New methods to reduce leakage errors in planar near-field measurements

This paper describes two methods to cancel the effect of two kinds of leakage signals which may be presented when an antenna is measured in a planar near-field range. One method tries to reduce leakage bias errors from the receiver¿s quadrature detector and it is based on estimating the bias constant added to every near-field data sample. Then, that constant is subtracted from the data, removing its undesired effect on the far-field pattern. The estimation is performed by back-propagating the field from the scan plane to the antenna under test plane (AUT) and averaging all the data located outside the AUT aperture. The second method is able to cancel the effect of the leakage from faulty transmission lines, connectors or rotary joints. The basis of this method is also a reconstruction process to determine the field distribution on the AUT plane. Once this distribution is known, a spatial filtering is applied to cancel the contribution due to those faulty elements. After that, a near-field-to-far-field transformation is applied, obtaining a new radiation pattern where the leakage effects have disappeared. To verify the effectiveness of both methods, several examples are presented

Impacto dos fungos na saúde pública

Grande parte da população já sofreu de infeções fúngicas superficiais facilmente tratáveis. Contudo, milhões de indivíduos são vítimas de infeções fúngicas invasivas potencialmente fatais, de difícil diagnóstico e tratamento. A incidência de infeções fúngicas invasivas em pacientes imunodeprimidos e/ou hospitalizados tem vindo a aumentar nos últimos anos, originando elevadas taxas de morbilidade e mortalidade. A Candida spp, Cryptococcus neoformans e Aspergillus spp. são os fungos mais frequentemente isolados neste tipo de infeções. Por outro lado, as micoses superficiais afetam cerca de 25% da população sendo as infeções fúngicas mais comuns em todo o mundo. Trichophyton rubrum representa o agente etiológico da maioria dos casos de tinea unguium, tinea cruris, tinea corporis e tinea pedis. Não menos importantes, destacam-se o Microsporum canis e Trichophyton tonsurans responsáveis por tínea capitis principalmente em crianças

Toll-like receptor 2 and 4: Differential signaling, dimerization and the outcome in inflammation

Tesis Doctoral inédita leída en la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Biología Molecular. Fecha de lectura: 12-07-2019Esta tesis tiene embargado el acceso al texto completo hasta el 12-01-2021Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play a crucial role in the recognition of pathogen-derived components as a first line of defense against infections. TLR4 and TLR2 receptors play a key role due to their cell surface location and their ability to identify a diversified spectrum of pathogen components. The early signaling activation via TLR4 and TLR2 receptors was studied and the results presented in the first chapter of this work show that TLR2 ligands activated NF-κB and MAPKs earlier and exhibited a higher IL-10 /IL-12 ratio at later time points compared to TLR4 ligands. The results further show the involvement of the phosphatase MKP-1 in the control of the MAPK p38 activation and that MKP-1 contributes to pro-inflammatory cytokine’s upregulation. Furthermore, p38 is critical for IL-10 expression in response to TLR2 ligands, which triggers the macrophage change to a M2 and regulatory phenotype in contrast to the M1 phenotype induced by TLR4 activation. Therefore, the early TLR2-mediated p38 induction contributes for the high IL-10 production as a virulence strategy to suppress host Th1 response against certain types of pathogens. TLR2 activation induces type I interferon expression mediated by MyD88 and TRIF signaling pathways. The role of TRIF-IFN-β-signaling in TLR2-mediated inflammatory responses was investigated and the results presented in the second chapter indicate that TLR2 ligands induce IFN-β expression, dependent of receptor endocytosis which consequently activate the interferon transcription factors IRF3 and IRF7. TRIF signaling was found to be required for IFN-β induction and consequent expression of the cytokine IL-12 in response to TLR2 ligands. Moreover, TLR2 is determinant for Listeria monocytogenes recognition, however, modifications of this bacteria cell wall avoid its recognition. The in vivo administration of TLR2 ligands in a murine model of neonatal listeriosis showed lower levels of bacterial load in neonate’s microglia, and Listeria-infected dendritic cells stimulated with TLR2 ligands presented higher levels of protective TNF-α and IL-12 cytokines, mediated by IFN-β. Therefore, TLR2 ligands exert a modulatory effect on cytokines with beneficial effects on the prevention of Listeria dissemination. This data points to TLR2 ligands as potential adjuvants in vaccine models for this bacterial infection. TLR4 is considered the major receptor to recognize all LPSs. However, some atypical LPS’s structures depart from the well-studied E. coli LPS and induce a TLR2-dependent inflammatory response in immune cells. The results in the third chapter demonstrate that the atypical LPS from Ochrobactrum intermedium is a TLR4/TLR2 agonist, inducing a weaker inflammatory response compared to E. coli LPS. Molecular docking analysis of O. intermedium LPS predicts a favorable formation of a TLR2/TLR4/MD-2 heterodimer, further confirmed by FRET. These imply that atypical LPSs may induce TLR4/TLR2 heterodimerization to decrease the bacteria activation of the innate immune systemLos receptores “Toll-like” (TLRs) tienen un papel clave en el reconocimiento de compuestos derivados de patógenos siendo una primera barrera contra las infecciones. TLR4 y TLR2 son importantes debido a su localización en la superficie celular y por su capacidad de reconocer una variad de moléculas derivadas de patógenos. Se estudió la señalización temprana por la activación de TLR4 y TLR2 fue y los resultados presentados en el capítulo 1 de este trabajo demuestran que ligandos de TLR2 activan NF-κB y MAPKs más tempranamente y exhiben un ratio IL-10/IL-12 más alto que los ligandos TLR4. Además, la fosfatasa MKP-1 controla la fosforilación de p38 y contribuye al incremento de citoquinas proinflamatorias. Nuestros resultados indican que p38 es importante para la expresión de IL-10 en respuesta a ligandos de TLR2, lo que induce un cambio del fenotipo de los macrófagos a tipo M2 y regulatorio, en lugar del tipo M1 que es inducido por la activación de TLR4. Por lo tanto, la activación temprana de p38 mediada por TLR2 contribuye para la alta producción de IL-10 como una estrategia de virulencia para suprimir la respuesta Th1 del hospedero contra determinados patógenos. La activación de TLR2 induce la expresión de interferón tipo I mediado por la señalización dependiente de MyD88 y TRIF. El papel de la señalización TRIF-IFN-β en la respuesta inflamatoria inducida por TLR2 fue estudiado y los resultados descritos en el capítulo 2 indican que la activación de TLR2 lleva a una producción de IFN-β, dependiente de la internalización del receptor, lo que activa los factores de trascripción de interferón IRF3 y IRF7. La señalización por TRIF es necesaria para la inducir IFN-β y la citoquina IL-12 por la activación de TLR2. Además, TLR2 es importante para el reconocimiento de Listeria monocytogenes, sin embargo, modificaciones en la pared de esta bacteria evitan su reconocimiento inmunológico. La administración in vivo de ligandos TLR2 en un modelo murino de listeriosis neonatal disminuye la carga bacteriana en la microglía de los neonatos y su tratamiento en células dendríticas infectadas incrementa los niveles de TNF-α y IL-12, mediado por IFN-β. Por lo tanto, los ligandos TLR2 tienen un efecto modulador en los niveles de citoquinas y previenen la diseminación de la bacteria. Esto apoya el uso de ligandos TLR2 como potenciales adyuvantes en modelos de vacunas para esta bacteria. TLR4 es conocido como el receptor de reconocimiento a los lipopolisacáridos (LPS). Sin embargo, algunos LPSs presentan una estructura distinta del bien estudiado LPS de E. coli y inducen respuestas inflamatorias dependientes de TLR2. Los resultados del capítulo 3 demuestran que el LPS de Ochrobactrum intermedium es un agonista TLR4/TLR2 y induce una respuesta inflamatoria más débil que el LPS de E. coli. Estudios de modelado molecular predicen que el O. intermedium LPS favorece la formación del heterodímero TLR2/TLR4/MD-2, que se confirmó por FRET. Esto indica que estos LPSs atípicos inducen la dimerización de TLR4 y TLR2 para evitar la detección de la bacteria por el sistema inmunológico.The thesis was financed/supported by a predoctoral fellowship under the TOLLerant-ETN action, Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement N° 642157 from the European Union Horizon 2020 progra

Application of sources reconstruction techniques: Theory and practical results.

In this paper, four new applications of sources reconstruction techniques (also called diagnostic techniques) are presented. First of all, the important information of such techniques will be mentioned, seeing that they are a tool to obtain the extremely near field from the measured data. Depending on the region where these data are taken (near field or far field), the reconstruction method will be different. Also, all of them may be classified in other two groups depending on its features: Integral Equation Methods (IEM) or Modal Expansion Methods. Classical applications of such techniques are errors detection, like phase errors in arrays or conformai errors in reflectors, therefore, they constitute an important antenna design tool. But also and it has been said, they can be used as the basis to other applications whose aim is to improve the measurement results in anechoic chambers or non anechoic environments. Here, four of them are presented, being the reflection cancelling, the detection of unwanted radiation points, the truncation error reduction in planar or cylindrical near-field and the noise reduction

Transcript profiling for early stages during embryo development in Scots pine

Background: Characterization of the expression and function of genes regulating embryo development in conifers is interesting from an evolutionary point of view. However, our knowledge about the regulation of embryo development in conifers is limited. During early embryo development in Pinus species the proembyo goes through a cleavage process, named cleavage polyembryony, giving rise to four embryos. One of these embryos develops to a dominant embryo, which will develop further into a mature, cotyledonary embryo, while the other embryos, the subordinate embryos, are degraded. The main goal of this study has been to identify processes that might be important for regulating the cleavage process and for the development of a dominant embryo. Results: RNA samples from embryos and megagametophytes at four early developmental stages during seed development in Pinus sylvestris were subjected to high-throughput sequencing. A total of 6.6 million raw reads was generated, resulting in 121,938 transcripts, out of which 36.106 contained ORFs. 18,638 transcripts were differentially expressed (DETs) in embryos and megagametophytes. GO enrichment analysis of transcripts up-regulated in embryos showed enrichment for different cellular processes, while those up-regulated in megagametophytes were enriched for accumulation of storage material and responses to stress. The highest number of DETs was detected during the initiation of the cleavage process. Transcripts related to embryogenic competence, cell wall modifications, cell division pattern, axis specification and response to hormones and stress were highly abundant and differentially expressed during early embryo development. The abundance of representative DETs was confirmed by qRT-PCR analyses. Conclusion: Based on the processes identified in the GO enrichment analyses and the expression of the selected transcripts we suggest that (i) processes related to embryogenic competence and cell wall loosening are involved in activating the cleavage process; (ii) apical-basal polarization is strictly regulated in dominant embryos but not in the subordinate embryos; (iii) the transition from the morphogenic phase to the maturation phase is not completed in subordinate embryos. This is the first genome-wide transcript expression profiling of the earliest stages during embryo development in a Pinus species. Our results can serve as a framework for future studies to reveal the functions of identified genes

Time matters: genetic composition and evaluation of effective population size in temperate coastal fish species

Extensive knowledge on the genetic characterization of marine organisms has been assembled, mainly concerning the spatial distribution and structuring of populations. Temporal monitoring assesses not only the stability in genetic composition but also its trajectory over time, providing critical information for the accurate forecast of changes in genetic diversity of marine populations, particularly important for both fisheries and endangered species management. We assessed fluctuations in genetic composition among different sampling periods in the western Portuguese shore in three fish species.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia - FCTinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Towards modification of Medicago truncatula epigenome: genome editing with engineered nucleases

Periodic drought is the primary limitation of plant growth and crop yield. The rise of water demand caused by the increase in world population and climate change, leads to one of the biggest challenges of modern agriculture: to increase food and feed production. De novo DNA methylation is a process regulated by small interfering RNA (siRNAs), which play a role in plant response and adaptation to abiotic stress. In the particular case of water deficit, growing evidences suggest a link between the siRNA pathways and drought response in the model legume Medicago truncatula. As a first step to understand the role of DNA methylation under water stress, we have set up several bioinformatics and molecular methodologies allowing the design of Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 systems and the assembly of TALENs (transcription activator-like effector nucleases), to target both dicer-like 3 (MtDCL3) and RNA-Dependent RNA polymerase (MtRDR2), enzymes of the RNA-directed DNA methylation pathway. TALENs efficiency was evaluated prior to plant transformation by a yeast-based assay using two different strategies to test TALENs activity: Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) and Single strand conformation polymorphisms (SSCP). In this assay, yeast cells triple transformation emerged as good and rapid alternative to laborious yeast mating strategies. PAGE analysis might be a valuable tool to test TALENs efficacy in vivo if we could increase TALENs activity. SSCP-based approach proved to be ineffective due to the generation of several false positives. TALENs and CRISPR/Cas9 system constructed and designed in this work will in the future certainly enable the successful disruption of DCL3 and RDR2 genes and shed the light on the relationship between plant stress resistance and epigenetic regulation mediated by siRNAs in M.truncatula

Analysing teamwork in higher education: an empirical study on the antecedents and consequences of team cohesiveness

Uno de los factores más importantes del trabajo en equipo es la cohesión entre sus miembros. Sin embargo, escasos trabajos analizan sus antecedentes y consecuencias. El presente estudio utiliza el modelo Input-Process-Output para analizar el impacto de factores individuales y de la tarea sobre la cohesión del equipo, así como la influencia de la cohesión del equipo sobre la eficacia del mismo. En base a una encuesta a 160 alumnos que realizaron trabajos en grupo, los resultados muestran que el grado de cooperación y el comportamiento colaborativo tienen una influencia positiva en la cohesión del equipo, mientras que la carga de trabajo y la complejidad de la tarea tienen una influencia negativa en la misma. Además, la cohesión del equipo influye positivamente en el aprendizaje percibido, la satisfacción con el trabajo en equipo y la calidad esperada. Finalmente, tanto el aprendizaje percibido como la calidad esperada predicen la satisfacción con el trabajo en equipo.One of the most important components of effective teamwork is cohesiveness. However, few empirical studies on the antecedents and consequences of group cohesiveness exist. In response to this gap, the current study draws on the Input-Process-Output model of team effectiveness to investigate the impact of individual and task factors on team cohesiveness, as well as the influence of team cohesiveness on students’ perceived learning, satisfaction with teamwork, and expected quality in the outcome. Based on a survey of 160 undergraduate students who worked in groups, the findings show that cooperativeness and collaborative behaviour have a positive influence on team cohesiveness, while workload and task complexity have a negative influence on it. Additionally, team cohesiveness is positively related to perceived learning, satisfaction with teamwork, and expected quality. Finally, both perceived learning and expected quality predict satisfaction with teamwork

Antologia de Textos da Universidade de Évora (1559-2009)

A Universidade de Évora nasceu numa época marcada pelo Humanismo, pela criação da Ciência Moderna e pelas grandes controvérsias no domínio da Religião. Desde o início, soube manter uma vocação ecuménica e acolher nos seus claustros mestres e discípulos provenientes de todo o país e do estrangeiro. Nesta antologia reúnem-se os documentos mais relevantes do percurso histórico da Universidade, agrupados em três períodos cronológicos: a Universidade Jesuítica, o Ensino no Colégio do Espírito Santo, entre 1759 até 1973, e os últimos anos que vão da refundação da Universidade até ao presente

Green Minute: an example of environmental education in Portuguese speaking countries

[Resumo] O ‘Minuto Verde’ é uma rubrica ambiental que a Quercus produz e exibe, todos os dias úteis, durante o programa de informação Bom Dia Portugal, em episódios de 60 segundos, apresentando bons conselhos para um melhor ambiente. A rubrica tem transmissão na RTP 1, RTP Informação, RTP África e RTP Internacional. No quadro de um projeto apoiado pela Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa (CPLP), e pela Fundação Gulbenkian, entre 2012 e 2014, o ‘Minuto Verde’ dedicou um conjunto de mais de 70 episódios a quatro países africanos de língua portuguesa: Cabo Verde, Moçambique, São Tomé e Príncipe e Angola. Após a tomada de consciência de uma audiência significativa do programa nestes países, através da RTP África e RTP Internacional, a Quercus considerou a realização dos programas seria um investimento relevante a prosseguir em termos de educação ambiental, aproveitando a oportunidade para sensibilização das populações dos países em causa e mostrando a boas práticas desses países aos portugueses e também ao resto do mundo.[Abstract] The ‘Green Minute’ is an environmental TV show directed by Quercus and displayed every working day during the information program “Good Morning Portugal”, in episodes of 60 seconds, presenting good advices for a better environment. The show is broadcasted on RTP 1, RTP information, RTP Africa, and RTP International. Under a project supported by the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP), and the Gulbenkian Foundation, between 2012 and 2014, the ‘Green Minute’ dedicated a set of more than 70 episodes to four African Portuguese-speaking countries: Cape Verde, Mozambique, Sao Tome and Principe and Angola. After becoming aware of a significant audience of the program in these countries by RTP Africa and RTP Internacional, Quercus considered that filming episodes in these countries would be a significant investiment to continue in terms of environmental education, taking the opportunity to raise awareness of the populations of the countries concerned and also showing good practices of these countries to the Portuguese community and also the rest of the world