Looking at the Trees in the Central Forest: A New Pallidal-Striatal Cell Type

The glopus pallidus is a central nucleus of the basal ganglia, pivotal to their function in health and disease. In this issue of Neuron, Mallet et al. (2012) reveal that this structure is more diverse than previously thought, and identify a novel cell type that projects from pallidum to striatum providing massive GABAergic innervation. These findings invite new views on basal ganglia processing

Relato financeiro eletrónico: as necessidades dos utilizadores no caso angolano

O relato financeiro eletrónico é uma realidade tornada possível com o aparecimento da Internet,cada vez mais utilizado pelas empresas na divulgação da informação contabilístico-financeira. Embora seja uma área de investigação relativamente recente, existem já diversos estudos e recomendações no sentido de as empresas potenciarem as suas possibilidades. Contudo, é mais escassa a investigação publicada que incida no lado da procura da informação contabilístico-financeira e que identifique as necessidades dos utilizadores quanto ao formato e conteúdo dessa informação. Assim, o objetivo deste estudo é verificar se as necessidades e interesses dos utilizadores deste tipo de informação, num mercado bolsista emergente, como é o caso de Angola, coincidem, ou não, com as recomendações e modelos de divulgação atuais. Concluímos que as necessidades dos utilizadores estudados correspondem às recomendações atuais, quanto ao formato de apresentação da informação contabilístico-financeira e respetivo conteúdo, devendo ser consideradas como referência pelas empresas que vão integrar o mercado bolsista emergente angolano. Este trabalho apresenta dois contributos: por um lado, a análise na perspetiva da procura da informação e, por outro lado, o estudo desta temática num mercado emergente, o que permitirá aos organismos reguladoras definir regras e recomendações antecipadamente, no que respeita ao relato financeiro eletrónico.fThe authors are pleased to acknowledge financial support from Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (grant UID/ECO/04007/2013) and FEDER/COMPETE (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007659

A importância da microscopia electrónica no estudo taxonómico do recife algal fóssil da Prainha.

XXXVIII Reunião Anual da Sociedade Portuguesa de Microscopia Electrónica e Biologia Celular. Ponta Delgada, Açores, 5-7 de Dezembro de 2003

Development of new vocational training modules on sustainable buildings maintenance and refurbishment

This article presents the methodology and main results obtained in Spain within the FORMAR project, a European-funded project under the Leonardo Da Vinci scheme (Lifelong Learning Programme), whose main goal is to jointly develop training resources and modules to improve the skills on sustainability issues of buildings maintenance and refurbishment workers, in three different European countries: Spain, Portugal (Project Coordinator) and France. The Units of Short-term Training (UST) developed within this project are focused on the VET of carpenters, painters, bricklayers, building technicians and installers of solar panels, and a transversal unit containing basic concepts on sustainable construction and nearly Zero Energy Buildings (n-ZEB) is also developed. In parallel, clients’ guides for the aforementioned professionals are also implemented to improve the information provided to clients and owners in order to support the procurement decisions regarding building products and materials. Therefore, the project provides an opportunity to exchange experiences between organizations of these three European countries, as the UST will be developed simultaneously in each of them, exploring opportunities for training, guidance and exchange of experience. Even though the UST will have a common structure and contents, they will be slightly different in each country to adapt them to the different specific training needs and regulations of Spain, Portugal and France. This paper details, as a case study, the development process of the UST for carpenters and building technicians in Spain, including the analysis of needs and existing training materials, the main contents developed and the evaluation and testing process of the UST, which involves the active participation of several stakeholders of this sector as well as a classroom testing to obtain the students’ feedback

Allergen profile of soluble protein fraction of pollen from Quercus rotundifolia

Grasses and olive are the most relevant allergenic species in the Alentejo region. However, aggravation of allergic symptoms has been reported in the early spring, before grass and olive pollen seasons. Quercus pollen is the most abundant pollen type in the early spring in Alentejo, nonetheless its allergen profile has not yet been evaluated. The aim of this work was to characterize the allergen profile of pollen from Quercus rotundifolia the most representative species showing pollination in April, prior to the main pollen season in Alentejo. Pollen from Quercus rotundifolia and Olea europaea was extracted with ammonium bicarbonate buffer, lyophilized and stored at -80ºC until analysis. Extract from Quercus ilex pollen was kindly offered by Bial. Protein content was determined by the Bradford method. SDS-PAGE followed by western blot, using allergic patient sera (obtained from the Hospital do Espírito Santo de Évora – HESE), were performed to evaluate the allergen profile of the pollen. Protein profile of Q. rotundifolia has shown several bands in the Mr 10-94 KDa, mostly overlapping with Q. ilex. Western blot have shown 9 immunoreactive bands, identified in the Mr (7.5, 11.7-12.6, 18.7-19.0 and 20.9-23.6, 29.2-33.3, 40.9, 51.7, 75.9 and 83.7 KDa). Protein profile according to the pI showed four immunoreactive bands in the pI range 4.0-6.1. Cross-reactivity between Q. rotundifolia and O. europaea was found. These results evidenced allergens found in Q. rotundifolia pollen. It also shows that protein profile of Q. rotundifolia and Q. ilex are mostly alike suggesting that similarities in allergen profile are expected. Moreover, cross–reactivity between Q. rotundifolia and O. europaea was found which probably contributes for aggravation of pollinosis in the early spring

Professores de engenharia podem aprender a tornar a sua prática docente eficaz

Teachers in Higher Education need to deal with different types of challenges, such as dealing with students’ profiles and motivation, selecting the adequate learning strategies and assessment methods, selecting and delivering content that is relevant for the professional practice, using new technologies, amongst other. Much has been written about effectiveness of teaching but there is a lack of studies with experiences dedicated to teachers’ professional development (e.g. workshops and courses), particularly in Engineering Education context. This paper aims to discuss the importance of effectiveness of teaching taking into account preparing teachers to active learning contexts. This is an exploratory study based on a training program carried out in 2015 at University of Caxias do Sul, Brazil, which focuses on different active learning strategies (e.g. Peer Instruction, In-Class Exercise Teams, Problem and Project Based Learning, etc.). In this training program, teachers had the opportunity to reflect about their practice and to improve teaching and learning process by implementing innovative approaches. Eighteen teachers participated in this program, from different areas of knowledge, including Engineering, Law, Management and Informatics. Teachers’ perceptions where collected at the end of the program using a questionnaire which included the motivations and expectations about the program, potential contribution for teaching practice, meaning of “active learning” and also identified the active learning strategies that teachers intended to fulfill in their own contexts. The findings show the relevance of the training program experience for effectiveness of teaching. Most of the teachers will apply active learning in their classroom in the following semester and a few already started implementing this change during the training process. This work allowed to discuss the implications for teachers professional development in engineering education.Professores do ensino superior lidam com diferentes tipos de desafios, tais como lidar com perfis e motivação dos estudantes, selecionar as estratégias de aprendizagem e de avaliação adequados, selecionar conteúdos que são relevantes para a prática profissional, utilizando novas tecnologias, entre outros. Muito tem sido escrito sobre a eficácia do ensino, mas há uma falta de estudos com experiências dedicadas ao desenvolvimento profissional dos professores (por exemplo, workshops e cursos), particularmente no contexto da Educação em Engenharia. Este trabalho tem como objetivo discutir a importância da eficácia do ensino tendo em conta a preparação de professores para contextos de aprendizagem ativa. Este é um estudo exploratório com base em um curso de capacitação realizado em 2015 na Universidade de Caxias do Sul, Brasil, que se concentra em diferentes estratégias e métodos de aprendizagem ativa (por exemplo, Instrução pelos colegas, Instrução na hora certa, Aula Invertida, Aprendizagem baseada em Problemas, Aprendizagem baseada em Projetos, etc.). Neste curso de capacitação, os professores tiveram a oportunidade de refletir sobre a sua prática e de melhorar o processo de ensino e aprendizagem através da implementação de abordagens inovadoras. Dezoito professores participaram neste curso, a partir de diferentes áreas do conhecimento, incluindo Engenharia, Direito, Gestão e Informática. Percepções dos professores foram recolhidas no final do curso através de um questionário que incluía as motivações e expectativas sobre o curso, a contribuição potencial para a prática de ensino, o significado de "aprendizagem ativa" e também identificando as estratégias de aprendizagem ativa que os professores pensam em implementar em suas disciplinas. Os resultados mostram a relevância da experiência do curso de capacitação para a eficácia do ensino. A maioria dos professores declarou que irá aplicar as estratégias e os métodos de aprendizagem ativa em sua sala de aula no semestre seguinte e alguns já começaram a implementar esta mudança durante o processo de formação. Neste trabalho discutem-se as implicações no desenvolvimento profissional de professores de Engenharia(undefined)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Menthol-based deep eutectic systems as antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory agents for wound healing

Funding Information: This work received funding from Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) , through project PTDC/BBB- 490 EBB/1676/2014 – Des.Zyme and ERC-2016-CoG 725034 (ERC Consolidator Grant Des.solve). E.S. and J.S. would also like to acknowledge the financial support by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) through the doctoral grant with reference number SFRH/BD/143902/2019 and postdoctoral contract CEECIND/01026/2018 , respectively. Publisher Copyright: © 2022Effective antimicrobial treatment has been identified as a serious and unmet medical need. Herein, we present a strategy based on deep eutectic systems (DES) to overcome current limitations, answering the need not only to effectively kill bacterial agents but also to avoid their adhesion and proliferation, which is associated with biofilm formation and have a crucial impact on bacterial virulence. To achieve such a goal, natural deep eutectic systems (NADES) based on menthol (Me) and saturated free fatty acids (FFA) were produced, fully physicochemical characterized, and its bioactive properties were described. The antimicrobial potential of menthol-based NADES with FFA, namely, myristic acid (MA), lauric acid (LA), and stearic acid (SA) were investigated towards a broad panel of microorganisms. The obtained data indicates that NADES possess effective antimicrobial properties towards the Gram-positive bacterial and fungal strains tested. Among the tested formulations, Me:LA at a molar ratio of 4:1 molar was used to carry out a biofilm detachment/removal assay due to is superior microbiological properties. This formulation was able to effectively lead to biofilm removal/dispersion of not only methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Candida albicans, but also Escherichia coli, without the need of any additional physical force or antibiotic. Furthermore, since microbial invasion and biofilm formation is highly undesired in wound healing, namely in chronic wound healing, the wound healing properties of these eutectic formulations was also investigated. The results suggest that these NADES can cope with microbial invasion and biofilm detachment while not compromising normal keratinocyte proliferation and migration verified in wound healing and epidermis repair, while also contributing to the reduction of cell stress and inflammation via the control of ROS production. In conclusion, these results provide the indication that NADES based on Me and FFA holds great interest as antimicrobial agents for preventive and therapeutic applications in various clinical settings, including wound healing.publishersversionpublishe

Double-walled poly-(D,l-lactide-co-glycolide) (plga) and poly(l-lactide) (plla) nanoparticles for the sustained release of doxorubicin

Funding Information: This research was funded by Funda??o para a Ci?ncia e a Tecnologia, Portugal, [grant numbers PTDC/QUE/EPR/119631/2010, SFRH/BD/48773/2008] and by the Associate Laboratory for Green Chemistry-LAQV which is financed by national funds from FCT/MCTES [UIDB/50006/2020 and UIDP/50006/2020] and co-financed by the ERDF [PT2020 Partnership Agreement POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007265].Double-walled nanoparticles (DWNPs), containing doxorubicin as a model drug, were produced using poly-(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) and poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) by the solvent evaporation technique. Double-walled microparticles containing doxorubicin were also produced to make possible the examination of the inner morphology and drug distribution using optical and fluorescence microscopy. The produced microparticles present a double-walled structure with doxorubicin solubilized in the PLGA-rich phase. The DWNPs produced present very low initial burst values and a sustained DOX release for at least 90 days with release rates decreasing with the increase in the PLLA amount. Zero-order release kinetics were obtained after day 15. The results support that the PLLA layer acts as a rate control barrier and that the diffusion of doxorubicin from the drug-loaded inner PLGA core can be retarded by an increase in the thickness of the unloaded outer layer. The unloaded double-walled nanoparticles produced were used in in vitro tests with CHO cells and demonstrate that they are nontoxic, while the double-walled nanoparticles loaded with doxorubicin caused a great cellular viability and decreased when tested in vitro.publishersversionpublishe

Preparação de extratos de própolis dos Açores e avaliação das suas atividades antimicrobiana e antioxidante

Própolis é uma substância resinosa natural produzida pelas abelhas a partir de material de origem vegetal recolhido na flora circundante, sendo utilizado posteriormente na construção e reparação das suas colmeias [1]. Este produto apresenta uma composição química muito complexa e também muito diversa, bem como diversas atividades biológicas de interesse [2,3]. No presente trabalho estudaram-se cinco amostras de própolis recolhidas em 2010, na ilha Terceira (Açores, Portugal) com o objetivo de avaliar a sua capacidade antioxidante e as suas propriedades antimicrobianas. Para o efeito prepararam-se extratos etanólicos das amostras em estudo. O potencial antioxidante foi avaliado através de uma técnica eletroquímica, a voltametria. A atividade antimicrobiana foi estimada pelo método de incorporação dos extratos em placas com meio de cultura apropriado, utilizando como indicadores de suscetibilidade um painel de leveduras e bactérias de interesse em diferentes áreas. Em relação à atividade antimicrobiana, os extratos foram mais ativos contra leveduras do que contra bactérias, e genericamente mais ativos contra as bactérias Gram-negativas que contra as Gram-positivas. No entanto, os extratos mais ativos contra leveduras não foram os mais eficazes contra bactérias, sugerindo modos de ação distintos sobre procariotas e eucariotas. Os resultados sugerem ainda uma relação entre algumas características macroscópicas das amostras, como por exemplo a cor, o aroma e a dureza, e a sua atividade antifúngica, o que poderá constituir um importante marcador. Quanto ao potencial antioxidante, verificou-se existirem também diferenças entre os cinco extratos estudados, apresentando o extrato 4 maior atividade antioxidante, enquanto que os extratos 1 e 3 apresentam capacidade antioxidante semelhante. A inexistência de uma correlação entre a capacidade antioxidante e os espetros de atividade antimicrobiana revela que os compostos responsáveis por estas bioatividades sejam distintos. Em conclusão, apesar das amostras serem provenientes de uma região relativamente circunscrita, existem diferenças significativas quanto à composição e bioatividades analisadas