos gordos polinsaturados. Em termos industriais, este composto contribui igualmente para aumentar o tempo de prateira da amêndoa. Este trabalho teve como objetivo identificar genes da cadeia biossintética da vitamina E, mais especificamente do tocoferol (α-, β-, δ e γ-tocoferol), composto com maior atividade da vitamina em estudo. Numa primeira fase, a sequência genómica dos genes putativos PdVTE 2, 3 e 4 foram identificados e caracterizados, por análise in silico. Posteriormente, por técnicas de sequenciação por Sanger foi possível identificar polimorfismos genéticos do tipo SNP e InDels associados às regiões do promotor, ORF e 3’-UTR do gene PdVTE4, presentes em três cultivares: Lauranne, Antoñeta e Soleta. Este trabalho contribuiu para uma maior compreensão dos mecanismos genéticos que regulam a produção de tocoferóis na amendoeira, constituindo uma base de dados de frequências alélicas, específica para a população estudada, para futura seleção de genótipos mais tolerantes ao stress oxidativo e produção de amêndoas de qualidade diferenciadora em vitamina E.

Abstract Background Some of the patients admitted for acute myocardial infarction have non-obstructive coronary artery disease (MINOCA). Their prognosis is not always benign, making it necessary the development of tools for risk stratification of these patients. Objectives To describe the characteristics of a sample of patients admitted for suspected MINOCA and to evaluate the prognostic value of GRACE score in this population. Methods This was a retrospective, observational, single-center, cohort study involving 56 consecutive patients with MINOCA. During one-year follow-up, patients were assessed for mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) – a composite of all-cause mortality and hospitalization due to acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, ischemic stroke, and acute limb ischemia. Statistical analysis was performed using a non-parametric approach, with the Mann-Whitney U test for quantitative variables and ROC curves for assessing the discriminatory power of the Grace score in predicting cardiovascular events. The level of significance was set at 5%. Results Of the 56 MINOCA patients included in the study (median age 67 years), 55.4% were female. During the one-year follow-up, mortality rate was 5.5% and 9.1% of patients had MACE. A higher GRACE score was associated with mortality (p = 0.019; AUC 0.907; 95%CI 0.812–1.000; cut off 138) and MACE (p =0.034; AUC 0.790; 95%CI 0.632–0.948; cutoff 114). Conclusion The definition of MINOCA includes various diagnoses and prognoses, and the GRACE score is useful for risk stratification of patients with this condition.

In this paper a truss-structure model is described for finding a kinematically stable structure with optimal topology and cross-sectional size and minimum volume. The underlying model findsapplicationsinsomecivil engineering structuraldesignproblemsand takes into consideration all the conditions associated with the limit states usually presented in structural safety codes. Ultimate limit states are treated applying plasticity theory, while serviceability limit states are dealt with via elasticity theory. The admissible solution space is discretised using bar elements. A 0 − 1 variable is assigned to each one of these elements, in order to indicate if it is or not included in the solution. The mathematical formulation of the model leads to a mixed 0 1 integer nonlinear program with a nonlinear objective function and linear and bilinear constraints. It is shown that this problem can be reduced into a mixed 0 1 integer linear program by exploiting the so- called reformulation-linearization technique. Some computational experience is included to highlight the importance of these formulations in practice.