Abstract Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a problem that directly affects the quality of life of patients suffering from this condition. Monitoring the serum level of infliximab (IFX) (TDM) is an important tool for guiding therapeutic decisions in IBD patients. The purpose of this study was to determine the significance of quantitatively measuring the serum level of IFX (TDM) and antibody to IFX (ATI). Methods and materials: Prospective observational study involving 40 IBD patients on IFX therapy, including 14 Proactive (week 06 of the induction phase) and 26 Reactive (maintenance phase). Immediately prior to the infusion, blood samples were drawn and measured using a Bulhlmann rapid test instrument. Serum concentrations of IFX were categorized as supratherapeutic (>7.0 micrograms/ml), therapeutic (between 3.0 and 7.0 micrograms/ml), and subtherapeutic (3.0 micrograms/ml). When the serum concentration of IFX was 3 mcg/ml (subtherapeutic), the ATI was measured. 25 patients with CD and 15 patients with UC were evaluated. Only three of the twenty patients with subtherapeutic serum levels had a positive ATI, and both were reactive; two had CD and one had UC. There was a statistically significant difference between reactive and proactive patients with respect to levels of CRP (p = 0.042), with proactive DNS patients suffering greater alterations in CRP and albumin.

Abstract Background The surgery with total mesorectal excision recommended by R. J. Heald in 1982 is the gold standard. Rectal cancer (RC) surgery has a morbidity rate ranging from 6 to 35%, and it can cause functional issues such as sexual, urinary, and bowel dysfunction in the long term. Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) has been gaining ground in patients with lesions in the middle and lower rectum. The aim of the present study is to present the experience of a reference service in the treatment of RC. Patients and Methods A retrospective study involving 53 patients diagnosed with RC between January 2017 and December 2019 with follow-up until December 2020. We examined tumor location, disease stage, digital rectal exam findings, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), therapeutic modality offered, and follow-up time. Results A total of 32% of the patients were men and 68% were women, with a mean age of 60 years old. Location: upper rectum in 6 cases, middle rectum in 21 cases, and lower rectum in 26 cases with evolution from 9.8 to 13.5 months. The most frequent complaints were hematochezia and constipation. A total of 36 patients underwent neoadjuvant therapy: 11 complete clinical response (CCR) (30.5%), 20 (55.5%) partial clinical response (PCR), and no response in 5 patients (14%). The follow-up ranged from 12 to 48 months, with a mean of 30.5 months. A total of 25% of the patients had RC that went beyond the mesorectal fascia, and 22.64% had metastases in other parts of the body when they were diagnosed. Conclusion Neoadjuvant radio and chemotherapy present themselves as an alternative in the treatment of rectal cancer. In 36 patients, 30.5% had a complete clinical response, 55.5% had a partial clinical response, and 14% had no response. It was worth doing the “Watch and Wait” (W&W) to sample. A definitive colostomy was avoided. However, it is necessary to expand the study to a larger follow-up and more patients. Additionally, it is necessary to implement a multicenter study.

ABSTRACT Accurate crop data are essential for reliable irrigation water requirements (IWR) calculations, which can be acquired during the crop growth season for a given region using earth observation (EO) satellite time series. In addition, a relationship between crop coefficients and the NDVI can be established to allow for crop evapotranspiration estimation. The main objective of the present work was to develop a methodology, and its implementation in an application software, to extract crop parameters from EO image time series for a set of parcels of different types of crops, to be used as input data for a soil water balance model to compute IWR. The methodology was tested at two distinct test sites, the Vila Franca de Xira (site I) and Vila Velha de Ródão (site II) municipalities, Portugal. Landsat-7 and −8 images acquired from April to October 2013 were used for site I, while SPOT-5 Take-5 images from April to September 2015 were considered for site II. EO data were used to estimate the basal crop coefficients, planting dates, and crops growth stage lengths. Based on crop, soil and meteorological data, the IWR for the main crops of both test regions were estimated using the IrrigRotation model. The crop coefficient curves obtained from the EO data proved to be reliable for IWR estimation.

ABSTRACT Travelling gun irrigation systems offer great mobility and operation flexibility with a low investment cost per unit of irrigated area. However, the drawbacks include high operating pressure, low application efficiency, and high rainfall, runoff and erosion. Many of these problems can be minimized if the design and operation of travelling gun irrigation systems are carried out carefully, taking into account several design criteria that will ensure the quality of the irrigation performed by the system. The Enrolador software was developed to meet this goal. The software designs the travelling gun irrigation system, performs its simulation and its performance evaluation. This software was experimentally applied in the Alentejo region, Portugal. The design flow rates were computed for maize and sunflower crops with the soil water balance model IrrigRotation, considering a probability of non-exceedance of 75%. Meteorological data from the Évora weather station for the years 1961 to 1990 were used. Five plots with 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 ha were chosen for the design of the irrigation systems using the software. The Enrolador software was used to select the equipment (gun, hose and reel) and the appropriate operating parameters for each plot. This software allows for the selection of the equipment that best meets the design criteria.