Indoor school environment: easy and low cost to assess inorganic pollutants

Total particulate matter (TPM) was passively collected inside two classrooms of each of five elementary schools in Lisbon, Portugal. TPM was collected in polycarbonate filters with a 47 mm diameter, placed inside of uncovered plastic petri dishes. The sampling period was from 19 May to 22 June 2009 (35 days exposure) and the collected TPM masses varied between 0.2 mg and 0.8 mg. The major elements were Ca, Fe, Na, K, and Zn at μg level, while others were at ng level. Pearson′s correlation coefficients above 0.75 (a high degree of correlation) were found between several elements. Soil-related, traffic soil re-suspension and anthropogenic emission sources could be identified. Blackboard chalk was also identified through Ca large presence. Some of the determined chemical elements are potential carcinogenic. Quality control of the results showed good agreement as confirmed by the application of u-score test

Mayday, Mayday, Direito à Educação inclusiva em tempos de confinamento pela pandemia Covid-19

O reconhecimento do direito à educação, de crianças e jovens com necessidades especiais, proclamado em diversos documentos normativos e legislativos, desde a Declaração Mundial sobre a Educação para Todos, da UNESCO, em 1990, até à Declaração de Salamanca (1994), um importante marco para a Educação Especial. Neste contexto, surge a, considerada, na época, utópica ideia, da UNESCO, de “escola inclusiva”, espaço onde todos os alunos aprendem juntos, sempre que possível independentemente das dificuldades e das diferenças que apresentem”. A Convenção Internacional sobre os Direitos das Pessoas com Deficiência (2006) vem criar um consenso internacional que nega os modelos educativos centrados nos défices e em espaços e práticas segregadoras e promove respostas eficazes na inclusão de todas as crianças, com base no respeito pelas diferenças. Para a concretização do paradigma emergente, Portugal tem vindo a desenvolver politicas e a criar meios para o devido enquadramento legal de novas práticas. O Programa do XXI Governo Constitucional estabelece como uma das prioridades da ação governativa a aposta numa escola inclusiva, onde todos e cada um dos alunos, independentemente da sua situação pessoal e social, encontrem respostas que lhes possibilitem a aquisição de um nível de educação e formação facilitadores da sua plena inclusão. O Decreto-Lei n.º 54/2018, publicado a 6 de julho revoga legislação anterior, nomeadamente o Decreto-Lei 3/2008, de 7 de janeiro e introduz medidas específicas, subjacentes à conceptualização, ao processo de avaliação e elegibilidade que responsabiliza e envolve toda a comunidade educativa. A situação emergência provocada pela covid-19, retirando as crianças da escola e obrigando ao confimnamento, vem colocar em risco a educação inclusiva, acentuando, ainda mais, as disigualdades pessoais e sociais de alunos com algum tipo de vulnerabilidade. Com o nosso trabalho, procuramos, então, refletir sobre o impacto do ensino à distância (E@D) sinalizando as barreiras que deixam alguns para trás.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Acidogenic Fermentation of Brewers’ Spent Grain Monitored through Two-Dimensional Fluorescence Spectroscopy

Funding Information: This research was funded by national funds from the FCT─Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P. through the project PTDC/BTA-BTA/31746/2017, in the scope of projects UIDP/04378/2020 and UIDB/04378/2020 of the Research Unit on Applied Molecular Biosciences─UCIBIO, project LA/P/0140/2020 of the Associate Laboratory Institute for Health and Bioeconomy─i4HB, and the project UIDB/50016/2020 of the Associate Laboratory Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina─CBQF. This research was also funded by the Associate Laboratory for Green Chemistry─LAQV, which is financed by national funds from FCT/MCTES (UIDB/50006/2020 and UIDP/50006/2020). E.C.G. gratefully acknowledges FCT for grant SFRH/BD/136300/2018. Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.Biological systems are commonly controlled and monitored through offline and time-consuming tools, which often impairs an effective and real-time response to counteract system disturbances. The feasibility of using two-dimensional (2D) fluorescence spectroscopy as a non-invasive, non-destructive, and real-time procedure to monitor the acidogenic fermentation of brewer’s spent grain (BSG) in a granular sludge reactor was evaluated. For that, the effect of pH fluctuations on the system response was used as a model to ascertain the 2D fluorescence spectroscopy applicability to monitor the process performance, namely, to predict the fermentation products (FP) and the soluble protein (SProt) concentrations in the effluent stream through mathematical analysis. The pH fluctuations over the course of the reactor’s operation altered the granules’ microbiome composition, leading to different effluent FP profiles. Fluorescence excitation-emission matrices (EEMs) were used with projection to latent structures (PLS) modeling to predict the FP and SProt concentrations in the effluent with average errors below 0.75 and 0.43 g L-1, respectively. Both models were able to capture the tendency of the data even when the accuracy of prediction was not so high. The combined approach of using 2D fluorescence spectroscopy and mathematical analysis seemed promising for real-time monitoring of the acidogenic fermentation of complex substrates.publishersversioninpres

Marker gene tethering by nucleoporins affects gene expression in plants

In non-plant systems, chromatin association with the nuclear periphery affects gene expression, where interactions with nuclear envelope proteins can repress and interactions with nucleoporins can enhance transcription. In plants, both hetero- and euchromatin can localise at the nuclear periphery, but the effect of proximity to the nuclear periphery on gene expression remains largely unknown. This study explores the putative function of Seh1 and Nup50a nucleoporins on gene expression by using the Lac Operator / Lac Repressor (LacI-LacO) system adapted to Arabidopsis thaliana. We used LacO fused to the luciferase reporter gene (LacO:Luc) to investigate whether binding of the LacO:Luc transgene to nucleoporin:LacI protein fusions alters luciferase expression. Two separate nucleoporin-LacI-YFP fusions were introduced into single insert, homozygous LacO:Luc Arabidopsis plants. Homozygous plants carrying LacO:Luc and a single insert of either Seh1-LacI-YFP or Nup50a-LacI-YFP were tested for luciferase activity and compared to plants containing LacO:Luc only. Seh1-LacI-YFP increased, while Nup50a-LacI-YFP decreased luciferase activity. Seh1-LacI-YFP accumulated at the nuclear periphery as expected, while Nup50a-LacI-YFP was nucleoplasmic and was not selected for further study. Protein and RNA levels of luciferase were quantified by western blotting and RT-qPCR, respectively. Increased luciferase activity in LacO:Luc+Seh1-LacI-YFP plants was correlated with increased luciferase protein and RNA levels. This change of luciferase expression was abolished by disruption of LacI-LacO binding by treating with IPTG in young seedlings, rosette leaves and inflorescences. This study suggests that association with the nuclear periphery is involved in the regulation of gene expression in plants

Trace elements in wild and orchard honeys

The present study aims the identification and quantification of trace elements in two types of honey samples: Orchard honey and Wild honey from mainland Portugal. Chemical elements content was assessed by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA). Concentrations were determinated for Ag, As, Br, Ca, Cl, Cs, Cu, Fe, K, La, Mg, Mn, Na, Rb, Sb, Sc, U, V and Zn. The nutritional values of both honey types were evaluated since this product contains some elements that are essential dietary nutrients for humans. Physical properties of the honey samples, such as electrical conductivy and pH, were assessed as well

Neutron activation analysis of wheat samples

The deficiency of essential micronutrients and excess of toxic metals in cereals, an important food items for human nutrition, can cause public health risk. Therefore, before their consumption and adoption of soil supplementation, concentrations of essential micronutrients and metals in cereals should be monitored. This study collected soil and two varieties of wheat samples–Triticum aestivum L. (Jordão/bread wheat), and Triticum durum L. (Marialva/durum wheat) from Elvas area, Portugal and analyzed concentrations of As, Cr, Co, Fe, K, Na, Rb and Zn using Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) to focus on the risk of adverse public health issues. The low variability and moderate concentrations of metals in soils indicated a lower significant effect of environmental input on metal concentrations in agricultural soils. The Cr and Fe concentrations in soils that ranged from 93–117 and 26,400–31,300 mg/kg, respectively, were relatively high, but Zn concentration was very low (below detection limit Fe>Na>Zn>Cr>Rb>As>Co. Concentrations of As, Co and Cr in root, straw and spike of both varieties were higher than the permissible limits with exception of a few samples. The concentrations of Zn in root, straw and spike were relatively low (4–30 mg/kg) indicating the deficiency of an essential micronutrient Zn in wheat cultivated in Portugal. The elemental transfer from soil to plant decreases with increasing growth of the plant. The concentrations of various metals in different parts of wheat followed the order: Root>Straw>Spike. A few root, straw and spike samples showed enrichment of metals, but the majority of the samples showed no enrichment. Potassium is enriched in all samples of root, straw and spike for both varieties of wheat. Relatively to the seed used for cultivation, Jordão presented higher transfer coefficients than Marialva, in particular for Co, Fe, and Na. The Jordão and Marialva cultivars accumulated not statistically significant different concentrations of different metals. The advantages of using INAA are the multielementality, low detection limits and use of solid samples (no need of digestion)

The association of homeobox gene expression with stem cell formation and morphogenesis in cultured Medicago truncatula

Somatic embryogenesis (SE) is induced in vitro in Medicago truncatula 2HA by auxin and cytokinin but rarely in wild type Jemalong. The putative WUSCHEL (MtWUS), CLAVATA3 (MtCLV3) and the WUSCHEL-related homeobox gene WOX5 (MtWOX5) were investigated in M. truncatula (Mt) and identified by the similarity to Arabidopsis WUS, CLV3 and WOX5 in amino acid sequence, phylogeny and in planta and in vitro expression patterns. MtWUS was induced throughout embryogenic cultures by cytokinin after 24–48 h and maximum expression occurred after 1 week, which coincides with the induction of totipotent stem cells. During this period there was no MtCLV3 expression to suppress MtWUS. MtWUS expression, as illustrated by promoter-GUS studies, subsequently localised to the embryo, and there was then the onset of MtCLV3 expression. This suggests that the expression of the putative MtCLV3 coincides with the WUS-CLAVATA feedback loop becoming operational. RNAi studies showed that MtWUS expression is essential for callus and somatic embryo production. Based on the presence of MtWUS promoter binding sites, MtWUS may be required for the induction of MtSERF1, postulated to have a key role in the signalling required for SE induced in 2HA. MtWOX5 expressed in auxin-induced root primordia and root meristems and appears to be involved in pluripotent stem cell induction. The evidence is discussed that the homeobox genes MtWUS and MtWOX5 are “hijacked” for stem cell induction, which is key to somatic embryo and de novo root induction. In relation to SE, a role for WUS in the signalling involved in induction is discussed

The maize root stem cell niche: a partnership between two sister cell populations

Using transcript profile analysis, we explored the nature of the stem cell niche in roots of maize (Zea mays). Toward assessing a role for specific genes in the establishment and maintenance of the niche, we perturbed the niche and simultaneously monitored the spatial expression patterns of genes hypothesized as essential. Our results allow us to quantify and localize gene activities to specific portions of the niche: to the quiescent center (QC) or the proximal meristem (PM), or to both. The data point to molecular, biochemical and physiological processes associated with the specification and maintenance of the niche, and include reduced expression of metabolism-, redox- and certain cell cycle-associated transcripts in the QC, enrichment of auxin-associated transcripts within the entire niche, controls for the state of differentiation of QC cells, a role for cytokinins specifically in the PM portion of the niche, processes (repair machinery) for maintaining DNA integrity and a role for gene silencing in niche stabilization. To provide additional support for the hypothesized roles of the above-mentioned and other transcripts in niche specification, we overexpressed, in Arabidopsis, homologs of representative genes (eight) identified as highly enriched or reduced in the maize root QC. We conclude that the coordinated changes in expression of auxin-, redox-, cell cycle- and metabolism-associated genes suggest the linkage of gene networks at the level of transcription, thereby providing additional insights into events likely associated with root stem cell niche establishment and maintenance

Cante pela Sua Saúde: Memória do Projeto Grupos de Canto para Seniores

Através da primeira edição do Orçamento Participativo Portugal, o ano de 2017 viu nascer uma oportunidade para promover o envelhecimento ativo através de um projeto pioneiro em Portugal, intitulado “Grupos de Canto para Seniores”. Na conceção do programa deste projeto foram tidas em consideração recomendações teóricas e práticas consolidadas, baseadas em evidências empíricas, atendendo ainda ao parecer e à experiência das equipas interdisciplinares que muito contribuíram com as suas competências científicas, técnicas e sociais e que foram, por isso, fundamentais para uma implementação bem-sucedida. O presente livro apresenta a memória deste projeto, evidenciando as diferentes fases de implementação e dando voz a vários dos seus intervenientes