DNA methylation dynamics in muscle development and disease

DNA methylation is an essential epigenetic modification for mammalian development and is crucial for the establishment and maintenance of cellular identity. Traditionally, DNA methylation has been considered as a permanent repressive epigenetic mark. However, the application of genome-wide approaches has allowed the analysis of DNA methylation in different genomic contexts revealing a more dynamic regulation than originally thought, since active DNA methylation and demethylation occur during cellular differentiation and tissue specification. Satellite cells are the primary stem cells in adult skeletal muscle and are responsible for postnatal muscle growth, hypertrophy, and muscle regeneration. This review outlines the published data regarding DNA methylation changes along the skeletal muscle program, in both physiological and pathological conditions, to better understand the epigenetic mechanisms that control myogenesis

Youth mental health in Portugal, Italy and Spain: Key challenges for improving well-being

The article presents an overview of youth mental health in three countries characterised by economic recession: Portugal, Italy and Spain

Sustainable fully printed UV sensors on cork using zinc oxide/ethylcellulose inks

SFRH/BD/121679/2016 SFRH/BD/139225/2018 ERC-StG-2014, GA 640598 H2020-TWINN-2015, GA 692373 UID/CTM/50025/2019 PTDC/CTM-NAN/5172/2014 PTDC/CTMBIO/6178/2014.Low-cost and large-scale production techniques for flexible electronics have evolved greatly in recent years, having great impact in applications such as wearable technology and the internet of things. In this work, we demonstrate fully screen-printed UV photodetectors, successfully fabricated at a low temperature on a cork substrate, using as the active layer a mixture of zinc oxide nanoparticles and ethylcellulose. The photoresponse under irradiation with a UV lamp with peak emission at 302 nm exhibited a quasi-quadratic behavior directly proportional to the applied voltage, with a photocurrent of about 5.5 and 20 μA when applying 1.5 V and 5 V, respectively. The dark current stayed below 150 nA, while the rise and falling times were, respectively, below 5 and 2 s for both applied voltages. The performance was stable over continuous operation and showed a degradation of only 9% after 100 bending cycles in a 45 mm radius test cylinder. These are promising results regarding the use of this type of sensor in wearable applications such as cork hats, bracelets, or bags.publishersversionpublishe

Foldable and Recyclable Iontronic Cellulose Nanopaper for Low-Power Paper Electronics

Nanomodelling and Nanofabrication – i3N, project CHIHC, reference PTDC/NAN‐MAT/32558/2017, project CELLECTIVE, reference PTDC/CTM‐CTM/4653/2021, The authors would also like to thank their colleagues Daniela Gomes, Ana Pimentel, Sónia Pereira and Tomás Calmeiro from CENIMAT/i3N for the SEM, DSC‐TGA, XRD and AFM measurements, respectively.An increase in the demand for the next generation of “Internet-of-Things” (IoT) has motivated efforts to develop flexible and affordable smart electronic systems, in line with sustainable development and carbon neutrality. Cellulose holds the potential to fulfil such demands as a low-cost green material due to its abundant and renewable nature and tunable properties. Here, a cellulose-based ionic conductive substrate compatible with printing techniques that combines the mechanical robustness, thermal resistance and surface smoothness of cellulose nanofibrils nanopaper with the high capacitance of a regenerated cellulose hydrogel electrolyte, is reported. Fully screen-printed electrolyte-gated transistors and universal logic gates are demonstrated using the engineered ionic conductive nanopaper and zinc oxide nanoplates as the semiconductor layer. The devices exhibit low-voltage operation (<3 V), and remarkable mechanical endurance under outward folding due to the combination of the robustness of the nanopaper and the compliance of the semiconductor layer provided by the ZnO nanoplates. The printed devices and the ion-conductive nanopaper can be efficiently recycled to fabricate new devices, which is compatible with the circular economy concept.publishersversionpublishe

Construcción social de la jerarquía de género. Acercamiento a la diferente adaptación escolar de chicas y chicos en la adolescencia

Este trabajo pretende ser un acercamiento a la diferente adaptación escolar de chicos y chicas en edad adolescente en función de los procesos de socialización y los modelos y expectativas sociales actuales para las masculinidades y las feminidades. Planteamos la hipótesis de que desde distintos ámbitos, y también desde la docencia, se está contribuyendo a reforzar algunos patrones de comportamiento propios de una concepción jerárquica de los sexos. Queremos prestar especial atención a la enfatización de modelos de alta exigencia en las chicas adolescentes, con el propósito de contribuir a generar espacios de igualdad en el ámbito escolar y prevenir nuevos patrones de opresión para identidades de género que ocupan posiciones de no-poder.<br /

Ionically Modified Cellulose Nanocrystal Self-Assembled Films with a Mesoporous Twisted Superstructure: Polarizability and Application in Ion-Gated Transistors

FCT – Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology through the Ph.D. scholarship SFRH/BD/125191/2016. project PapEl, reference PTDC/CTM-NAN/5172/2014. project CHIHC, reference PTDC/NAN-MAT/32558/2017. project PTDC/CTM-BIO/6178/2014, M-ERA-NET2/0007/2016 (CellColor). POR Lisboa2020 through project PTDC/CTM-REF/30529/2017. D.G. acknowledges the support from FCT – Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology through the AdvaMTech PhD program scholarship PD/BD/52627/2014.Mesoporous structures made of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and their self-assembly into films are of great interest not only due to their abundancy and sustainability but also due to their ease of chemical modification and nanoscale biomimicry capabilities. However, their implementation in (opto)electronic devices requires further understanding on how these self-assembled twisted mesoporous superstructures respond to electrical stimulus. In this regard, this work focuses on the infiltration of solid CNC droplets with three distinct alkali ions (Li+, Na+, and K+) to yield films with improved electrochemical response when compared to pristine ones, while preserving their photonic character. Electrochemical characterization shows capacitances of up to 2.5 μF cm–2 allowing for their integration as solid-state gate electrolytes in amorphous indium–gallium–zinc–oxide transistors, resulting in low operating voltages (10 cm2 V–1 s–1. Devices fabricated on Na+ and K+ infiltrated CNC films present the best characteristics, indicating pure capacitive charging of the semiconductor. The insights presented here contribute to applications in solid-state ionics in mesoporous structures or the combination of optically active electrolytes capable of providing unique functionalities in ion-gated transistors and circuitry.publishersversionpublishe

Optoelectronics and Bio Devices on Paper Powered by Solar Cells

The employment of printing techniques as cost-effective methods to fabricate low cost, flexible, disposable and sustainable solar cells is intimately dependent on the substrate properties and the adequate electronic devices to be powered by them. Among such devices, there is currently a growing interest in the development of user-oriented and multipurpose systems for intelligent packaging or on-site medical diagnostics, which would greatly benefit from printable solar cells as their energy source for autonomous operation

Impacto do marketing digital nas empresas colombianas emergentes

El marketing digital cobra cada vez mayor importancia en los entornos competitivos de los mercados globales; en este sentido, el comprador de hoy cuenta con características puntuales derivadas de su adopción de las nuevas tecnologías, que a su vez lo llevan a ejercer una toma de decisiones con un mayor análisis de información; de lo cual surge el interés por observar las condiciones de incorporación de las estrategias de marketing digital en las empresas colombianas y los aportes que pueden generar para su desarrollo. Por lo anterior, se llevó a cabo una revisión documental, bajo un enfoque cualitativo y descriptivo, que permitió detallar los principales aportes del marketing digital en el mundo, sus herramientas y estrategias, y las condiciones colombianas para su aplicación. Como conclusiones destacadas se evaluaron los principales componentes del marketing digital, las condiciones de accesibilidad de las TIC en la población nacional y sus tendencias de consumo a través del comercio electrónico; además de las dificultades y barreras culturales que deben ser superadas por las pymes para su adecuado aprovechamiento; para finalmente terminar con un análisis de los aportes relacionados con la competitividad, internacionalización de mercados, innovación, sostenibilidad económica y la interacción con los clientes

Tailoring Upconversion and Morphology of Yb/Eu Doped Y2O3 Nanostructures by Acid Composition Mediation

The authors also acknowledge funding from the European Commission through the projects 1D-NEON (H2020-NMP-2015, grant 685758-21D). The work was also partially funded by the Nanomark collaborative project between INCM (Imprensa Nacional-Casa da Moeda) and CENIMAT/i3N. P.A. Carvalho acknowledges support from the Research Council of Norway through grants 275752 and 197405/F50.The present study reports the production of upconverter nanostructures composed by a yttrium oxide host matrix co-doped with ytterbium and europium, i.e., Y2O3:Yb3+/Eu3+. These nanostructures were formed through the dissociation of yttrium, ytterbium and europium oxides using acetic, hydrochloric and nitric acids, followed by a fast hydrothermal method assisted by microwave irradiation and subsequent calcination process. Structural characterization has been carried out by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) both coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The acid used for dissociation of the primary oxides played a crucial role on the morphology of the nanostructures. The acetic-based nanostructures resulted in nanosheets in the micrometer range, with thickness of around 50 nm, while hydrochloric and nitric resulted in sphere-shaped nanostructures. The produced nanostructures revealed a homogeneous distribution of the doping elements. The thermal behaviour of the materials has been investigated with in situ X-Ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) experiments. Moreover, the optical band gaps of all materials were determined from diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, and their photoluminescence behaviour has been accessed showing significant differences depending on the acid used, which can directly influence their upconversion performance.publishersversionpublishe