The attitude of visual impaired students towards STEM: a pilot study

Understanding and gathering information about the attitudes of visual impaired students concerning sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics (SSTEM) is an important issue for the school and for the teachers when planning inclusive classrooms in STEM context. With the purpose of accessing the way visual impaired students relate to S-STEM, a questionnaire was applied in two samples of students from Portugal and Greece. The influence of sex, academic level, country and type of vision impairment was evaluated as main factors using a factorial ANOVA. The analysis of the questionnaires showed that the academic level was the single factor with statistically significant effect on S-STEM. This drives to the conclusion that visual impaired students generally have a similar attitude towards S-STEM when comparing with other students.This work was partially funded and supported by ERASMUS+ Programme; School Education Strategic Partnership – KA201 Agreement Number: 2020-1-PT01-KA201- 078451. This work was partially funded and supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) in the framework of the Strategic Funding UIDB/04650/2020

FTIR-chemometric analytical methodology as a tool for clustering oils from centenarian olive trees grown in the Côa Valley region

The centenarian olive trees are part of the historical and cultural heritage of the Côa Valley region where a significant number of these specimens can be found. They have high importance in olive grove heritage; however, their genetic and phenotypic diversity is still poorly studied. Recently, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy start to be widely used in several studies in the food field, becoming a powerful analytical tool for the analysis of edible oils and fats. This technique has numerous advantages, allowing a fast and non-destructive analysis, and requiring minimal sample preparation. In this context, FTIR has been applied to classify and identify different fats, detection of virgin olive oils adulteration, determination of trans fatty acids and evaluation of oil mixtures' composition in foods, all this based on the spectral profiles. Considering that there is a great diversity of centenarian olive trees in which the varieties are unknown, the objective of this work was to use the FTIR technique to identify groups of olive oils with similar chemical characteristics, thus reducing the time and required amount of samples for analysis.The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for financial support by national funds FCT/MCTES to CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020) and to Associate Laboratory for Green Chemistry-LAQV (UIDB/50006/2020). Nuno Rodrigues and Aran Santamaria-Echar thanks to National funding by FCT- Foundation for Science and Technology, P.I., through the institutional scientific employment program-contract. This work was financially supported by the project “COA/BRB/0035/2019” OLIVECOA - Centenarian olive trees of Côa Valley region: rediscovering the past to valorise the future funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Can we improve outcomes in patients with previous coronary artery bypass surgery admitted for acute coronary syndrome?

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Prognosis and in-hospital management of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and a history of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery are still debated. The objective of this study was to characterize ACS patients with a CABG and to compare their in-hospital and postdischarge outcomes with those of patients without a CABG. METHODS: This ongoing prospective observational study included 1,495 consecutive patients admitted for ACS to a coronary care unit and followed up for a mean of 19 months. There were two groups: group A (n=73), with CABGs; and group B (n=1,223), without CABGs. RESULTS: Group A patients were more often male (86.3% versus 69.1%; P=.002), and more frequently had a history of diabetes, myocardial infarction and heart failure. Group B patients more frequently had ST-elevation myocardial infarction, and had a higher median ejection fraction (53% [interquartile range, 47%-60%] vs. 50% [42%-55%]; P< .01) and peak troponin-I concentration. There was no difference in the use of invasive techniques. Regarding medication, Group B patients were more likely to receive dual antiplatelet therapy at discharge. No significant difference was observed in in-hospital mortality (9.5% versus 5.9%; P=.2) or mortality at 1 month, 6 months or 1 year (9.8% versus 9.1%; log-rank test, P=.87) and the cumulative major adverse cardiac event rate was equally low in both groups. The presence of a CABG was associated with more readmissions for unstable angina (11.3% vs. 3.1%; P< .01). CONCLUSIONS: In our ACS patients, the presence of a CABG had no significant influence on short- or medium-term outcomes, such as all-cause mortality and adverse cardiac events

Impact of renal function on mortality and incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events following acute coronary syndromes

BACKGROUND: Renal failure patients have a dismal prognosis in the setting of acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Several studies have shown that this population is undertreated, benefiting less frequently from cardiovascular agents and interventions. The aim of our study was to evaluate patients hospitalized for ACS who also presented renal dysfunction, identifying baseline clinical characteristics, treatment options and prognosis. We also assessed whether renal failure was an independent predictor of mortality and cardiovascular events. METHODS: We performed an observational, longitudinal, prospective and continuous study, including 1039 consecutive patients hospitalized in a single center for ACS. Two groups were compared according to estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR): eGFR > or = 60 ml/min (group A) and eGFR < 60 ml/min (group B). The mean follow-up was twelve months after discharge. Multivariate analysis was used to identify predictors of mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in this population. RESULTS: Group B patients were older and more frequently female, and presented a higher prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and previous cardiovascular disease, and more severe coronary artery disease. Group B also had more cases of non-ST-elevation acute myocardial infarction, as well as higher blood glucose, higher heart rate on admission, and lower left ventricular ejection fraction. Patients in group B were less frequently treated with the main cardiovascular drugs or by an invasive strategy; this group also presented higher in-hospital mortality (9.1 vs. 2.5%, p < 0.001). During clinical follow-up, survival and MACE-free rates were significantly lower in group B patients (86.6 vs. 93.6%, p < 0.001, and 76.2 vs. 86.2%, p < 0.001, respectively). Multivariate analysis showed that eGFR of < 30 ml/min was an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality (OR 6.92; C statistic = 0.87) and that eGFR of < 60 ml/min was an independent predictor of MACE during follow-up (OR 2.19; C statistic = 0.71). CONCLUSION: We found that moderate to severe renal dysfunction is common in ACS patients, and this variable was an independent predictor of mortality and MACE. However, we also found that these patients are undertreated, which may contribute to their poor prognosis. Early identification of these high-risk patients is important so that the procedures recommended in the international guidelines can be more consistently implemented

Specific Antiproliferative Properties of Proteinaceous Toxin Secretions from the Marine Annelid Eulalia sp. onto Ovarian Cancer Cells

The Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) funded project WormALL (PTDC/BTA-BTA/28650/2017) plus the grants SFRH/BD/109462/2015 to A.P.R., and CEECIND/02699/2017 to A.R.G. The Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit-UCIBIO is financed by national funds from FCT, ref. UIDB/04378/2020. FCT, along with the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the COMPETE 2020-Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation also funded the projects: POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007440 (UID/NEU/04539/2019), POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016428 (SAICTPAC/0010/2015), POCI-01-0145-FEDER-029311 (PTDC/BTM-TEC/29311/2017), POCI-01-0145-FEDER-30943 (PTDC/MEC-PSQ/30943/2017) and PTDC/MED-NEU/27946/2017. The work was also funded by the National Mass Spectrometry Network (RNEM) under the contract POCI-01-0145-FEDER-402-022125 (ref.: ROTEIRO/0028/2013).As Yondelis joins the ranks of approved anti-cancer drugs, the benefit from exploring the oceans' biodiversity becomes clear. From marine toxins, relevant bioproducts can be obtained due to their potential to interfere with specific pathways. We explored the cytotoxicity of toxin-bearing secretions of the polychaete Eulalia onto a battery of normal and cancer human cell lines and discovered that the cocktail of proteins is more toxic towards an ovarian cancer cell line (A2780). The secretions' main proteins were identified by proteomics and transcriptomics: 14-3-3 protein, Hsp70, Rab3, Arylsulfatase B and serine protease, the latter two being known toxins. This mixture of toxins induces cell-cycle arrest at G2/M phase after 3h exposure in A2780 cells and extrinsic programmed cell death. These findings indicate that partial re-activation of the G2/M checkpoint, which is inactivated in many cancer cells, can be partly reversed by the toxic mixture. Protein-protein interaction networks partake in two cytotoxic effects: cell-cycle arrest with a link to RAB3C and RAF1; and lytic activity of arylsulfatases. The discovery of both mechanisms indicates that venomous mixtures may affect proliferating cells in a specific manner, highlighting the cocktails' potential in the fine-tuning of anti-cancer therapeutics targeting cell cycle and protein homeostasis.publishersversionpublishe

Effects of grazing pressure on activity and richness of bats in a Portuguese silvo-pastoral system

Background High Nature Value Farmlands (HNVF) harbor species dependent upon habitats maintained by low-intensity farming. Among HNVF, the montado (dehesa in Spain) is a multifunctional system declining due to droughts, pathogens, and increasing grazing pressure. Specifically, grazing pressure leads to compact soils and hinders natural tree regeneration. Regrettably, there is a dearth of information supporting management decisions on the side-effects of high grazing pressure on HNVF-dwelling biodiversity. In particular, little is known about the impact of grazing pressure on bats, a group of species of special conservation concern that may provide key ecosystem services such as biological pest control. Purpose We investigated patterns of activity levels and community composition of insectivorous bats to test the hypothesis that there is a significant relationship between the level of livestock grazing pressure within montado HNVF parcels and patterns of insectivorous bats’ presence and activity. Our specific aims were to (i) assess separately the effects of grazing pressure on bat activity and species composition, (ii) test the predictive significance of key covariates (e.g., insect availability). Methods We conducted this study in 2014 in the Natura 2000 network site “Monfurado”, southern Portugal. This site is specifically acknowledged for its well-preserved montados providing feeding areas for bat species. We quantified acoustically bat flight activity and species richness in farm parcels dominated by cork oak trees. Per parcel, we selected two separate locations (high vs. low grazing pressure) based on landowners’ interviews and grazing pressure indicators, totaling 42 sampling locations. We then used linear mixed-effects modeling to evaluate the effects of grazing pressure and covariates on activity and species richness. Results Bat activity and bat species richness peaked at low grazing pressure locations. Bat activity also increased with tree cover and in locations where livestock grazing signs were old or absent. Conversely, bat activity at low grazing pressure locations decreased with distance to the nearest standing water body. Discussion Our study clearly demonstrated that locations maintained under high grazing pressure within HNVF can have negative consequences for bats, which are acknowledged as good bioindicators of habitat quality. In order to promote better habitat for bats, practitioners should avoid favoring grazing-prone areas (e.g., rotating the location of livestock feeders, drinkers, and gates) across montado HNVF. Broadly, ecosystem services provided by bats for HNVF must be enhanced through sustainability oriented agro-environment schemes under the Economic Community Rural Development Program, including the reduction of stocking density

Is Students’ Satisfaction in Electrical Engineering Courses Influenced by Gender?

Electrical/Electronic Engineering courses are often regarded as male courses. In this paper it is presented a study conducted in two Portuguese and two Brazilian high education institutions (six courses) where the goal was to analyze if gender affects students’ perceptions and satisfaction regarding Electrical/Electronic Engineering courses. The analysis was based on 654 questionnaires rating 44 items (among the six groups: Teacher Involvement Perception, Student Interest, Student-Teacher interaction, Course organization and functioning, Infrastructures, and Overall satisfaction). The investigation was performed by year, from the first to the third year (1st cycle) and considering the six programs. Based on students’ perceptions, some items showed differences that were significant, namely the ones regarding how teachers and students interact and how teachers challenge students.N/

Miliários inéditos da Geira (via XVIII do Itinerário de Antonino, Norte de Portugal) associados às milhas XXX e XXXI a «Bracara Augusta»

The route XVIII of the Antonine Itinerary or uia noua, setting back to the Flavian period, came forward as a new direct link between two capitals of the western territory of Hispania Citerior: Bracara Augusta and Asturica Augusta. One of the most impressive aspects related to this route, considering that it doesn’t have origin in Augustan times, is the large number of milestones associated, which catapults it to the forefront of those with the highest density of these epigraphic supports throughout the whole empire. This ar ticle presents two milestones attributable to the sons of Constantine, which were recovered, in the 1990s, at miles XXX and XXXI a Bracara Augusta, in the Gerês mountain range (Terras de Bouro, Braga, Portugal). A revision of the text of a third milestone attributable to Maximinus and Maximus and more recently recovered at the first of these miles is also made. A peculiar aspect of one of the unpublished milestones is the fact that it preserves traces of painting associated with the inscription. A complete epigraphic study is carried out, also attending the sense of these supports in the local landscape context.La uia noua o vía XVIII del Itinerario de Antonino tiene origen en época flavia y establece la conexión directa entre dos capitales del extremo de la Hispania citerior: Bracara Augusta y Asturica Augusta. Uno de los aspectos más impactantes en relación con esta vía, teniendo en cuenta que no tiene raíces en época de Augusto, es el gran número de miliarios que le están asociados, lo que la coloca entre las que poseen mayor densidad de estos soportes epigráficos en todo el imperio. Se estudian dos miliarios recuperados, en la década de 1990, en las millas XXX y XXXI a Bracara Augusta, ubicadas en la sierra de Gerês (Terras de Bouro, Braga, Portugal), atribuibles a los hijos de Constantino I, haciéndose asimismo la revisión de un tercero, de Maximino y Máximo, relativo a la primera de estas millas y de descubrimiento más reciente. Una particularidad de uno de estos miliarios inéditos es el hecho de que conserva restos de pintura asociada a la inscripción. Se hace el estudio epigráfico completo, también con enfoque al significado de estos soportes en el contexto paisajístico local

Is prnt a pseudogene? identification of ram prt in testis and ejaculated spermatozoa

A hallmark of prion diseases or transmissible spongiform encephalopaties is the conversion of the cellular prion protein (PrPC), expressed by the prion gene (prnp), into an abnormally folded isoform (PrPSc) with amyloid-like features that causes scrapie in sheep among other diseases. prnp together with prnd (which encodes a prion-like protein designated as Doppel), and prnt (that encodes the prion protein testis specific - Prt) with sprn (shadow of prion protein gene, that encodes Shadoo or Sho) genes, constitute the "prion gene complex". Whereas a role for prnd in the proper functioning of male reproductive system has been confirmed, the function of prnt, a recently discovered prion family gene, comprises a conundrum leading to the assumption that ruminant prnt is a pseudogene with no protein expression. The main objective of the present study was to identify Prt localization in the ram reproductive system and simultaneously to elucidate if ovine prnt gene is transcribed into protein-coding RNA. Moreover, as Prt is a prnp-related protein, the amyloid propensity was also tested for ovine and caprine Prt. Recombinant Prt was used to immunize BALB/c mice, and the anti-Prt polyclonal antibody (APPA) immune response was evaluated by ELISA and Western Blot. When tested by indirect immunofluorescence, APPA showed high avidity to the ram sperm head apical ridge subdomain, before and after induced capacitation, but did not show the same behavior against goat spermatozoa, suggesting high antibody specificity against ovine-Prt. Prt was also found in the testis when assayed by immunohistochemistry during ram spermatogenesis, where spermatogonia, spermatocytes, spermatids and spermatozoa, stained positive. These observations strongly suggest ovine prnt to be a translated protein-coding gene, pointing to a role for Prt protein in the ram reproductive physiology. Besides, caprine Prt appears to exhibit a higher amyloid propensity than ovine Prt, mostly associated with its phenylalanine residue.publishersversionpublishe

Inhibition of ovine in vitro fertilization by anti-Prt antibody: hypothetical model for Prt/ZP interaction

BACKGROUND: The impact of prion proteins in the rules that dictate biological reproduction is still poorly understood. Likewise, the role of prnt gene, encoding the prion-like protein testis specific (Prt), in ram reproductive physiology remains largely unknown. In this study, we assessed the effect of Prt in ovine fertilization by using an anti-Prt antibody (APPA) in fertilization medium incubated with spermatozoa and oocytes. Moreover, a computational model was constructed to infer how the results obtained could be related to a hypothetical role for Prt in sperm-zona pellucida (ZP) binding. METHODS: Mature ovine oocytes were transferred to fertilization medium alone (control) or supplemented with APPA, or pre-immune serum (CSerum). Oocytes were inseminated with ovine spermatozoa and after 18 h, presumptive zygotes (n = 142) were fixed to evaluate fertilization rates or transferred (n = 374) for embryo culture until D6-7. Predicted ovine Prt tertiary structure was compared with data obtained by circular dichroism spectroscopy (CD) and a protein-protein computational docking model was estimated for a hypothetical Prt/ZP interaction. RESULTS: The fertilizing rate was lower (P = 0.006) in APPA group (46.0+/−6.79%) when compared to control (78.5+/−7.47%) and CSerum (64.5+/−6.65%) groups. In addition, the cleavage rate was higher (P < 0.0001) in control (44.1+/−4.15%) than in APPA group (19.7+/−4.22%). Prt CD spectroscopy showed a 22% alpha-helical structure in 30% (m/v) aqueous trifluoroethanol (TFE) and 17% alpha in 0.6% (m/v) TFE. The predominant alpha-helical secondary structure detected correlates with the predicted three dimensional structure for ovine Prt, which was subsequently used to test Prt/ZP docking. Computational analyses predicted a favorable Prt-binding activity towards ZP domains. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicates that the presence of APPA reduces the number of fertilized oocytes and of cleaved embryos. Moreover, the CD analysis data reinforces the predicted ovine Prt trend towards an alpha-helical structure. Predicted protein-protein docking suggests a possible interaction between Prt and ZP, thus supporting an important role for Prt in ovine fertilization