The Work of the Portuguese Language Teacher: Singularities of the Genre of Activity Mediated by the Didactic Sequence

Com o objetivo de compreendermos até que ponto determinadas ações articuladas a cursos de formação contínua de pro-fessores de LP contribuem para abrir espaços de desenvolvimento no sentido da eficiência que Clot e Faita (2000) denominam como desenvolvimento do poder de agir, buscamos respostas para questões sobre como uma proposta de formação e de ensino de âmbito nacional tem sido interpretada, representada e colocada em prática por uma docente em escola pública. Com foco na implementação de uma sequência didática, a investigação busca dados empíricos na análise das representações dessa professora sobre o trabalho que foi prescrito e planejado por outrem. Algumas considerações apontadas como resultados da pesquisa apontam para um processo emergente da interação de contradições e conflitos entre os recursos psicológicos já disponíveis na professora e a tensão resultante das atividades impedidas ou contrariadas por diferentes fatores próprios da situação de trabalho.With the purpose of finding answers to questions mainly about how the proposed training and education has been inter-preted, represented and acted upon by teachers in public schools focusing on the implementation of the instructional sequence, the investigation seeks empirical data to analyze representations of a teacher on a task prescribed and planned by somebody else. Some considerations appointed as research results, indicate a process resulting from the interaction of contradictions and conflicts between the psychological resources already available on the teacher and the resultant tension from the precluded activities or countered by particular factors of the working condition

Advances in ex vivo expansion of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells for clinical applications

As caretakers of the hematopoietic system, hematopoietic stem cells assure a lifelong supply of differentiated populations that are responsible for critical bodily functions, including oxygen transport, immunological protection and coagulation. Due to the far-reaching influence of the hematopoietic system, hematological disorders typically have a significant impact on the lives of individuals, even becoming fatal. Hematopoietic cell transplantation was the first effective therapeutic avenue to treat such hematological diseases. Since then, key use and manipulation of hematopoietic stem cells for treatments has been aspired to fully take advantage of such an important cell population. Limited knowledge on hematopoietic stem cell behavior has motivated in-depth research into their biology. Efforts were able to uncover their native environment and characteristics during development and adult stages. Several signaling pathways at a cellular level have been mapped, providing insight into their machinery. Important dynamics of hematopoietic stem cell maintenance were begun to be understood with improved comprehension of their metabolism and progressive aging. These advances have provided a solid platform for the development of innovative strategies for the manipulation of hematopoietic stem cells. Specifically, expansion of the hematopoietic stem cell pool has triggered immense interest, gaining momentum. A wide range of approaches have sprouted, leading to a variety of expansion systems, from simpler small molecule-based strategies to complex biomimetic scaffolds. The recent approval of Omisirge, the first expanded hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell product, whose expansion platform is one of the earliest, is predictive of further successes that might arise soon. In order to guarantee the quality of these ex vivo manipulated cells, robust assays that measure cell function or potency need to be developed. Whether targeting hematopoietic engraftment, immunological differentiation potential or malignancy clearance, hematopoietic stem cells and their derivatives need efficient scaling of their therapeutic potency. In this review, we comprehensively view hematopoietic stem cells as therapeutic assets, going from fundamental to translational

Monitoring the ex-vivo expansion of human mesenchymal stem/stromal cells in xeno-free microcarrier-based reactor systems by MIR spectroscopy

Human mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) have received considerable attention in the field of cell-based therapies due to their high differentiation potential and ability to modulate immune responses. However, since these cells can only be isolated in very low quantities, successful realization of these therapies requires MSCs ex-vivo expansion to achieve relevant cell doses. The metabolic activity is one of the parameters often monitored during MSCs cultivation by using expensive multi-analytical methods, some of them time-consuming. The present work evaluates the use of mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy, through rapid and economic high-throughput analyses associated to multivariate data analysis, to monitor three different MSCs cultivation runs conducted in spinner flasks, under xeno-free culture conditions, which differ in the type of microcarriers used and the culture feeding strategy applied. After evaluating diverse spectral preprocessing techniques, the optimized partial least square (PLS) regression models based on the MIR spectra to estimate the glucose, lactate and ammonia concentrations yielded high coefficients of determination (R2 ≥ 0.98, ≥0.98, and ≥0.94, respectively) and low prediction errors (RMSECV ≤ 4.7%, ≤4.4% and ≤5.7%, respectively). Besides PLS models valid for specific expansion protocols, a robust model simultaneously valid for the three processes was also built for predicting glucose, lactate and ammonia, yielding a R2 of 0.95, 0.97 and 0.86, and a RMSECV of 0.33, 0.57, and 0.09 mM, respectively. Therefore, MIR spectroscopy combined with multivariate data analysis represents a promising tool for both optimization and control of MSCs expansion processes

Preliminary studies for the aplication of Thymbra capitata essential oil as potential antimicrobial agent in Bacterial Vaginosis

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is the most common gynecological clinical condition in women in reproductive age, and has been associated with an increased risk of development of preterm labor, spontaneous abortion, and several sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV [1]. BV is not only a condition that involves excessive growth of anaerobic microorganisms, but also involves the presence of an adherent biofilm [2]. Despite its high prevalence, the aetiology of BV remains unknown, but frequently Gardnerella vaginalis is the main microorganism associated with this disorder [3], that is often the main species in biofilms presented in BV [4]. These results led to the theory that the microorganisms that form biofilms may be relevant for the aetiology of BV [5]. Traditionally, the treatment of BV involves the antibiotics metronidazole, clindamicin or tinidazole [6]. However, the recurrence rate remains high and this can be related to the biofilm-forming ability of G. vaginalis [5]. In this context, recently it was reported that natural compounds, such as Thymbra capitata essential oil, can reduce the activity of biofilms [7]. To test if T. capitata could be used in the treatment of BV, we determined the biofilm-forming ability and the effect of essential oil in seven strains of G. vaginalis isolated from women with BV. Thus, the biofilm-forming ability was assessed under anaerobic conditions for 48 hours, allowing each strain to form biofilm. These assays revealed that in fact, G. vaginalis strains produced moderate to tenacious biofilm. We then determined the sensibility of the tested bacteria to the common antibiotics used to treat BV. Not surprisingly, most of strains were resistant of metronidazole and tinidazole which are more commonly administered. However half of strains were sensitive to clindamicin. We then evaluated the antibacterial activity of essential oil upon G. vaginalis strains, determining minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum lethal concentration (MLC). The T. capitata essential oil exhibited a potent anti-G. vaginalis effect, which was confirmed by the low values of MIC (0.16 µL.mL-1) and MLC (0.16 - 0.31 µL.mL-1). To conclude, these results showed that T. capitata essential oil presents a strong antibacterial activity upon antibiotic resistant and biofilm forming of G. vaginalis strains, reinforcing the potential interest of this essential oil as antimicrobial agent in the treatment of BV

Qualidade de vida de pacientes submetidos à cirurgia bariátrica: estudo transversal

Purpose: Analyze factors that influenced the quality of life (QoL) of patients after bariatric surgery. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out, involving 307 adult bariatric surgery patients between 2012 and 2014. Data was obtained from the electronic patient records and telephone interviews. To assess the QoL, the World Health Organization Quality of Life-Bref (WHOQOL-bref) was used. A simple linear regression model was constructed, adjusted by sociodemographic variables, with p<0.05. Results: The domains with the worst scores were the physical (mean=58.45; SD±10.42) and environmental (mean=65.19; SD±11.36). The best domains were the social (mean=76.51; SD±15.71) and psychological (mean=68.70; SD±15.71). In the linear regression model, it was observed that time since the surgery was inversely associated with the physical health domain. For each month post-bariatric surgery, the patient’s average score dropped by 2.66 points, adjusted by sex and age. Conclusions: Time since the surgery could be an important determinant of the physical domain score of quality of life. Identifying the quality of life after bariatric surgery and influential factors is fundamental to prepare these patients for the changes deriving from the weight loss.Objetivo: Analizar los factores que influyeron en la calidad de vida (CV) de los pacientes después de la cirugía bariátrica. Métodos: Se llevó a cabo un estudio transversal en el que participaron 307 pacientes adultos con cirugía bariátrica entre 2012 y 2014. Se han obtenido los datos de los registros electrónicos de los pacientes y de sus entrevistas telefónicas. Después se construyó un modelo de regresión lineal simple, ajustado por variables sociodemográficas, con p <0.05. Para evaluar la CV, se utilizó la Calidad de Vida Breve de la Organización Mundial de la Salud (WHOQOL-bref). Resultados: Los dominios con las peores puntuaciones fueron el físico (media = 58,45; SD ± 10,42) y ambiental (media = 65,19; SD ± 11,36). Los mejores dominios fueron el social (media = 76.51; SD ± 15.71) y psicológico (media = 68.70; SD ± 15.71). En el modelo de regresión lineal, se observó que el tiempo desde la cirugía se asoció inversamente con el dominio de la salud física. Por cada mes posterior a la cirugía bariátrica, el puntaje promedio del paciente se redujo en 2.66 puntos, ajustado por sexo y edad. Conclusión: El tiempo transcurrido desde la cirugía puede ser un determinante importante de la puntuación del dominio físico de la calidad de vida. Identificar la calidad de vida después de la cirugía bariátrica y los factores influyentes es fundamental para preparar a estos pacientes para los cambios derivados de la pérdida de peso.Objetivo: Analisar os fatores que influenciaram a qualidade de vida (QV) dos pacientes após a cirurgia bariátrica. Método: Realizado um estudo transversal envolvendo 307 pacientes adultos submetidos à cirurgia bariátrica, no período de 2012 a 2014. Os dados foram obtidos por meio de prontuário eletrônico e entrevistas telefônicas. Para avaliar a QV, foi utilizada a World Health Organization Quality of Life-bref (WHOQOL-bref). Um modelo de regressão linear simples foi construído, ajustado por variáveis sociodemográficas, com p <0,05.Resultados: Os domínios com os piores escores foram físico (média = 58,45; DP ± 10,42) e ambiental (média = 65,19; DP ± 11,36). Os melhores domínios foram o social (média = 76,51; DP ± 15,71) e o psicológico (média = 68,70; DP ± 15,71). No modelo de regressão linear, observou-se que o tempo desde a cirurgia foi inversamente associado ao domínio saúde física. Para cada mês pós-cirurgia bariátrica, a pontuação média do paciente caiu em 2,66 pontos, ajustada por sexo e idade. Conclusão: O tempo desde a cirurgia pode ser um importante determinante do escore do domínio físico de QV. Identificar a QV após a cirurgia bariátrica e fatores que a influenciam é fundamental para preparar esses pacientes para as mudanças decorrentes da perda de peso

Neurodifferentiation and neuroprotection potential of mesenchymal stromal cell-derived secretome produced in different dynamic systems

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder and is characterized by the degeneration of the dopamine (DA) neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta, leading to a loss of DA in the basal ganglia. The presence of aggregates of alpha-synuclein (α-synuclein) is seen as the main contributor to the pathogenesis and progression of PD. Evidence suggests that the secretome of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) could be a potential cell-free therapy for PD. However, to accelerate the integration of this therapy in the clinical setting, there is still the need to develop a protocol for the large-scale production of secretome under good manufacturing practices (GMP) guidelines. Bioreactors have the capacity to produce large quantities of secretomes in a scalable manner, surpassing the limitations of planar static culture systems. However, few studies focused on the influence of the culture system used to expand MSC, on the secretome composition. In this work, we studied the capacity of the secretome produced by bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BMSC) expanded in a spinner flask (SP) and in a Vertical-Wheel™ bioreactor (VWBR) system, to induce neurodifferentiation of human neural progenitor cells (hNPCs) and to prevent dopaminergic neuron degeneration caused by the overexpression of α-synuclein in one Caenorhabditis elegans model of PD. Results showed that secretomes from both systems were able to induce neurodifferentiation, though the secretome produced in the SP system had a greater effect. Additionally, in the conditions of our study, only the secretome produced in SP had a neuroprotective potential. Lastly, the secretomes had different profiles regarding the presence and/or specific intensity of different molecules, namely, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-4, matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP2), and 3 (MMP3), tumor necrosis factor-beta (TNF-β), osteopontin, nerve growth factor beta (NGFβ), granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (GCSF), heparin-binding (HB) epithelial growth factor (EGF)-like growth factor (HB-EGF), and IL-13. Overall, our results suggest that the culture conditions might have influenced the secretory profiles of cultured cells and, consequently, the observed effects. Additional studies should further explore the effects that different culture systems have on the secretome potential of PD.This work has been funded by la Caixa Foundation and Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the agreement LCF/PR/HP20/52300001; ICVS Scientific Microscopy Platform, member of the national infrastructure PPBI—Portuguese Platform of Bioimaging (PPBI-POCI-01-0145-FEDER-022122); by National funds, through the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT)—project UIDB/50026/2020 and UIDP/50026/2020. CRM was supported by a Ph.D. scholarship from FCT and the company Stemmatters, Biotecnologia e Medicina Regenerativa SA (PD/BDE/127833/2016). Funding received by iBB-Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences from FCT (UID/BIO/04565/2020) and through the project PTDC/EQU-EQU/31651/2017 is acknowledged. MAF was supported by a Ph.D. scholarship from FCT (SFRH/PD/BD/128328/2017). RC was supported by the EXOpro project (PTDC/EQU-QUE/31651/2017). JPS was supported by a Ph.D. scholarship from FCT and the company Bn’ML—Behavioral & Molecular Lab (PD/BDE/127834/2016). DS was supported by a Ph.D. scholarship from FCT and the company Stemmatters, Biotecnologia e Medicina Regenerativa S.A. (PD/BDE/135567/2018) JC was supported by a Ph.D. scholarship from FCT (SFRH/BD/5813/2020)

Uma infra-estrutura de apoio à aquisição cooperativa de conhecimento em engenharia de domínio

Apresenta uma infra-estrutura de apoio à realização da aquisição de conhecimento de forma cooperativa, no contexto da engenharia de domínio. Discutimos seus requisitos principais e os elementos que compõem sua arquitetura, dando ênfase à ferramenta responsável pela elicitação e representação de conhecimento através de use cases. Apresentamos ainda um protótipo dessa ferramenta implementado na linguagem Java

Characteristics of resistance training-based protocols in older adults with sarcopenic obesity: a scoping review of training procedure recommendations

Background: Sarcopenic obesity (SO) is a clinical and functional disease characterized by the coexistence of obesity and sarcopenia. Resistance training (RT) characteristics for older adults with sarcopenia or obesity are already well established in the scientific literature. Nonetheless, we still do not know how detailed the RT protocols are described for older adults with SO. Therefore, we aimed to analyze the characteristics of RT programs, including each of their variables, recommended for older adults with SO. Methods: This is a scoping review study that was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis for Scoping Reviews. The search was carried out until November 2022 in PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Scopus, LILACS, Google Scholar, and medRxiv databases. The studies included SO diagnosis and RT as an intervention strategy. The RT variables analyzed were as follows: exercise selection, the volume of sets, the intensity of load, repetition cadence, rest interval between sets, and weekly frequency. Results: A total of 1,693 studies were identified. After applying the exclusion criteria, 15 studies were included in the final analysis. The duration of the RT intervention ranged from 8 to 24 weeks. All studies included full-body routines, with single/multi-joint exercises. Regarding the volume of sets, some studies fixed it in three sets, whereas others varied between one and three sets. The load was reported by repetition range and the weight lifted, elastic-band color/resistance, percentage of one repetition maximum, or perceived exertion scale. Repetition cadence was fixed in some studies, while it was self-selected between concentric and eccentric phases in others. The interval between sets of rest varied from 30 to 180 s. All studies reported progression overload during the interventions.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Phytochemical screening, cytotoxicity and acute toxicity of Annona vepretorum Mart (Annonaceae) leaf extracts

Purpose: To investigate the phytochemistry, cytotoxicity and acute toxicity of leaf extracts from Annona vepretorum.Methods: The crude extracts were obtained by maceration with hexane and  methanol. The crude methanol extract was suspended in a 3:7 (v/v) mixture of methanol (MeOH) and water (H2O) and partitioned with hexane, chloroform (CHCl3) and ethyl acetate (AcOEt) in ascending order of polarity to obtain the respective  extracts. In the investigation of phytochemical profile, the extracts were evaluated on thin layer chromatography (TLC) plates of silica gel. Cytotoxicity was tested using 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) and (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium) (MTS) assays against tumor cell lines, viz,HCT-116 (colon), SF-295 (brain), HL-60 (leukemic) and Sarcoma-180. Acute toxicity study was performed by administration of a single oral dose of 2 g/kg body weight of the extracts to mice and the animals were observed for 14 days.Results: Phytochemical screening results showed that A. vepretorum extracts contain alkaloids, flavonoids and terpenes. Methanol and chloroform extracts exhibited high cytotoxic activity against HCT-116, HL-60 and Sarcoma-180. Moreover, the extracts displayed low toxicity in mice, as no deaths and pronounced toxic effects were observed.Conclusion: A. vepretorum contains a variety of secondary metabolites which may confer on this species high cytotoxic activity. In addition, the oral administration of the extracts produced low toxicity in mice.Keywords: Annonaceae, Annona vepretorum, Phytochemistry, Tumor cell lines, Acute toxicit

Tratamento de efluente da indústria de laticínios aplicando processo oxidativo avançado (H2O2/TiO2/UV)

O soro do leite, um subproduto da fabricação de queijos, apresenta altas cargas de lipídios, carboidratos e proteínas, que são de difícil biodegradabilidade e apresentam riscos ao meio ambiente. São produzidos cerca de 145 milhões de toneladas por ano de soro no mundo. Por isso, devem ser tratados adequadamente antes de serem lançados nos corpos receptores. Os processos oxidativos avançados (POA’s) podem ser uma alternativa não convencional, para o tratamento desse tipo de efluente, cuja eficiência do tratamento, tem-se mostrado como uma alternativa viável. Os POA’s são processos físico-químicos que geram espécies transitórias com elevado poder oxidante, principalmente o radical hidroxila (•OH), este radical oxida uma grande variedade de compostos orgânicos em CO2, H2O e íons inorgânicos. Com base nisso, o objetivo do trabalho foi de estudar o tratamento de efluente da indústria de laticínios através de POA’s em reator tubular com lâmpada de luz negra em processo de fotocatálise heterogênea (H2O2/TiO2/UV). Para isso foi utilizado um planejamento experimental 22. Obteve-se melhor resposta na concentração de TiO2 de 1,5 g/L e 200 mM de H2O2, reduzindo-se em cerca de 34% em DQO do efluente, em 20 minutos. Obteve-se um valor final de custo igual a US $0,05/L ou US$ 50/m