The role of indicators in decisions of technology innovation

There are thousands of indicators produced to understand and govern our societies. Studies about the way indicators are used in technological innovation are significantly rare, despite the centrality of these decisions to promote growth in our technology-intensive civilization. This book presents what is known and what was discovered in a doctoral research, which analysed innovative business leaders, policymakers and public researchers responsible for technological innovations

Guest editorial

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6TYP-46RDF5H-2/1/4d892d8249d5d0271e6b0a8dc9bd23a

Whole Genome Analysis of Gene Expression Reveals Coordinated Activation of Signaling and Metabolic Pathways during Pollen-Pistil Interactions in Arabidopsis

Plant reproduction depends on the concerted activation of many genes to ensure correct communication between pollen and pistil. Here, we queried the whole transcriptome of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) in order to identify genes with specific reproductive functions. We used the Affymetrix ATH1 whole genome array to profile wild-type unpollinated pistils and unfertilized ovules. By comparing the expression profile of pistils at 0.5, 3.5, and 8.0 h after pollination and applying a number of statistical and bioinformatics criteria, we found 1,373 genes differentially regulated during pollen-pistil interactions. Robust clustering analysis grouped these genes in 16 time-course clusters representing distinct patterns of regulation. Coregulation within each cluster suggests the presence of distinct genetic pathways, which might be under the control of specific transcriptional regulators. A total of 78% of the regulated genes were expressed initially in unpollinated pistil and/or ovules, 15% were initially detected in the pollen data sets as enriched or preferentially expressed, and 7% were induced upon pollination. Among those, we found a particular enrichment for unknown transcripts predicted to encode secreted proteins or representing signaling and cell wall-related proteins, which may function by remodeling the extracellular matrix or as extracellular signaling molecules. A strict regulatory control in various metabolic pathways suggests that fine-tuning of the biochemical and physiological cellular environment is crucial for reproductive success. Our study provides a unique and detailed temporal and spatial gene expression profile of in vivo pollen-pistil interactions, providing a framework to better understand the basis of the molecular mechanisms operating during the reproductive process in higher plants.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia grants: (FCT–PTDC/QUI/64339/06, SFRH/BD/1128/2000)

Diabetes hinders community-acquired pneumonia outcomes in hospitalized patients

This deposit is composed by the main article, and it hasn't any supplementary materials associated.This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) in hospitalized patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and its impact on hospital length of stay and in-hospital mortality.Pfizer Grant; Ernesto Roma Foundation grant: (FER2014/01)

Flavoured searches for type-III seesaw at the LHC

We present a reinterpretation of CMS searches for type-III seesaw lepton triplets at the LHC, both for the normal and the inverse seesaw. We find that, in contrast with previous expectations, these searches in the trilepton final state have a good sensitivity to triplets with predominant coupling to the tau lepton. We also show that the limits resulting from direct searches can be neatly presented for arbitrary masses and general flavour mixings. Thus, it turns out that the common (and often unrealistic) simplifying assumptions about the flavour couplings of the triplets used by experimental collaborations to present their results are unnecessary and should be dropped.This work has been supported by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal) and Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICINN, Spain) under the bilateral project “Signals of new fermions at colliders” (FCT/1683/27/1/2012/S, AIC-D-2011-0811). F.R.J. and P.M.B. acknowledge support from FCT through the projects CERN/FP/123580/2011, PTDC/FIS/102120/2008 and PEst-OE-FIS-UI0777-2013. J.A.A.S. acknowledges support from MICINN through the projects FPA2006-05294 and FPA2010-17915; from Junta de Andalucía (FQM 101 and FQM 6552) and from FCT (project CERN/ FP/123619/2011)

High risk of cardiovascular episodes and low adherence to risk factors guidelines in a population with diabetes

Although recent guidelines cover therapeutic goals, effective lipid management of patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes to reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk is still largely unattained. In the present study, we explored the electronic health records (EHR) at a specialized diabetes outpatient clinic to assess, in a real world database, the prevalence of poor lipid management in people with diabetes, the associated characteristics of this population, and the patterns of medication.Amge

Anatomic Variotions of the Paranasal Sinuses

Devido à grande proximidade dos seios perinasais (SPN) com a órbita, sistema nervoso central e outras estruturas, o cirurgião deve estar bem familiarizado com a anatomia nasossinusal. Foi efectuado um estudo retrospectivo de 150 TC-SPN realizadas no nosso centro, durante 2015. 75 exames preencheram os critérios de inclusão. Foi realizada análise de variáveis demográficas e anatómicas. A idade média foi 48 anos. Observámos agenésia em 6% dos seios frontais e hipoplasia em 15%, defeito da lâmina papirácea (LP) em 11%, deiscência da artéria etmoidal anterior em 29%, célula Onodi em 16%, exposição do nervo óptico em 28% e exposição da artéria carótida interna em 19%, entre outras variáveis avaliadas. A altura média da lamela lateral foi maior no sexo masculino. O sexo feminino correlacionou-se com hipoplasia do seio maxilar e LP medializada. Uma avaliação cuidada da TC-SPN é essencial para alcançar melhores resultados cirúrgicos e menor taxa de complicações.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

FACS-based purification of Arabidopsis microspores, sperm cells and vegetative nuclei

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The male germline in flowering plants differentiates by asymmetric division of haploid uninucleated microspores, giving rise to a vegetative cell enclosing a smaller generative cell, which eventually undergoes a second mitosis to originate two sperm cells. The vegetative cell and the sperm cells activate distinct genetic and epigenetic mechanisms to control pollen tube growth and germ cell specification, respectively. Therefore, a comprehensive characterization of these processes relies on efficient methods to isolate each of the different cell types throughout male gametogenesis. RESULTS: We developed stable transgenic Arabidopsis lines and reliable purification tools based on Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorting (FACS) in order to isolate highly pure and viable fractions of each cell/nuclei type before and after pollen mitosis. In the case of mature pollen, this was accomplished by expressing GFP and RFP in the sperm and vegetative nuclei, respectively, resulting in 99% pure sorted populations. Microspores were also purified by FACS taking advantage of their characteristic small size and autofluorescent properties, and were confirmed to be 98% pure. CONCLUSIONS: We provide simple and efficient FACS-based purification protocols for Arabidopsis microspores, vegetative nuclei and sperm cells. This paves the way for subsequent molecular analysis such as transcriptomics, DNA methylation analysis and chromatin immunoprecipitation, in the developmental context of microgametogenesis in Arabidopsis

Co-firing of biomass and other wastes in fluidised bed systems

A project on co-firing in large-scale power plants burning coal is currently funded by the European Commission. It is called COPOWER. The project involves 10 organisations from 6 countries. The project involves combustion studies over the full spectrum of equipment size, ranging from small laboratory-scale reactors and pilot plants, to investigate fundamentals and operating parameters, to proving trials on a commercial power plant in Duisburg. The power plant uses a circulating fluidized bed boiler. The results to be obtained are to be compared as function of scale-up. There are two different coals, 3 types of biomass and 2 kinds of waste materials are to be used for blending with coal for co-firing tests. The baseline values are obtained during a campaign of one month at the power station and the results are used for comparison with those to be obtained in other units of various sizes. Future tests will be implemented with the objective to achieve improvement on baseline values. The fuels to be used are already characterized. There are ongoing studies to determine reactivities of fuels and chars produced from the fuels. Reactivities are determined not only for individual fuels but also for blends to be used. Presently pilot-scale combustion tests are also undertaken to study the effect of blending coal with different types of biomass and waste materials. The potential for synergy to improve combustion is investigated. Early results will be reported in the Conference. Simultaneously, studies to verify the availability of biomass and waste materials in Portugal, Turkey and Italy have been undertaken. Techno-economic barriers for the future use of biomass and other waste materials are identified. The potential of using these materials in coal fired power stations has been assessed. The conclusions will also be reported

Temporal bone metastasis - a clinical case

A metastização óssea para a cabeça e pescoço é rara. Em 20-35% dos casos, pode ser a primeira manifestação de uma neoplasia oculta. No caso específico do osso temporal, as metástases são originárias, mais frequentemente, da mama, pulmão, rim, próstata e estômago. Apresenta-se o caso clínico de uma doente, do sexo feminino, 71 anos, com Diagnóstico de Carcinoma Ductal tipo Cribiforme na mama esquerda, tendo sido submetida a mastectomia total, quimioterapia e radioterapia. À observação apresentava um quadro clínico de otalgia esquerda, associada a paralisia facial da hemiface ipsilateral, sem outros sintomas otológicos. Foi-lhe diagnosticada Otite Média Crónica agudizada, tendo sido medicada e pedida Tomografia Computorizada ao Ouvido Esquerdo, que demonstrou exuberante espessamento dos tecidos moles epicranianos temporo-parieto-occipitais à esquerda com extensão ao canal auditivo externo do mesmo lado. Por agravamento da sintomatologia, foi internada no Serviço de Otorrinolaringologia deste hospital para administração de terapêutica endovenosa, tendo-se admitido a hipótese diagnóstica de Otite Externa Maligna. Por manutenção do quadro, apesar de terapêutica optimizada, foi submetida a intervenção cirúrgica onde foi efectuada biopsia temporal, tendo sido diagnosticado lesão metastática por carcinoma invasivo da mama.The bone metastasis to the head and neck is rare. In 20-35% of cases, can be the first manifestation of an occult neoplasia. In the specific case of the Temporal Bone, metastases originate most often from the breast, lung, kidney, prostate and stomach. We report the case of a patient, female, 71 years, with the diagnosis of Ductal Carcinoma Cribiform type in the left breast, having undergone total mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. She presented with left otalgia and ipsilateral hemifacial palsy, without other otologic symptoms. It was diagnosed Complicated Chronic Otitis Media, she was medicated and Computed Tomography ordered, wich demonstrated an exuberant thickening of the epicranial soft parts with extension to the ispilateral external auditory channel. For worsening symptoms, the patient was admitted to the Otorhinolaryngology Service of this hospital for administration of intravenous treatment, and it was hypothesized the diagnosis of malignant external otitis. For maintenance of the frame, despite optimal therapy, she was subjected to surgical intervention and performed temporal biopsy that diagnosed metastatic lesions of invasive breast carcinoma