Hoverfly (Diptera: Syrphidae) diversity in Tapada da Ajuda, Lisbon - a preliminary study

Hoverflies are holometabolic insects, whose adults are pollinators feeding on nectar and pollen. Frequently, they are confused with wasps, bees and bumblebees. In the larval stage, some of them prey other insects, specially aphids (Hemiptera), and others are saprophagous. For this reason, they are important biological control agents. In this study, we carried out the prospection and specific identification of hoverflies in four habitats in Tapada da Ajuda (olive grove, a field of Apiaceae, herbaceous vegetation near Lagoa Branca and plum orchard), between March and May 2017. Hoverfly adults were mostly captured with an entomologic net, but also with jar and plastic bags. A preliminary evaluation on the importance of ecologic infrastructure fava bean inter-row in the plum orchard was also performed. For this purpose, we observed fava plants and plum trees, collecting eggs, larvae and pupae of hoverflies that we reared in the laboratory until the emergence of the adult of hoverfly or parasitoid. A total of 12 species were identified, being the most frequent and abundant Episyrphus balteatus and Sphaerophoria scripta. Species richness was higher in the Apiaceae field although this habitat was sampled only during the last fortnight of the study. In the hoverfly immature collected in the plum orchard we detected hymenopteran parasitoids belonging to Diplazontinae and Pteromalidaeinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

From Concept to Policy: Building Regional Innovation Systems in Follower Regions

In the spirit of “The Lisbon strategy”, public policies are redirecting support from investment-driven policies to knowledge building as the main driver for competitiveness and innovation. This re-orientation poses different challenges to regions and RIS concept may be the central element, simultaneously goal and toolbox, for devising innovation promotion policies. The RIS framework stresses the need to combine a systemic and inclusive view of innovation along with territorially embedded specificities. In this paper we explore how to operationalize the concept of RIS in terms of innovation policy, arguing against a “one size fits all” approach. Concentrating our analysis on follower regions, we bridge the concept of RIS with the structural deficiencies and challenges posing to this kind of regions, for which innovation policy should seek an adequate combination between science push and demand pull perspectives. We also address the importance of taking advantage of the catching-up status, building upon R&D cost-advantages and clustering around external initiatives as well as the correction of important constraints to the construction of a RIS.Innovation, Regional Innovation Systems, Innovation Policy, Follower Regions

Design of strategies to prevent synthesis of S. pneumoniae capsular polysaccharide at the bacteria division septum

Tese de mestrado. Biologia (Biologia Molecular e Genética). Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências, 2012Streptococcus pneumoniae is a common respiratory bacterial pathogen and a frequent cause of community-acquired pneumonia in developed countries. The genes encoding for the capsule polysaccharide (CPS), one of the most important virulence factors of these bacteria, are organized in an operon and in almost all the serotypes the two conserved Wzd and Wze proteins are expressed. Previous results suggest that if these two proteins cannot interact, forming a Wzd/Wze protein complex, pneumococcal bacteria will be prevented from producing capsule at the septum, which was shown to abolish the ability of these bacteria to cause bacteremia in mice after intranasal challenge. In this work, we aimed to find a method capable of screening and identifying small inhibitory (SI) peptides that prevent the interaction between Wzd and Wze. This could, consequently, represent a breakthrough in the development of strategies to replace vaccines against this important clinical pathogen. Initially, a derivative of the Escherichia coli bacterial two-hybrid assay was used. Here, T25- and T18-tagged proteins Wzd and Wze were expressed in the presence of a protein that should compete and interfere with their interaction. However, expression of this control protein, untagged and fully functional Wze, did not prevent the interaction between T25-Wzd and T18-Wze when expressed in a different plasmid. Afterwards we decided to screen for SI peptides directly in S. pneumoniae. For that purpose, we constructed a mutant strain that encodes in the chromosome both proteins, Wzd and Wze, functional and fused to different fluorescent proteins. Accordingly, we observed that Wzd and Wze were localized at the division septum of bacteria and that this localization was lost when a competitor was expressed from a replicative plasmid. We will now screen for SI peptides that can cause delocalization of Wzd and/or Wze and determine their effect on the synthesis of pneumococcal CPS.Streptococcus pneumoniae é um agente bacteriano patogénico que causa frequentemente pneumonia em paises desenvolvidos. Um dos factores de virulência mais importantes é a cápsula (CPS), um polissacarido que reveste as bactérias. Os genes que codificam para a síntese da cápsula encontram-se organizados num operão que contém os genes wzd e wze, conservados em quase todos os serotipos conhecidos. As proteínas Wzd e Wze interagem formando um complexo proteico que é recrutado para o septo, local de divisão da bactéria, induzindo e regulando a síntese da cápsula. Resultados anteriores sugerem que a inibição da ligação entre estas duas proteinas pode impedir a produção de CPS no septo. Por esta razão, a descoberta de pequenos péptidos, denominados de péptidos SI (pequenos péptidos inibitórios – small inibitory peptides), que inibam a interacção entre as proteínas Wzd e Wze, pode significar uma revolução na criação de estratégias alternativas para substituir as vacinas desenvolvidas contra este patogéneo. O objectivo deste trabalho consistiu no desenvolvimento de um método de identificação de péptidos SI. Começou-se por usar um derivado do sistema “bactérial twohybrid”, em Escherichia coli, em que ambas as proteínas Wzd e Wze, contendo os tags T25 e T18 respectivamente, são expressas na presença de uma proteína competidora capaz de inibir a interacção Wzd/Wze. Contudo, este método não se revelou o mais adequado. De seguida decidiu-se desenvolver um sistema alternativo que pudesse identificar péptidos SI directamente em pneumococos. Para isso, construiram-se mutantes que expressam no cromossoma os genes wzd e wze em fusão com sequências que codificam para diferentes proteínas fluorescentes CFP e Citrine, respectivamente. Esta ferramenta revelou-se capaz de identificar péptidos SI que inibam a interacção entre as proteínas Wzd e Wze. Posteriormente procuraremos outros péptidos SI capazes de deslocalizar as proteínas Wzd e/ou Wze e determinar o seu efeito na síntese de CPS de pneumococos

Hurst exponents, power laws, and efficiency in the Brazilian foreign exchange market

We find evidence of weak informational efficiency in the Brazilian daily foreign exchange market using Hurst exponents (Hurst 1951, 1955, Feder 1988), which offer an alternative (from statistical physics) to traditional econometric gauges. We show that a trend toward efficiency has been reverted since the crisis of 1999. We also find power laws (Mantegna and Stanley 2000) in means, volatilities, the Hurst exponents, autocorrelation times, and complexity indices of returns for varying time lags.econophysics

Fractal structure in the Chinese yuan/US dollar rate

Price changes of the Chinese yuan/US dollar rate are found to display a Sierpinski triangle in an Iterative Function System clumpiness test. This fractal structure commonly emerges in “the chaos gameâ€, where randomness coexists with deterministic rules. We show that a threshold model with four states, two deterministic and two stochastic is able to replicate the properties of the yuan/dollar returns in general, and the Sierpinski triangle in particular.

Effect of elastic stockings on biomarkers levels of muscle soreness in volleyball players after exercise

OBJECTIVE:To assess plasma levels of muscle soreness biomarkers, namely creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, and myoglobin, in professional volleyball players following anaerobic exercise with and without the use of elastic stockings. METHODS: Ten female volleyball players aged 18 to 25 years-old were assessed with and without below-knee 20 to 30 mmHg compression stockings (Sport Active®, Venosan, Abreu e Lima, Brazil). Biomarker levels were assessed at three different moments: M0, early in the morning, with the athletes at rest, not using elastic stockings; M1, early in the morning, following a bout of exercise using elastic stockings; M2, seven days later, following the same bout of exercise, however not using elastic stockings. The Borg scale was used after each series of exercise to evaluate the physical effort. RESULTS: The means values obtained for creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase were, respectively, 117.7±40.2 and 134.2±11.3 U/L at M0; 138.2±47.2 and 157.9±10.1 U/L at M1; and 161.3±59.9 and 177.2±18.8 U/L at M2. The mean values obtained for myoglobin were 31.5±6.5; 34.9±5.6 and 38.6±12.6 µg/L at the moments M0, M1 and M2, respectively. Statistically significant differences were observed between M1 and M2 (Tukey) for creatine kinase (p=0.0007) and lactate dehydrogenase (p=0.000), but not for myoglobin (p=0.1135). Borg scale scores obtained at M1 and M2 were, respectively, 17.8 and 18.2, without statistically significant differences between them (Wilcoxon). CONCLUSION: The use of elastic stockings was associated with lower plasma levels of biomarkers of muscle injury after exercise.OBJETIVO: Avaliar os níveis plasmáticos dos biomarcadores de lesão muscular, a saber, creatina quinase, lactato desidrogenase e mioglobina, em atletas profissionais de voleibol após exercícios musculares anaeróbicos, com e sem uso de meia elástica. MÉTODOS: Foram avaliadas dez jogadoras profissionais de voleibol, com idades entre 18 e 25 anos, utilizando ou não meia elástica (Sport Active®, Venosan, Abreu e Lima, Brasil), com compressão de 20 a 30 mmHg abaixo do joelho. As dosagens foram feitas em três momentos: M0, início da manhã, com as atletas em repouso sem uso de meia elástica; M1, início da manhã, após a realização de atividade física com uso de meia elástica; M2, sete dias depois, após a realização dos mesmos exercícios, porém sem uso de meia elástica. Aplicou-se a escala de Borg após cada série de atividade física para avaliação do esforço. RESULTADOS: Os valores médios obtidos para creatina quinase e lactato desidrogenase foram, respectivamente, de 117,7±40,2 e 134,2±11,3 U/L, em M0; 138,2±47,2 e 157,9±10,1 U/L, em M1; e 161,3±59,9 e 177,2±18,8 U/L, em M2. Os valores médios obtidos para mioglobina foram de 31,5±6,5; 34,9±5,6 e 38,6±12,6 µg/L nos momentos M0, M1 e M2, respectivamente. Houve diferenças estatisticamente significativas (Tukey) entre M1 e M2 para os valores de creatina quinase (p=0,0007) e lactato desidrogenase (p=0,000), mas não para os valores de mioglobina (p=0,1135). Os escores da escala de Borg em M1 e M2 foram, respectivamente, de 17,8 e 18,2, sem diferença estatisticamente significante entre eles (Wilcoxon). CONCLUSÃO: O uso da meia elástica foi associado a menores níveis plasmáticos dos biomarcadores de lesão muscular após exercício físico.Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)Universidade Federal de Uberlândia Faculdade de MedicinaUFU Instituto de Genética e BioquímicaUNIFESPSciEL

Fairness and Income Redistribution- an Analysis of the Latin American Tax System

This paper assesses the effects of income redistribution policies on "responsibilit -sensitive" fairness levels in major Latin American countries. In doing so, the following items are analyzed- i) the fairness rule described in Bossert (1995),Konow (1996), and Cappelen & Tungodden (2007) and; ii) the redistribution mechanism (taxation policy) proposed by Ooghe & Peich (2010). The results indicate that taxation does not have a significant effect on Latin American fairness indicators. This behavior can be explained, among other factors, by the fiscal design used, which utilizes high rates associated with the effort variables and fails to equalize unequal opportunities.Theory of Justice,Redistribution,