A closer look at radiation, colour and museum lighting topics

Funding Information: Research funding: This work was supported by National Funds through FCT-Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology under the Projects (UIDB/50006/2020 and UIDP/50006/2020 – LAQV; and UIDB/00729/2020 and UIDP/00729/2020 – VICARTE). Publisher Copyright: © 2023 the author(s), published by De Gruyter, Berlin/Boston 2023.Introduction to Conservation Science (ICS) is a curricular unit (CU) from the bachelor's degree in Conservation-Restoration at NOVA School of Science and Technology. This CU was created in 2017 to fill a gap in the academic degree - the need for a bridge between fundamental sciences (1st year) and conservation-restoration diagnosis (3rd year). For this reason, ICS was designed with the main goal of teaching 2nd year students how to look at, approach and solve problems of Cultural Heritage, through the combination of reflexive thinking and object-led analysis. ICS was first designed by an expert in Conservation Science with academic background in physics. However, from the perception of the students' struggle to understand the purpose of ICS subjects to their future professional activity, a professor with expertise in Conservation and Restoration was invited in 2019 to work together in the re-design of the CU, through an integrated approach between the two experts. ICS was then revised with the introduction of new perspectives and topics, as well as new communication routes to students. This work highlights this partnership as a good practice methodology to involve conservation-restoration students into science, focusing on the ICS classes specifically dedicated to radiation, colour, and museum lighting.publishersversionpublishe

Transcriptome mining to identify molecular markers for the diagnosis of Staphylococcus epidermidis bloodstream infections

Bloodstream infections caused by Staphylococcus epidermidis are often misdiagnosed since no diagnostic marker found so far can unequivocally discriminate true infection from sample contamination. While attempts have been made to find genomic and/or phenotypic differences between invasive and commensal isolates, possible changes in the transcriptome of these isolates under in vivo-mimicking conditions have not been investigated. Herein, we characterized the transcriptome, by RNA sequencing, of three clinical and three commensal isolates after 2 h of exposure to whole human blood. Bioinformatics analysis was used to rank the genes with the highest potential to distinguish invasive from commensal isolates and among the ten genes identified as candidates, the gene SERP2441 showed the highest potential. A collection of 56 clinical and commensal isolates was then used to validate, by quantitative PCR, the discriminative power of the selected genes. A significant variation was observed among isolates, and the discriminative power of the selected genes was lost, undermining their potential use as markers. Nevertheless, future studies should include an RNA sequencing characterization of a larger collection of isolates, as well as a wider range of conditions to increase the chances of finding further candidate markers for the diagnosis of bloodstream infections caused by S. epidermidis.This work was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of the unit [UIDB/04469/2020]. S.B. was supported by a fellowship granted by a Doctoral Advanced Training [NORTE-69-2015-15] funded by the European Social Fund under the scope of NORTE2020.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Comunidades nectónicas en substratos fangosos del estuario del Tajo (Portugal): distribucción y pautas alimenticias

Mudflats are an important component of estuaries, where they may occupy large areas and provide feeding and nursery grounds for many fish and bird species, as in the Tagus estuary. However, knowledge on their role and functioning is still expanding. Spatial and temporal dynamics of nekton assemblages in a mudflat of the Tagus estuary were evaluated to determine their role in the estuarine functioning. Feeding activity and daily rations of the most important nekton species are also analyzed. Two intertidal mudflat areas (upper and lower) were sampled, as well as the adjoining subtidal area. Sampling was conducted every two months, during a yearly cycle. A 24 h sampling cycle was conducted to investigate daily feeding patterns and determine daily rations. Crangon crangon, Carcinus maenas, Palaemon longirostris, Palaemon serratus and Pomatoschistus microps dominated the nekton community. A marked seasonal pattern was noticed with the highest densities recorded in spring and summer, corresponding to recruitment episodes of these species. Highest biomass values were recorded in the subtidal zone, while the highest densities were recorded in the intertidal zone. The mudflats seem to play an important role in the dynamics of the Tagus estuary, acting as a feeding and nursery areas for several nektonic species.Los substratos fangosos son componentes importantes de los estuarios, donde pueden ocupar amplias zonas y proporcionar alimento a las áreas de nursery de muchos peces y aves, como en el estuario de Tagus. Sin embargo, el conocimiento sobre su papel y funcionamiento es aún escaso. Se estudiaron la dinámica espacial y temporal de las comunidades bentónicas en una zona fangosa del estuario de Tagus, determinando su papel en el funcionamiento del estuario. Asimismo, se analizó la actividad alimenticia y las raciones diarias de las especies principales del nekton. Se muestrearon dos áreas fangosas intermareales (superior e inferior), así como las zonas submareales adyacentes. Los muestreos se realizaron cada dos meses durante un año. Se realizó un ciclo de 24 h para investigar las pautas alimenticias y determinar la ración diaria. Crangon crangon, Carcinus maenas, Palaemon longirostris, Palaemon serratus y Pomatoschistus microps dominan la comunidad nectónica. Se observa una pauta estacional clara, con las densidades más altas en primavera y verano, que corresponden a los episodios de reclutamiento de las especies mencionadas. Las biomasas más elevadas se obtuvieron en la zona submareal, mientras las densidades mayores se midieron en el intermareal. Los fondos fangosos del estuario de Tagus parecen jugar un papel importante en su dinámica, actuado como áreas de alimento y nursery de diversas especies nectónicas

Developing an affordable but reliable human blood ex vivo model to analyse gene expression by Staphylococcus epidermidis

Microbiotec'17 - Congress of Microbiology and Biotechnology 2017Background: Staphylococcus epidermidis is a commensal inhabitant of healthy human skin and mucosae. However, when external barriers, such as the skin, are damaged, the bacterium gains accesses into the bloodstream and emerges as an opportunistic pathogen. S. epidermidis can originate important infections such as medical device-associated bloodstream infections. This is mainly due to its ability to attach and form biofilms on the surface of vascular catheters. Hence, due to the clinical relevance of S. epidermidis medical device-associated bloodstream infections, human blood is frequently used as an ex vivo model, to mimic the environment encountered by the bacterium and study its behavior. An important limitation in the use of human blood is the availability of donors and the considerable quantity of blood necessary. As any other biological resource, the use of blood shall be reduced to a minimum and, thus, our goal was to test the influence of different volumes of human blood on the stability of S. epidermidis gene expression and on bacterial culturability.This work was supported by national funds (FCT) by the strategic project of UID/BIO/04469/2013 and by BioTecNorte operation (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000004) funded by European Regional Development Fund under the scope of Norte2020. SB had an individual fellowship (UMINHO/BD/15/2016) supported by the Doctoral Program in Chemical and Biological Engineering (NORTE-08-5369-FSE-000052 Operation) by NORTE 2020 Program and co-funded by European Social Fund.NC is an Investigador FCT.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Tracing poly(Vinyl acetate) emulsions by infrared and raman spectroscopies: Identification of spectral markers

Vinyl emulsions started to be used by artists in paintings at least since the early 1960s, being now present in several artworks worldwide. However, different vinyl formulations can result in distinct behaviours over time, and if some artworks are currently showing a good condition, others already show damages due to the use of compositions more susceptible to degradation. For this reason, it is fundamental to identify the main components in the vinyl acetate-based (VAc-based) emulsion. This work focuses on the molecular study of VAc-based emulsions by infrared and Raman spectroscopies. It aims at deepening the knowledge on the variability of the composite formulation and on the identification of characteristic bands and spectral profiles (identified as spectral markers) for both polymer and additives. To this end, a broad set of vinyl emulsions was gathered, including reference materials, historical commercial brands in use by Portuguese artists, and commercial brands collected from industrial companies. The entire set includes vinyl homopolymers produced for the purpose of the study and known formulations of vinyl homopolymers and copolymers, with and without plasticisers, according to technical data sheets and previous studies. Furthermore, unknown formulations have been included to validate the usefulness of the identified spectral markers. This set has been studied in the form of solid films deposited in glass slides by infrared spectroscopy in attenuated total reflection mode (ATR-FTIR) and micro-Raman spectroscopy (µ-Raman), both conducted in situ. As conclusions, the combined use of ATR-FTIR and µ-Raman proved to be very useful as different spectral markers were detected by each technique, confirming their complementarity. Besides the clear identification of vinyl acetate-based emulsions by both techniques, it was also possible to suggest spectral markers for the copolymerisation of vinyl acetate with vinyl versatate by µ-Raman, the stabilisation of the emulsion with poly(vinyl alcohol) by ATR-FTIR, and the addition of phthalates or benzoates plasticisers by both ATR-FTIR and µ-Raman.publishersversionpublishe

On the old story of the accidental pathogen: can transcriptomics clarify how S. epidermidis becomes virulent?

Background: Staphylococcus epidermidis is a commensal inhabitant of healthy human skin and mucosae that can originate important infections such as medical device-associated bloodstream infections, often associated to patients with impaired or undeveloped immune systems. Of concern, the current inability to discriminate between true bacteraemia caused by S. epidermidis and contaminated blood cultures often leads to misdiagnosis, resulting in a significant increase in patient morbidity and in healthcare costs. Until now, several genetic and phenotypic approaches were not able to identify any specific marker that clearly distinguishes commensal from isolates that cause infection. Hence, our goal was to identify possible RNA-based molecular markers for the diagnosis of S. epidermidis infections, a strategy never reported before.The authors acknowledge the Doctoral Advanced Training [Norte 69-2015-15] funded by the European Social Fund under the scope of Norte2020, FCT project EXPL/BIA-MIC/0101/2013; strategic funding of unit UID/BIO/04469/2019; BioTecNorte operation (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000004).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Optimização da produção industrial de produtos cosméticos e detergentes

Dissertação apresentada na Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Química e BioquímicaEste trabalho foi realizado no âmbito da Optimização da Produção Industrial de Produtos Cosméticos e Detergentes. O trabalho realizado teve como finalidade o estudo e acompanhamento da Unidade Fabril, mais concretamente a nível laboratorial, com o objectivo de introduzir novas formulações, optimizar e simular os processos de produção industrial, para posterior aplicação. O plano de estágio proposto foi associado a diversas tarefas inseridas em vários projectos, dos quais se destacam: Optimização e implementação de novas fórmulas de detergentes líquidos; Estudo da variação do parâmetro da viscosidade em geles de banho e detergentes líquidos; Realização de auditorias internas de higiene; Acompanhamento do novo projecto “Tang” de detergentes em pó; Estudo da recuperação enzimática através do Auto analisador e Resolução de problemas surgidos na produção diária. Das actividades realizadas é de salientar os seguintes resultados: Na elaboração do produto Domestos Lixívia Espessa, foi necessário verificar se a adição da matéria-prima C, noutra fase do processo iria alterar a viscosidade do produto final. Para a análise procedeu-se à execução de cargas laboratoriais, constatando-se que a diferença da viscosidade obtida entre o espessante sem e com a adição de C, é significativa. No entanto, relativamente ao produto final, as viscosidades são idênticas e encontram-se dentro dos limites de especificação. Avaliou-se também a viscosidade dos espessantes ao longo do tempo, para verificar se é possível a utilização da bomba disponível na Lever. Efectuou-se a validação do método de análise da enzima Mananase, a qual apresentou uma taxa de recuperação de 105,4%. Na sequência do problema de baixa viscosidade detectada numa carga industrial, analisaram-se métodos correctivos, sugerindo-se a mistura de dois produtos: um produto com viscosidade dentro dos limites e outro produto de baixa viscosidade, de forma a aumentar o valor de viscosidade. Verificou-se que a proporção ideal da mistura seria 2:1

Relação entre área e perímetro de figuras planas: um estudo sobre os conhecimentos profissionais de professoras

Este artigo é parte de uma pesquisa de doutorado em desenvolvimento e buscou investigar conhecimentos profissionais sobre a relação entre área e perímetro de figuras planas em respostas apresentadas por 12 professoras que lecionam matemática para os anos iniciais. Os dados foram coletados no início dos estudos, que foram realizados na própria escola na qual esse grupo de docentes lecionava. Para esta publicação, analisaram-se respostas dadas pelas participantes do grupo para dois itens apresentados em um questionário inicial. Em tal análise, utilizou-se como aporte teórico os estudos de Ball, Thames e Phelps (2008), que tratam do Conhecimento Profissional Docente, e Ma (2009), que investiga como educadores exploram ideias novas apresentadas sobre área e perímetro. Observou-se que esse grupo investigado tinha limitações nos conhecimentos comum e especializado tanto das noções matemáticas envolvidas nas medidas de área e perímetro e em seu ensino como da relação entre elas. É possível afirmar que a ausência de domínio do significado de área e perímetro implicaria falta de conhecimentos para o ensino desse conteúdo e da comparação entre essas medidas. Considera-se essencial que, em processos de formação, desenvolvam-se trabalhos que possibilitem a discussão e a reflexão acerca das ideias envolvidas nos cálculos de medida área e perímetro e suas comparações, de forma a relacionar essa temática com a prática pedagógica do professor

Optimizing a reliable ex vivo human blood model to analyze expression of Staphylococcus epidermidis genes

Human blood is often used as an ex vivo model to mimic the environment encountered by pathogens inside the host. A significant variety of experimental conditions has been reported. However, optimization strategies are often not described. This study aimed to evaluate key parameters that are expected to influence Staphylococcus epidermidis gene expression when using human blood ex vivo models. Our data confirmed that blood antimicrobial activity was dependent on initial bacterial concentration. Furthermore, blood degradation over time resulted in lower antimicrobial activity, with a 2% loss of leukocytes viability correlating with a 5-fold loss of antimicrobial activity against S. epidermidis. We further demonstrated that the volume of human blood could be reduced to as little as 0.18 mL without affecting the stability of gene expression of the tested genes. Overall, the data described herein highlight experimental parameters that should be considered when using a human blood ex vivo model for S. epidermidis gene expression analysis.This work was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) by the funded project PTDC/BIA-MOL/29553/2017, under the scope of COMPETE2020 [POCI-01-0145-FEDER-02955 and by the strategic funding of unit UIDB/04469/2020 and by European funds under BioTecNorte operation [NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000004 funded by European Regional Development Fund under the scope of Norte2020. Susana Brás is supported by a fellowship granted by a Doctoral Advanced Training [Norte 69- 2015-15 funded by the European Social Fund under the scope of Norte2020. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscriptinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio