A Stochastic Dynamic Methodology (SDM) to the modelling of trophic interactions, with a focus on estuarine eutrophication scenarios

In the face of global change, declines in environmental quality are of increasing concern, especially in shallow coastal areas, densely populated and commonly affected by nutrient enrichment. The warm temperate Mondego estuary (Western Portugal), in common with many other shallow estuarine areas, is exhibiting increased macroalgal growth due to nutrient enrichment. The increase of macroalgal biomass and possible shift of other primary producers resulting from eutrophication, may have profound effects on estuarine trophic chain. The present paper examined the performance of a holistic Stochastic Dynamic Methodology (SDM) in predicting the tendencies of three representative trophic levels as a response to the increase of nutrient concentrations. Therefore, the proposed methodology has been developed by focusing on the interactions between conceptually isolated key-components, such as primary producers (macroalgae and seagrass), some relevant benthic macroinvertebrates, wading birds and changes in local physicochemical conditions. The dynamic model developed was preceded by a conventional multivariate statistical procedure (stepwise multiple regression analysis) performed to discriminate the significant relationships between prevailing biological and environmental variables. Since this statistical analysis is static, the dataset recorded from the field included true gradients of habitat changes. The data used in the model construction was sampled between January 1993 and September 1995 in three areas of the estuary mudflats for benthic macroinvertebrates, macroalgae, environmental and physicochemical factors and from October 1993 to October 1994 for wading birds. The model validation was based on independent data collected in two different periods, from January 1996 to January 1997 and from February 1999 to April 2000 for all the variables selected. Overall, the simulation results are encouraging since they seem to demonstrate the model reliability in capturing the trophic dynamics of the studied estuary by predicting the behavioural pattern for the most part of the components selected under a very complex and variable environmental scenario.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6W87-4GKW799-1/1/ab5142848de94cfd92f687763783f2a

Multi-scale approach using phytoplankton as a first step towards the definition of the ecological status of reservoirs

The growing need to analyse the present state of ecosystems and predict their rate of change has triggered a demand to explore species environment relationships for assessing alterations under anthropogenic influence. The Water Framework Directive (WFD) requires the definition of different types of water bodies which are of relevance when assessing their ecological status. The main aim of this study was to define of the types of Portuguese reservoirs located in the North and Centre of Portugal and to assess their ecological status using phytoplankton as water quality indicators. In this study, sampling was carried out in 34 reservoirs during four seasons (spring, summer, autumn and winter), through a period of 8 years (1996-2004).http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6W87-4ST4CF7-1/1/911b46293dcdcf046f40a1c1863a619

Long-term sustainability of cork oak agro-forests in the Iberian Peninsula: A model-based approach aimed at supporting the best management options for the montado conservation

The future of the montado, a human shaped agro-forestry ecosystem of South Western Europe, is questioned due to the observed lack of cork oak health and low natural regeneration. We developed a System Dynamics Modelling approach to predict the long-term sustainability of this agro-forest, by recreating cork-oak population dynamics, management practices and the main environmental and biological constrains associated with this ecosystem. Our results indicate that the leading limitations to cork oak regeneration in montado ecosystems result from the intensity and interaction of land management practices, namely livestock and the use of heavy machinery. The main conclusions indicate that limiting the quantity of livestock up to 0.40 LU.ha -1 , and considering soil ploughing with a minimum periodicity of 5 years, are crucial to maintaining sustainable cork oak populations. This study represents a first step to support strategic options for cork oak montado management by providing projections of long-term population trends under realistic social-ecological change scenarios.This work was supported by the FCT (Portuguese Foun-dation for Science and Technology) under a Ph.D. grant[SFRH/BD/70708/2010]. R. Bastos is funded by FCT through the doc-toral grant SFRH/BD/102428/2014. S. Costa is funded by the FCTthrough the post-doctoral grant SFRH/BPD/102438/2014. We aregrateful to Alfredo Sendim from Herdade do Freixo do Meio whokindly allowed us to develop this work at his property.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The validity and reliability of the “My Jump App” for measuring jump height of the elderly

[EN] Background: The ability to jump has been related to muscle strength and power, speed and amplitude of the lower limbs movements, and specifically for the elderly, the vertical jump has been shown to be a good predictor of functional capacity and risk of falling. The use of a mobile application (App) which can measure the vertical jump (i.e., iPhone App My Jump) has recently emerged as a simple, cheap and very practical tool for evaluation of jump ability. However, the validity of this tool for the elderly population has not been tested yet. The elderly usually perform very low jumps and therefore the signal-to-noise ratio may compromise the validity and reliability of this method. Thus, the aim of the current study was to verify the validity and reliability of the iPhone App “My Jump” for the evaluation of countermovement jump (CMJ) height within an elderly population. Methods: After familiarization, 41 participants performed three CMJs assessed via a contact mat and the My Jump App. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to verify the relative reliability, while the coefficient of variation (CV%) and the typical error of measurement (TEM) were used to verify the absolute reliability. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used to verify the strength of the relationship between methods (i.e., concurrent validity), a Bland–Altman plot to show their agreement, and the Student’s t-test to identify systematic bias between them. For reliability analyses, all jumps were considered (i.e., 123). All jumps (i.e., 123), the average height of each attempt (i.e., 41), and the highest jump, were considered for validity analyses. Results: The CMJ height of the highest jump was 10.78 ± 5.23 cm with contact mat, and 10.87 ± 5.32 with My Jump App, with an identified systematic bias of 0.096 cm (P = 0.007). There was a nearly perfect correlation between methods (r = 0.999; P = 0.000, in all cases) with a very good agreement observed (0.3255 to -0.5177 cm, 0.2797 to -0.5594 cm, and 0.3466 to -0.6264 cm, for highest jump height, average jump height, and all jump heights, respectively). The ICC of the My Jump App was 0.948, the TEM was 1.150 cm, and the CV was 10.10%. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the My Jump App is a valid and reliable tool compared to the contact mat for evaluating vertical jump performance in the elderly.André Ricarte Medeiros (UC17351170) received a PROSUP scholarship grant from CAPES. Daniel A. Boullosa received a productivity grant from CNPq (305131/2015-0)We would like to thank Dr. David Behm for his advice and the English revision of the manuscript

Sintomatologia depressiva e suas repercussões na representação social da depressão: um estudo com adolescentes

Depression has been portrayed as the evil of the century, becoming a public health problem that has affected millions of people worldwide. This study aimed to understand how adolescents represent depression. One hundred and sixty-eight high school students aged 14 to 18 years participated, from public and private schools in João Pessoa-Paraíba, Brazil. We used the Free Association of Words Technique (TALP), a sociodemographic questionnaire, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The social representation of depression anchored in subjective experiences was observed, emphasizing the individual aspects of this phenomenon, such as sadness, loneliness, anguish, suffering and suicide. The adolescents presented depressive symptoms in 21.4 % of the cases, and these percentages are higher when compared to other studies in the area. It is hoped that this study can promote preventive actions in the school context and reflect on ways to raise awareness of depression as a disorder with multiple causes.La depresión ha sido retratada como el mal del siglo, convirtiéndose en un problema de salud pública que ha afectado a millones de personas en todo el mundo. Este estudio tuvo como objetivo comprender cómo los adolescentes representan la depresión. Participaron 168 estudiantes de secundaria, de 14 a 18 años, de escuelas públicas y privadas en João Pessoa-Paraíba, Brasil. Se utilizó la técnica de asociación de palabras libres (TALP), Cuestionario sociodemográfico y la Escala de ansiedad y depresión hospitalaria (HADS). Se observó la representación social de la depresión anclada en experiencias subjetivas que enfatizan los aspectos individuales de este fenómeno como la tristeza, la soledad, la angustia, el sufrimiento y el suicidio. Los adolescentes presentaron síntomas depresivos en 21.4 %, estos porcentajes se acentuaron en comparación con otros estudios en el área. Se espera que este estudio pueda promover acciones preventivas en el contexto escolar y reflexiones sobre formas de crear conciencia sobre la depresión como un trastorno de múltiples causas.A depressão tem sido retratada como o mal do século, tornando-se um problema de saúde pública que tem afetado milhões de pessoas no mundo. Este estudo objetivou compreender como os adolescentes representam a depressão. Participaram 168 estudantes do ensino médio, com idades de 14 a 18 anos, de escolas públicas e privadas de João Pessoa-Paraíba, Brasil. Utilizou-se a Técnica de Associação Livre de Palavras (TALP), Questionário sociodemográfico e a Escala de Ansiedade e Depressão Hospitalar (HADS). Observou-se a representação social da depressão ancorada em vivências subjetivas enfatizando os aspectos individuais desse fenômeno como tristeza, solidão, angústia, sofrimento e suicídio. Os adolescentes apresentaram sintomatologia depressiva em 21,4 %, sendo estes percentuais acentuados quando comparados com outros estudos na área. Espera-se que este estudo possa promover ações de prevenção no contexto escolar e reflexões sobre meios de conscientização da depressão como um transtorno de causas múltiplas

Subconjunctival use of allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells to treat chronic superficial keratitis in German shepherd dogs: Pilot study

Background: Chronic superficial keratitis (CSK) is an ocular condition in dogs characterized by corneal opacification leading to visual function impairment. Control of this chronic condition requires the use of topical immunomodulators or corticosteroids daily. Regenerative medicine has shown promising results in several fields of medicine. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical effect of allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) of adipose tissue applied via subconjunctival in dogs with CSK. Methods: A series of cases of eight dogs diagnosed with CSK were divided into two groups, four dogs each; the conventional treatment group received prednisolone 1% as topical eye drops and the experimental group (EG) received allogeneic MSCs transplantation. The dogs had not previously been treated for CSK. Systemic and ophthalmologic examinations were performed to exclude other abnormalities. An administered amount of MSC (1 × 106 cells each time) was injected via subconjunctival in the peri-limbal region at 0 and 30 days. The animals were followed for 110 days for clinical evaluation, and, at the same time, the images of the corneal abnormalities were obtained and analyzed in the ImageJ software. The statistical analysis was performed in the GrandPrism 7.0 software. Results: Initial and final images revealed that areas with neovascularization, inflammatory infiltrate, and opacity regressed in most eyes in both groups (7/8 eyes in each group) at the end of the 110 days, p = 0.0391 and p = 0.0078 respectively, but this response was minor in the EG comparing to conventional group (CG) (p = 0.026). No local or systemic side effects were observed. Conclusions: Despite the small melioration, MSCs treatment suggests clinical improvement in patients with CSK after 110 days without any local or systemic side effects. However, the improvement achieved was significantly less than the observed within CG. Further studies still are needed to evaluate the use and benefits of stem cells as an adjunct treatment for CSK

Taxa de prenhez em novilhas holandesas diagnosticadas com 30 e 60 dias após IATF / Pregnancy rate in Dutch heifers diagnosed 30 and 60 days after IATF

Objetivou-se nesse trabalho avaliar a taxa de prenhez em novilhas holandesas, bem como a taxa de reabsorção que as mesmas sofreram no período de dois meses. Foram utilizadas 51 novilhas entre 270- 350kg. Os animais passaram pela avaliação visual do escore de condição corporal (ECC) e assim, foram agrupados e divididos, com 30 dias após a inseminação verificou-se a taxa de prenhez e 60 dias posteriormente passaram por outra avaliação para verificar a taxa de reabsorção sofrida após a gestação.  Verificou-se que alguns animais de baixo peso corporal, conseguiram emprenhar, no entanto, tiveram os fetos reabsorvidos, já os animais de peso corporal superior, conseguiram manter a prenhez problemas de reabsorção. Foi comprovado então que uma maior eficiência reprodutiva/ maturidade sexual de novilhas depende mais do peso corporal do que da idade propriamente dita, quanto maior o peso corporal da novilha, maior a taxa de prenhez e menor a taxa de reabsorção. 

Atividades mão na massa: um método de sala de aula invertida para o ensino de física na Universidade Federal do Pará / Hand-mass activities: an inverted classroom method for physical education at the Federal University of Pará

Visando preencher as lacunas na aprendizagem dos alunos de física, o Laboratório de Inovação Didática em Física (LIDF) desenvolveu uma sequência didática envolvendo ciclos de ensino cujas atividades se baseiam na Taxonomia de Bloom do Domínio Cognitivo e nos princípios da sala de aula invertida. Nos ciclos, encontra-se as atividades Mão na Massa, cujo propósito é inserir problemáticas a serem resolvidas por meio da experimentação em sala de aula. Esse produto educacional apresentou grande adesão dos alunos, cujo engajamento em situações desafiadoras é fundamental para o desenvolvimento de competências

An overview on immunogenic cell death in cancer biology and therapy

Immunogenic cell death (ICD) is a modality of regulated cell death that is sufficient to promote an adaptive immune response against antigens of the dying cell in an immunocompetent host. An important characteristic of ICD is the release and exposure of damage-associated molecular patterns, which are potent endogenous immune adjuvants. As the induction of ICD can be achieved with conventional cytotoxic agents, it represents a potential approach for the immunotherapy of cancer. Here, different aspects of ICD in cancer biology and treatment are reviewed