Genomic blueprints of sponge-prokaryote symbiosis are shared by low abundant and cultivatable Alphaproteobacteria

Marine sponges are early-branching, filter-feeding metazoans that usually host complex microbiomes comprised of several, currently uncultivatable symbiotic lineages. Here, we use a low-carbon based strategy to cultivate low-abundance bacteria from Spongia officinalis. This approach favoured the growth of Alphaproteobacteria strains in the genera Anderseniella, Erythrobacter, Labrenzia, Loktanella, Ruegeria, Sphingorhabdus, Tateyamaria and Pseudovibrio, besides two likely new genera in the Rhodobacteraceae family. Mapping of complete genomes against the metagenomes of S. officinalis, seawater, and sediments confirmed the rare status of all the above-mentioned lineages in the marine realm. Remarkably, this community of low-abundance Alphaproteobacteria possesses several genomic attributes common to dominant, presently uncultivatable sponge symbionts, potentially contributing to host fitness through detoxification mechanisms (e.g. heavy metal and metabolic waste removal, degradation of aromatic compounds), provision of essential vitamins (e.g. B6 and B12 biosynthesis), nutritional exchange (especially regarding the processing of organic sulphur and nitrogen) and chemical defence (e.g. polyketide and terpenoid biosynthesis). None of the studied taxa displayed signs of genome reduction, indicative of obligate mutualism. Instead, versatile nutrient metabolisms along with motility, chemotaxis, and tight-adherence capacities - also known to confer environmental hardiness - were inferred, underlying dual host-associated and free-living life strategies adopted by these diverse sponge-associated Alphaproteobacteria.PTDC/MAR-BIO/1547/2014; full PhD scholarship from the Erasmus Mundus Programme/SALAM EMA2 lot7/SALA1206422info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Statistical Mechanics Characterization of Neuronal Mosaics

The spatial distribution of neuronal cells is an important requirement for achieving proper neuronal function in several parts of the nervous system of most animals. For instance, specific distribution of photoreceptors and related neuronal cells, particularly the ganglion cells, in mammal's retina is required in order to properly sample the projected scene. This work presents how two concepts from the areas of statistical mechanics and complex systems, namely the \emph{lacunarity} and the \emph{multiscale entropy} (i.e. the entropy calculated over progressively diffused representations of the cell mosaic), have allowed effective characterization of the spatial distribution of retinal cells.Comment: 3 pages, 1 figure, The following article has been submitted to Applied Physics Letters. If it is published, it will be found online at http://apl.aip.org

Oficina: a fotografia como mode de pensar utrapassando as barreiras dos dispositivos tecnológicos

Anais do 35º Seminário de Extensão Universitária da Região Sul - Área temática: CulturaEsta oficina pretende fornecer aporte teórico, introduzindo, brevemente, a história da fotografia, resgatando alguns conceitos e ideias importantes para o desenvolvimento da mesma. Em seguida, será feita uma análise, em grupo, de algumas fotografias, a fim de aplicar as reflexões expostas e também abrir para o compartilhamento de experiências e troca de ideias. Na sequência, será proposta uma prática a ser realizada com os dispositivos móveis que os participantes tenham no momento, com o intuito de exercitar a criatividade, o olhar e a reflexão acerca do ato fotográfic

Avaliação do lençol freático em duas áreas exploradas com a cultura do coqueiro (Cocos nucifera L.).

bitstream/item/90507/1/CPATC-PESQ.-AND.-36-86.pd

Metagenome-assembled genome sequences of three uncultured planktomarina sp. strains from the Northeast Atlantic Ocean

We report three metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) of Planktomarina strains from coastal seawater (Portugal) to help illuminate the functions of understudied Rhodobacteraceae bacteria in marine environments. The MAGs encode proteins involved in aerobic anoxygenic photosynthesis and a versatile carbohydrate metabolism, strengthening the role of Planktomarina species in oceanic carbon cycling.Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology: EXPL/MAR-EST/1664/2013 PTDC/MAR-BIO/1547/2014, UIDB/04565/2020, PD/BD/143029/2018, CEECIND/00788/2017,PTDC/BIA-MIC/31996/2017;Institute of Bioengineering and Biosciences (iBB) by the Programa Operacional Regional de Lisboa 007317; Helmholtz Association VH-NG-1248.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Minicurso: de produção audiovisual - incubadora cultura viva

Anais do 35º Seminário de Extensão Universitária da Região Sul - Área temática: Comunicação, CulturaEste minicurso pretende apresentar uma introdução a base dos conhecimentos técnicos e os processos de produção audiovisual, utilizando dispositivos técnicos para capacitar um público comum sobre a utilização dessas ferramenta

Secure Cloud Storage with Client-Side Encryption Using a Trusted Execution Environment

With the evolution of computer systems, the amount of sensitive data to be stored as well as the number of threats on these data grow up, making the data confidentiality increasingly important to computer users. Currently, with devices always connected to the Internet, the use of cloud data storage services has become practical and common, allowing quick access to such data wherever the user is. Such practicality brings with it a concern, precisely the confidentiality of the data which is delivered to third parties for storage. In the home environment, disk encryption tools have gained special attention from users, being used on personal computers and also having native options in some smartphone operating systems. The present work uses the data sealing, feature provided by the Intel Software Guard Extensions (Intel SGX) technology, for file encryption. A virtual file system is created in which applications can store their data, keeping the security guarantees provided by the Intel SGX technology, before send the data to a storage provider. This way, even if the storage provider is compromised, the data are safe. To validate the proposal, the Cryptomator software, which is a free client-side encryption tool for cloud files, was integrated with an Intel SGX application (enclave) for data sealing. The results demonstrate that the solution is feasible, in terms of performance and security, and can be expanded and refined for practical use and integration with cloud synchronization services