Profiling of pathogenic bacteria by colony morphology – identification of potential biofilm resistance and virulence determinants

Colony morphology changes may be an indicator of the phenotypic variations associated to the pathogenecity, virulence and antimicrobial resistance of infection-causing microorganisms. Particularly, phenotypic changes derived from biofilm growth and in response to environmental stressors. For instance, in patients with cystic fibrosis, P. aeruginosa colony morphology undergoes a conversion from non- to mucoid form augmenting bacteria resistance to antibiotics considerably. However, the specific correlation between some colony traits and the biological impact is unknown. This study was thus designed to inspect the colony associated phenotypic alterations, particularly the putative virulence determinants of biofilm-colonies, via morphological observation and whole cell MALDI MS proteomics. The annotation of colony morphology features was supported by a novel, in-house developed ontology, named colony morphology ontology (CMO), and annotations are available at the MorphoColDB framework [1]. The considerable diversity of the morphotypes observed within and across species, with diferente biofilm-forming abilities and susceptibilities [2], led to the application of this method in support of the identification of virulent morphotypes as primary therapeutic candidates. Further results on the protein expression of P. aeruginosa and S. aureus colonies confirmed important differences between intra-species morphotypes and has promoted investigation of the role of stress-regulated proteins. Although preliminary, these results confirm the potential of using a combination of highthroughput screening of pathogenic bacteria proteome with susceptibility tests and expert inputs to reach a comprehensive understanding of the persistence and antimicrobial resistance of pathogenic bacteria, as well as to design new therapeutic strategies

The value of morphological characterisation of bacterial colonies in microbial diagnosis and clinical decision-making

During the course of infection, microorganisms go through genetic and physiological changes to survive the selective pressures imposed by the human immune system and the antibiotic treatments. Colony morphological manifestations of such antimicrobial responses are fairly immediate and inexpensive to obtain experimentally, and can be a very useful tool in clinical decision making. Several morphotypes have already been associated to chronic infections and device-associated infections. For example, P. aeruginosa mucoid variants are typically isolated from cystic fibrosis lungs at chronic stages. These colony variants are markedly resistant to common antibiotics, such as gentamicin, aminoglycosides, ciprofloxacin and imipenem. Likewise, S. aureus small colony variants, often isolated from several chronic device-associated infections, display augmented resistance to several classes of antibiotics and, able to live intracellularly, and therefore surviving the action of both antibiotics and host immune defences. Therefore, the aim of this work is to introduce a novel computer-assisted microbial morphotyping platform in support of microbial diagnosis and further clinical decision-making. A dataset of morphotypes, extracted from the publicly available at MorphoCol database (http://morphocol.org), exemplifies how the platform assists in the manual morphological characterisation, collects data from automatic image processing tools, clusters colonies that show observable similar morphologies and describes the antibiotic susceptibility of the individual groups. Results show that key colony features, such as size, consistency and texture, can be in fact predictors of pathogenic potential of bacteria. Therefore, new colonies may be matched against the described groups, enabling the formulation of a preliminary diagnosis and therapeutics based on the previous reports

MorphoCol: a powerful tool for the clinical profiling of pathogenic bacteria

Pathogenicity, virulence and resistance of infection-causing bacteria are noteworthy problems in clinical settings, even after disinfection practices and antibiotic courses. Although it is common knowledge that these traits are associated to phenotypic and genetic variations, recent studies indicate that colony morphology variations are a sign of increased bacterial resistance to antimicrobial agents (i.e. antibiotics and disinfectants) and altered virulence and persistence. The ability to search for and compare similar phenotypic appearances within and across species is believed to have vast potential in medical diagnose and clinical decision making. Therefore, we are developing a novel phenotypic ontology, the Colony Morphology Ontology (CMO), to share knowledge on the colony morphology variations of infection-causing bacteria. A study on the morphological variations of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus strains, two pathogenic bacteria associated with nosocomial infections, supported the development of CMO. We are also developing a new Web-based framework for the modelling and analysis of biofilm phenotypic signatures, supported by the CMO. This framework, named MorphoCol, will enable data integration and interoperability across research groups and other biological databases

Recensão "Neuroeconomia: ensaio sobre a sociobiologia do comportamento"

Lusíada. Economia & empresa. - ISSN 1645-6750. - S. 2, n.16 (2013). - p. 205-209

Do livro ao écran: estilo visual em Vanity Fair

Mestrado em Línguas, Literaturas e CulturasEsta dissertação tem como objetivo analisar duas adaptações da obra literária Vanity Fair de William Thackeray, a série da BBC (1998) e o filme de 2004 de Mira Nair, comparando e contrastando o estilo visual das duas narrativas. A tese argumenta que o visual reflete o caráter das personagens, reflete os assuntos da obra e que isso é veiculado a diversos níveis. A estilização e a imagem serão observadas em diversos aspetos da realização, nomeadamente os enquadramentos, as luzes, a cor, a música, as roupas e acessórios, os gestos, e a arquitetura de interiores e exteriores.This dissertation aims to analyse the BBC mini-series (1998) and the Mira Nair film (2004), both adaptations of Vanity Fair by William Thackeray, by comparing and contrasting the visual style of the two works. The thesis argues that the visual reflects the personality of the characters, carries the themes of the work and that this is conveyed at different levels. Stylization and “look” will be identified in various aspects of film-making, notably compositions, lighting, colour, music, costumes and accessories, non-verbal language and interior and exterior architecture

Realizações e utopias: o património arquitectónico e artístico das Caldas de Monchique na cenografia da paisagem termal

Tese de mestrado, Arte, Património e Teoria do Restauro, Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Letras, 2013O objectivo do presente estudo foi, antes de mais, coligir a informação dispersa e tratar de forma crítica a documentação inédita, no sentido de traçar a evolução histórica do núcleo edificado da estância termal das Caldas de Monchique, desde os vestígios mais remotos. A abordagem histórico-artística permitiu-nos analisar os modelos estéticos que ditaram o espírito da época das diferentes campanhas construtivas na paisagem termal. Essa perspectiva permitiu deslindar novos elementos acerca dos projectos elaborados por artistas conceituados, quer tratando-se de propostas concretizadas em obra, quer de idealizações que não passaram do papel pelos limites bem reais dos orçamentos disponíveis e pelas conjunturas económicas, políticas ou pelo desaparecimento repentino das personagens promotoras. Realizações e Utopias caminharam juntas ao longo da história das termas algarvias, obedecendo sobretudo aos limites da imaginação dos encomendantes e do talento dos projectistas, especialmente desde os últimos anos do século XIX e ao longo da centúria seguinte. Modelos historicistas, ecléticos, discurso ambíguo no Estado Novo e o funcionalismo contemporâneo foram algumas das correntes que enriqueceram o conjunto edificado das Caldas de Monchique, dialogando entre si. Por outro lado, a relação simbiótica entre o património natural e o património arquitectónico condicionou todos os projectos, pelas particularidades da função termal, as questões topográficas e a moldura vegetal envolvente contribuiram para ditar, não só a vertente estrutural, mas também o seu figurino artístico. E só através da complementaridade entre a estrutura arquitectónica e as expressões artísticas que decoram o seu interior – especialmente nos espaços de culto – é possível fazer-se uma leitura integrada da mensagem estética com conteúdo, abarcando peças autenticamente barrocas, bem como outras de figurino revivalista que aumentam a dimensão cenográfica da arquitectura tradicionalista.Abstract: The aim of this study was to collect scattered information and treat critically the unpublished documentation in order to trace the historical evolution of the architecture of Caldas de Monchique, from the remotest trace. The history of art approach allowed us to analyze the aesthetic models that dictated the zeitgeist of different constructive campaigns in this unique algarvian thermal landscape. This perspective allowed us to unravel new elements of the projects developed by famous artists, both in the case of implemented proposals on site, either idealizations that remained on paper by the real limits of the available budget, political issues or the sudden decease of their promoters. Achievements and Utopias walked together along the history of the spa in the Algarve, obeying the limits of the imagination and talent of those who ordered those projects, especially since the last years of the nineteenth century and throughout the following century. Historic and eclectic models, the ambiguous speech in the Estado Novo regime and contemporary functionalism were some of the chains that have enriched the architecture set of Caldas de Monchique. On the other hand, the symbiotic relationship between the natural and architectural heritage has conditioned all projects, especially because of the peculiarities of the thermal function, the surrounding topography issues and the vegetation surrounding contributed to dictate not only the structural aspect, but also the artistic models. And only through the complementarity between architectural structure and artistic expressions that decorate its interior – especially in religious buildings – it is possible to make an integrated reading of the aesthetic message and its content, covering authentical baroque pieces, as well as other revivalist or traditionalist art objects that increase the scenographic dimension of the architecture

Characterization of hairs and pappi from Cynara cardunculus capitula and their suitability for paper production

The capitula of Cynara cardunculus contain hairs and pappi representing 7% of the total plant biomass. These low density biomass components could be mechanically separated without apparent losses using a whole-plant processing prototype. Hairs and pappi are filamentous structures made up of longitudinally aligned fibre cells, without intercellular voids or pitting, with the following dimensions regarding length, width and wall thickness: 1.35mm, 19.8, and 4.8 m for hairs and 1.78mm, 10.4, and 2.9 m for pappi. Chemically hairs and pappi have low content of ash (1.9% and 1.1%, respectively), extractives (5.4% and 6.0%) and lignin (10.6% and 17.8%), and high content of holocellulose (77.5% and 72.8%) and -cellulose (55.2% and 46.8%). Pulps could be produced using a conventional kraft process with high yields and low residual lignin, e.g. 63% at Kappa 7 for hairs and 48% at Kappa 11 for pappi, low coarseness values (0.04 and 0.03mgm−1) and adequate pulp properties for paper (40 and 42Nmg−1 tensile index; 3.6 and 3.4 kPam2 g−1 burst index in unrefined pulps of hairs and pappi, respectively). The results also indicated that there is scope for improving pulp quality by optimising pulping conditions to this type of new raw materials. The differences between hairs and pappi may also be further exploited namely the lower lignin content of hairs and the higher slenderness and wall thickness of pappi fibres. The utilization of hairs and pappi may strengthen the differentiated use of biomass fractions of the Cynara plant and its potential as a bioenergy crop

Revelando as aprendizagens das crianças : a documentação pedagógica

Dissertação de mestrado em Estudos da Criança (área de especialização em Educação Multicultural e Envolvimento Parental)Pretendeu-se com este estudo descrever, interpretar e compreender o processo de (re)construção da pedagogia, no domínio da documentação pedagógica como estratégia para revelar as aprendizagens das crianças. As questões formuladas revelam o interesse pelo desenvolvimento de uma compreensão profunda e detalhada do processo de (re)construção da pedagogia ao nível de uma dimensão central - a documentação das aprendizagens das crianças organizada em portfolios e perspectivam a realização de uma investigação que se situa no âmbito de um estudo de caso de orientação construtivista, realizado por processos de investigaçãoacção, no âmbito do modelo de intervenção da Associação Criança (Oliveira- Formosinho e Formosinho, 2001). Neste enquadramento, a documentação pedagógica surge com a preocupação de apoiar o desenvolvimento profissional das educadoras de infância na reconstrução da sua profissionalidade, exigindo recriar a imagem de criança e o seu papel na aprendizagem quer nas instituições de educação de infância, quer na sociedade em geral. A formação em contexto desenvolve-se de modo a garantir os direitos das profissionais ao seu desenvolvimento profissional e o direito das crianças a uma educação de qualidade. A investigação realizada, através de um estudo de caso participativo, permitiu compreender o processo de (re)construção das práticas avaliativas através da documentação pedagógica. A análise e interpretação desse processo permitiu compreender as transformações ocorridas, desde a identificação do problema sentido pelas profissionais do contexto apoiado pela Associação Criança em torno da avaliação das crianças até à apropriação da documentação pedagógica e da sua organização em portfolios como estratégia de avaliação alternativa ecológica. Isto é, o estudo permitiu compreender como é que a documentação pedagógica pode sustentar o processo de monitorização e de avaliação das crianças e identificar as dificuldades que se apresentam à aprendizagem profissional na apropriação da documentação pedagógica e as conquistas que se desenvolveram neste processo concreto. Permitiu ainda identificar as condições estruturais referidas às aprendizagens profissionais ao nível da formação em contexto que facilitam o processo de aprendizagem das crianças.A documentação revela-se como uma importante estratégia para promover a participação das crianças e da sua família na sua aprendizagem e na avaliação dessa aprendizagem e como uma estratégia potenciadora do respeito pelas culturas das crianças e das suas famílias.This study describes and interpretes the processes of pedagogical documentation as revelation of children`s learning in the context of an innovative process of quality development. The study was undertaten as a action–research project following Childhood Assotiation (Oliveira-Formosinho e Formosinho, 2001) construtivist approach. Professional Development of the pre-school teachers envolved was undertook within a contex based teacher education approach specific to Childhood Assotiation. The research allowed the understanding of the transformation of assessment and evaluation practices through the introduction of pedagical documentation organized in learning portfolios. Therefore it became clear how pedagogical documentation transforms the monitoring and evaluation of children`s learning and promotes professional development on the part of their teachers. It can be said that this understanding of pedagogical documentation promotes children and families participation and respect individual and social diversities. This piece of research highlited structural condictions that affect children and teachers learning process

“What’s in an answer?”: Insights into the decision-making process during the performance of language tasks in a classroom setting

We present the results of an exploratory study involving 48 Brazilian high school students between the ages of 15 and 26 (M=16.62, SD=1.60). Questionnaires were administered to assess the impact of two grammar instructional strategies on learning using a pretest-posttest control-group design. The questionnaires were implemented in a web-based tool that provides measures on the degree of confidence and hesitation in the responses, which were used to study the decision-making process during the performance of language tasks