The organization of mathematics teaching at early years of the elementary school in Brazil

This article strives to describe the organization of Mathematics teach-ing at the early years of the Brazilian elementary education. It presents the structure of the curriculum, highlights main methodologies used in mathematics teaching at this level of school education as well as discusses the creation of textbooks in Brazi

Human umbilical cord blood plasma as an alternative to animal sera for mesenchymal stromal cells in vitro expansion – A multicomponent metabolomic analysis

Mesenchymal Stromal cells (MSCs) have a potential role in cell-based therapies. Foetal bovine serum (FBS) is used to supplement the basal cell culture medium but presents several disadvantages and risks. Other alternatives have been studied, including human umbilical cord blood plasma (hUCBP), aiming at the development of xeno-free culturing protocols. A comparative characterization of multicomponent metabolic composition of hUCBP and commercial FBS based on Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and multivariate statistical analysis was performed. The analysis of 1H-NMR spectra revealed both similarities and differences between the two proposed supplements. Similar metabolites (amino acids, glucose, lipids and nucleotides) were found in the hUCBP and FBS NMR spectra. The results show that the major difference between the metabolic profiles of the two proposed supplements are due to the significantly higher levels of glucose and lower levels of lactate, glutamate, alanine and branched chain amino acids in hUCBP. Similar or slightly different levels of important proteinogenic amino acids, as well as of nucleotides, lipids were found in the hUCBP and FBS. In order to validate it’s suitability for cell culture, umbilical cord-MSCs (UC-MSCs) and dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) were expanded using hUCBP. In both hMSCs, in vitro culture with hUCBP supplementation presented similar to improved metabolic performances when compared to FBS. The two cell types tested expressed different optimum hUCBP percentage content. For DPSCs, the optimum hUCBP content was 6% and for UC-MSCs, 4%. Cultured hMSCs displayed no changes in senescence indicators, as well as maintained characteristic surface marker’s expression. FBS substitution was associated with an increase in early apoptosis events, in a dose dependent manner, as well as to slight up- and down-regulation of targeted gene’s expression. Tri-lineage differentiation capacity was also influenced by the substitution of FBS by hUCBP.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Effectiveness of the third wave cognitive behavior therapy for peripartum depression treatment – a systematic review

Introduction: To investigate the effectiveness of third-wave cognitive behavior therapies in the treatment of peripartum depression. Method: A systematic review of the effectiveness of psychological interventions in treating peripartum depression focus on the Third Wave has been conducted. The electronic databases MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Web of Science and Clinical Trials were searched, using a combination of different search terms. Data were independently extracted by two authors and a synthesis of the results was offered. Methodological quality was assessed by three authors, using ROBE-2 and MINORS. Search date was conducted in February 2022 and the search was re-run in November 2022 for new entries. Findings: Six papers were included and reported, focused on, the effectiveness of Third Wave approach interventions in reducing depressive symptoms. Papers included the following intervention approaches: Behavioral intervention (n = 2), Mindfulness (n = 2), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (n = 1) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (n = 1). All six papers were consistent in that interventions lead to a decrease in depression symptoms. However, risk of bias evaluation showed that all were critical low, but one paper was high quality. Conclusion and implications for practice and research: Systematic review showed that third-wave approaches are promising in effectiveness to reduce depression symptoms in peripartum women. However, more high-quality studies with follow-up are needed.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Matrix interpretation of multiple orthogonality

In this work we give an interpretation of a (s(d + 1) + 1)-term recurrence relation in terms of type II multiple orthogonal polynomials.We rewrite this recurrence relation in matrix form and we obtain a three-term recurrence relation for vector polynomials with matrix coefficients. We present a matrix interpretation of the type II multi-orthogonality conditions.We state a Favard type theorem and the expression for the resolvent function associated to the vector of linear functionals. Finally a reinterpretation of the type II Hermite- Padé approximation in matrix form is given

Gamma Irradiation Processing on 3D PCL Devices—A Preliminary Biocompatibility Assessment

Funding Information: Mariana Vieira Branquinho (SFRH/BD/146172/2019), Ana Catarina Sousa (SFRH/BD/146689/2019), and Bruna Lopes (2021.05265.BD) acknowledge the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT)’s financial support. Rui Damásio Alvites acknowledges the Animal Science Studies Centre (CECA), Agroenvironment, Technologies and Sciences Institute (ICETA), Porto University (UP), and FCT for the funding and availability of all technical, structural, and human resources necessary for the development of this work. The work was supported through the project UIDB/00211/2020 funded by FCT/MCTES, national funds. This research was funded by Projects PEst-OE/AGR/UI0211/2011 from FCT, and COMPETE 2020, from ANI–Projetos ID&T Empresas em Copromoção, by the project “Print-on-Organs–Engineering bioinks and processes for direct printing on organs” with the reference POCI-01-0247-FEDER-033877, by the project “Bone2Move-Development of “in vivo” experimental tech-niquesand modelling methodologies for the evaluation of 4D scaffolds for bone defect in sheepmodel: an integrative research approach” with the reference POCI-01-0145-FEDER-031146. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 by the authors.Additive manufacturing or 3D printing applying polycaprolactone (PCL)-based medical devices represents an important branch of tissue engineering, where the sterilization method is a key process for further safe application in vitro and in vivo. In this study, the authors intend to access the most suitable gamma radiation conditions to sterilize PCL-based scaffolds in a preliminary biocompatibility assessment, envisioning future studies for airway obstruction conditions. Three radiation levels were considered, 25 kGy, 35 kGy and 45 kGy, and evaluated as regards their cyto- and biocompatibility. All three groups presented biocompatible properties, indicating an adequate sterility condition. As for the cytocompatibility analysis, devices sterilized with 35 kGy and 45 kGy showed better results, with the 45 kGy showing overall improved outcomes. This study allowed the selection of the most suitable sterilization condition for PCL-based scaffolds, aiming at immediate future assays, by applying 3D-customized printing techniques to specific airway obstruction lesions of the trachea.publishersversionpublishe

Differentiation of Bacillus pumilus and Bacillus safensis using MALDI-TOF-MS

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) despite being increasingly used as a method for microbial identification, still present limitations in which concerns the differentiation of closely related species. Bacillus pumillus and Bacillus safensis, are species of biotechnological and pharmaceutical significance, difficult to differentiate by conventional methodologies. In this study, using a well-characterized collection of B. pumillus and B. safensis isolates, we demonstrated the suitability of MALDI-TOF-MS combined with chemometrics to accurately and rapidly identify them. Moreover, characteristic species-specific ion masses were tentatively assigned, using UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot and UniProtKB/TrEMBL databases and primary literature. Delineation of B. pumilus (ions at m/z 5271 and 6122) and B. safensis (ions at m/z 5288, 5568 and 6413) species were supported by a congruent characteristic protein pattern. Moreover, using a chemometric approach, the score plot created by partial least square discriminant analysis (PLSDA) of mass spectra demonstrated the presence of two individualized clusters, each one enclosing isolates belonging to a species-specific spectral group. The generated pool of species-specific proteins comprised mostly ribosomal and SASPs proteins. Therefore, in B. pumilus the specific ion at m/z 5271 was associated with a small acid-soluble spore protein (SASP O) or with 50S protein L35, whereas in B. safensis specific ions at m/z 5288 and 5568 were associated with SASP J and P, respectively, and an ion at m/z 6413 with 50S protein L32. Thus, the resulting unique protein profile combined with chemometric analysis, proved to be valuable tools for B. pumilus and B. safensis discrimination, allowing their reliable, reproducible and rapid identification.Dr. Kasthuri Venkateswaran, Dr. Irene Ouoba, Dr. Joseph W. Kloepper, Dr. Cecilie From and Dr. Maria Morea are gratefully acknowledged for providing isolates FO-36bT, SAFN-027, SAFN-037, KL-052, 51-3C and 82-2C; Bs31; SE 49 (AP3) and SE 52 (AP7); FEL 55, UNG22 and MIL46, respectively. Raquel Branquinho was supported by a PhD fellowship (Ref. SFRH/BD/61410/2009) and Clara Sousa by a post-doctoral fellowship (Ref. SFRH/BPD/70548/2010), from FCT (Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia, Portugal). Hugo Osorio acknowledges the funding from QREN-FEDER through the Operational Program ON. 2 - O Novo Norte. IPATIMUP is an Associate Laboratory of the Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education and is partially supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Competin

A Genotyping-by-Sequencing approach brings new insights into the population structure and local adaptation of Western Mediterranean Oaks

XIX ENBE Annual Meeting of the Portuguese Association for Evolutionary Biology, 18-19 December 2023, Lisboninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio