Exploring maize genetic diversity – a quality-driven perspective

"In Portugal, and to a certain extent, farmers keep growing traditional maize populations known for their bread quality, conserving simultaneously their high genetic diversity. Maize populations, genetically more heterogeneous than commercial hybrid varieties, can evolve and better adapt to a changing broader range of edaphic-climatic conditions. Unfortunately, these maize populations suffer from a real risk of disappearing, due to their characteristic low yields. It is, therefore, desirable to improve their agronomic performance while maintaining their valuable diversity levels.(...)"N/

A qualidade da informação financeira como indicador da probabilidade de falência da empresa: revisão de literatura

Nos últimos anos a probabilidade de falência empresarial tem constituído um dos maiores domínios de pesquisa da área financeira (Balcaen e Ooghe, 2006). Neste trabalho de revisão de literatura pretende-se compilar as principais conclusões relacionadas com este tema e a sua deteção pela via da Qualidade da Informação Financeira. A informação financeira corresponde à aglomeração dos mais relevantes dados quantitativos e qualitativos de uma entidade sendo a sua qualidade medida de diferentes formas de entre as quais, é nitidamente evidente, a predominância da quantificação através dos accruals anormais.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Primary histiocytic sarcoma in the brain with renal metastasis causing internal ophthalmoparesis and external ophthalmoplegia in a Maine Coon cat.

CASE SUMMARY: An 11-year-old neutered male Maine Coon cat was presented for investigation of anisocoria and depression. Neurological examination was consistent with a lesion at the level of the middle cranial fossa, and biochemistry was indicative of moderate renal functional impairment. MRI of the brain identified an extra-axial mass lesion at the level of the middle cranial fossa, T2-weighted hyperintense and strongly homogeneously contrast enhancing with dural tail. The cat was euthanased after 6 weeks of palliative treatment with corticosteroids. Histopathology and immunohistochemistry of the brain, the intra-cranial mass and the renal masses found on necropsy were consistent with histiocytic sarcoma. RELEVANCE AND NOVEL INFORMATION: Central nervous system histiocytic sarcoma is a rare finding in cats. This original case report describes the neurological presentation, novel MRI characteristics and pathological findings of suspected primary histiocytic sarcoma affecting the brain with renal metastasis in a cat

Qualidade de vida no trabalho em enfermagem: que conceito?

O objectivo principal deste trabalho é a revisão de literatura no que concerne ao conceito de Qualidade de Vida no Trabalho (QVT) em Enfermagem, tendo sido utilizados diversos recursos, tais como a pesquisa em livros, em bases de dados digitais (tais como a EBSCO, Medline) e web sites (Eurofound, World Health Organization). Os idiomas de pesquisa utilizados foram essencialmente o português, inglês e o castelhano. Podemos referir, como principais conclusões, que a QVT apresenta-se, em parte, sob a forma de grandes níveis de satisfação dos trabalhadores, e pode ser orientada por quatro objectivos: a segurança na progressão da carreira e emprego, a conciliação da vida profissional com a vida pessoal, a saúde e bem-estar dos profissionais e o desenvolvimento das suas capacidades e competências; deve ter como objectivo último a realização pessoal dos trabalhadores na sua profissão. Para que esta realização seja possível, é necessário ter em conta diversos factores, tais como o sentido de pertença à organização, a recompensa, o demonstrar uma maior autonomia e controlo sobre funções, o desenvolvimento de capacidades intelectuais e de formação contínua, a possibilidade de progredir na carreira e o alcance de um equilíbrio entre as diversas dimensões da vida do trabalhador. Os enfermeiros, enquanto cuidadores, não devem ser esquecidos da própria prática de cuidados, visto que, o profissional que apresente níveis superiores de QVT vai demonstrar maior empenho para com a organização que o acolhe e com os seus alvos de acção – a Pessoa e as relações de cuidados com ela estabelecidas. Para a melhoria da qualidade de cuidados, o enfermeiro deve então realizar-se, tanto a nível pessoal como profissional, através das suas experiências na prática, contribuindo, igualmente desse modo, para o bom funcionamento das organizações.The purpose of this study is the literature review regarding the concept of Quality of Nursing Working Life (QNWL), using several resources such as books, digital databases (for example Ebsco, Medline) and web sites (Eurofound, World Health Organization). Essentially, the research languages used were the Portuguese, English and Spanish. The main conclusions refer that the Quality of Working Life (QWL) can present itself, in the form of high levels of workers’ satisfaction, and be guided by four goals: security in career development and employment, personal and professional life conciliation, workers’ health and well-fare and skills and competences development; the principal aim should be the workers personal realization. For this realization to be possible, it is necessary to have some factors in mind, such as the sense of belonging to the organization, the reward, demonstration of higher autonomy and control over functions, the development of intellectual abilities and training, the possibility of career progression and achieving a balance between the various dimensions of the worker’s life. The nurses, as caregivers, should not be forgotten from the care practice, for the reason that, the professional who presents higher levels of QWL will demonstrate higher commitment to the organization and its action target – the Person and the care relationships that are established. To improve care quality through practice experience, the nurses should achieve stability in the professional and personal level, thereby contributing for the high-quality performance of the organizations

The Role of the School-Based Speech-Language Pathologist In The Identification, Assessment, and Remediation of Dyslexia In Secondary Students

The purpose of this mixed methods action research study was to increase the awareness and knowledge of secondary school professionals on dyslexia, including the role of the school-based speech-language pathologist. Two research questions guiding the quantitative data collection centered on the impact of a PowerPoint dyslexia training on the participants\u27 knowledge and attitudes about dyslexia in the schools. In addition, two qualitative research questions guided the study involving the participants’ perceptions of the role of speech-language pathologists in a dyslexia protocol, and how to implement a dyslexia protocol in secondary-level schools. The results of the study indicate that the training session increased the participants’ knowledge about dyslexia, increased the perceptions that dyslexia should be addressed in the schools, and increased the perceptions that speech-language pathologists play a significant role in identifying, assessing, and remediating students with dyslexia. Suggestions of how a dyslexia protocol could be implemented in secondary-level schools were also included in the qualitative data findings

Ecosystem Service Mapping: A Management-Oriented Approach to Support Environmental Planning Process

Effective integration of ecosystem services (ESs) into spatial planning and decision-making processes has been advocated as an opportunity to improve current practices and to promote sustainable development. However, the actual uptake of ecosystem services is still challenging, in part due to the complexity of ES studies, data scarcity, and ES compartmentalization, and so on. This chapter presents a case of mapping and characterizing coastal ecosystem services in a way that deals with these issues in order to facilitate its integration in the decision-making and planning process. It gives an insight into which ESs are currently provided in Ria de Aveiro coastal region (Portugal), how are they distributed in space, and identifies multifunctional areas. We argue that the use of existing and available data, as well as tools and approaches that are similar to those used in spatial planning, notwithstanding its limitations, has the potential for bridging science and decision-making spheres. ES-related information could be thus gradually incorporated in the design of local strategies towards sustainable and transparent planning and management processes

Caracterização e estrutura genéticas da cultivar de oliveira 'cobrançosa' e sua relação com o zambujeiro

Tese de mestrado, Biologia (Biologia Celular e Biotecnologia), 2007, Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de CiênciasA oliveira é uma das espécies cultivadas com maior importância cultural e económica na bacia do Mediterrâneo (Ribeiro 1991). A 'Cobrançosa' é uma cultivar Portuguesa com muita importância na região de Trás-os-Montes encontrando-se actualmente disseminada por 6 regiões de Denominação de Origem Protegida (MADRP 2007). De modo a garantir a qualidade do azeite e aumentar a sua produção, é necessário seleccionar e certificar as árvores desta cultivar. Foram utilizados 10 loci associados a microssatélites para caracterizar e avaliar a estrutura genética de seis populações de 'Cobrançosa' e sua relação com outras cultivares e com o zambujeiro. Os parâmetros de diversidade como a heterozigosidade esperada e observada foram calculados. Determinou-se a distância genética entre acessos de acordo com [1 − proporção de alelos partilhados] (Dps) (Bowcock et al. 1994). A matriz resultante foi utilizada para estabelecer as relações fenéticas entre os acessos e para avaliar a eventual estrutura genética entre as diferentes populações. Não se detectou diferenciação entre as seis populações de 'Cobrançosa' avaliadas. Nesta cultivar foram detectados em média 5.4 ± 1.7 alelos por locus, sendo que, em média, 2.6 ± 1.3 tinham uma frequência inferior a 5% que poderão ser úteis, se à sua presença estiverem associadas determinadas características de valor agronómico. O valor médio de diversidade genética foi de 0.511 ± 0.203 o que permite perspectivar um processo de melhoramento desta cultivar de modo a fazer face às exigências do mercado do azeite. Embora a maior parte das árvores da cultivar 'Cobrançosa' seja geneticamente muito semelhante, verificou-se que esta cultivar parece ter uma origem policlonal. Com este trabalho foi possível desenvolver padrões de microssatélites que permitem a identificação dos acessos da cultivar 'Cobrançosa' e inclusive a detecção de sete árvores que possivelmente estarão incorrectamente identificadas como pertencendo a essa cultivarOlive is one of the most economically important species in the Mediterranean Basin (Ribeiro 1991). 'Cobrançosa' is a Portuguese cultivar with great importance in Trás-os- Montes region and is currently being cultivated in all six regions of Protected Origin Denomination (MADRP 2007). To guarantee olive oil quality and to enhance its productivity it is necessary to select and certify the trees from this cultivar. In this study 10 microsatellite loci were used to characterize and evaluate the genetic structure of six populations of 'Cobrançosa' and its relationships with other cultivars and with its wild relatives, oleasters. Diversity parameters like expected and observed heterozygosity were calculated. The genetic distance between the accessions was calculated according to [1 − proportion of shared alleles] (Dps) (Bowcock et al. 1994). The resulting matrix was used to establish the phenetic relationships among accessions and to evaluate the partitioning of the genetic variance observed. No differentiation among the 'Cobrançosa' populations was detected. A mean of 5.4 ± 1.7 alleles per locus were detected of which 2.6 ± 1.3 had a frequency below 5%. These rare alleles can be useful if some attractive agronomic characteristics are associated to their presence. The mean value of genetic diversity was 0.511 ± 0.203 which allows for the establishment of an improvement program to face the demands of the olive oil industry. Although most of the 'Cobrançosa' accessions evaluated were genetically similar, it was demonstrated that this cultivar has indeed a polyclonal origin. With this work it was possible to develop microsatellite profiles to identify the accessions of the 'Cobrançosa' cultivar including the detection of trees that were incorrectly identified has belonging to this cultiva