De novo centriole biogenesis during spermatogenesis in the model bryophyte Physcomitrium patens

"Centrioles play dual roles within Eukaryotic cells, being a key component of the main microtubule-organizing center of animal cells - the centrosome, and serving as basal bodies for cilia/flagella assembly. Due to their critical functions, centriole biogenesis is tightly regulated in time, space and number. In many eukaryotes, one centriole (daughter) assembles in close proximity to a pre-existing one (its mother), once per cell cycle. Such mechanism for centriole assembly is known as centriole duplication, and is thought to represent the ancestral pathway for centriole biogenesis. However, centrioles also assemble de novo in many cell types, tissues and species, with particular pathways and structures being employed to achieve such a goal. For example, in land plants with motile sperm cells, centrioles assemble de novo via two almost-exclusive structures: bicentrioles (e.g. bryophytes), or blepharoplasts (e.g. Ginkgo biloba). Nevertheless, and contrasting with centriole duplication, the mechanisms regulating de novo centriole biogenesis remain largely unknown. This is partially due to the lack of amenable model organisms and tools to tackle such processes. Still, this unexplored diversity is critical to understanding centrioles’ assembly, evolution and functions.(...)

Genomic analysis of commercial varieties of tetraploid wheat

Relatório de Bolsa de Integração na Investigação - Instituto Superior de AgronomiaWheat is one of the most important crops in the world and just last year the crop area of durum wheat in Portugal suffered a reduction of 69%, this way it becomes more important to characterize the Triticum durum commercial varieties available for crop production. In this work we used six durum wheat varieties usually planted in Portugal (Celta, Hélvio, Marialva, Don Duro, Saragolla and Severo), with the purpose of studying their genomic variability, using PCR-based molecular techniques. Our results indicate that, although being reproduced by self-fertilization, durum wheat’s varieties still show some genomic variability, not only among different varieties, but also between individuals from the same variety. We have also showed that, even though being commercial varieties, not all of them appear to have dough with superior end use quality. This variability can help us develop specific primers to easily distinguish different varieties, and aid in the identification and characterization of varieties with better quality trait

Noncanonical Biogenesis of Centrioles and Basal Bodies

The deposited article is a pre-print version.The deposited article version is the Epub Ahead of Print version of the article, posted online 23 April 2018, provided by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press. It hasn't peer-review.This deposit is composed by the main article, and it hasn't any supplementary materials associated.Centrioles and basal bodies (CBBs) organize centrosomes and cilia within eukaryotic cells. These organelles are composed of microtubules and hundreds of proteins performing multiple functions such as signaling, cytoskeleton remodeling, and cell motility. The CBB is present in all branches of the eukaryotic tree of life and, despite its ultrastructural and protein conservation, there is diversity in its function, occurrence (i.e., presence/absence), and modes of biogenesis across species. In this review, we provide an overview of the multiple pathways through which CBBs are formed in nature, with a special focus on the less studied, noncanonical ways. Despite the differences among each mechanism herein presented, we highlighted some of their common principles. These principles, governing different steps of biogenesis, ensure that CBBs may perform a multitude of functions in a huge diversity of organisms but yet retained their robustness in structure throughout evolution.European Research Council Consolidator Grant: (CoG683528__Centriole-BirthDeath); Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds; Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia grant: (PD/BD/114350/2016).info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Durum wheat diversity for heat stress tolerance during inflorescence emergence is correlated to TdHSP101C expression in early developmental stages

Research articleThe predicted world population increase along with climate changes threatens sustainable agricultural supply in the coming decades. It is therefore vital to understand crops diversity associated to abiotic stress response. Heat stress is considered one of the major constrains on crops productivity thus it is essential to develop new approaches for a precocious and rigorous evaluation of varietal diversity regarding heat tolerance. Plant cell membrane thermostability (CMS) is a widely used method for wheat thermotolerance assessment although its limitations require complementary solutions. In this work we used CMS assay and explored TdHSP101C genes as an additional tool for durum wheat screening. Genomic and transcriptomic analyses of TdHSP101C genes were performed in varieties with contrasting CMS results and further correlated with heat stress tolerance during fertilization and seed development. Although the durum wheat varieties studied presented a very high homology on TdHSP101C genes (>99%) the transcriptomic assessment allowed the discrimination between varieties with good CMS results and its correlation with differential impacts of heat treatment during inflorescence emergence and seed development on grain yield. The evidences here reported indicate that TdHSP101C transcription levels induced by heat stress in fully expanded leaves may be a promising complementary screening tool to discriminate between durum wheat varieties identified as thermotolerant through CMSinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Funcionamento intelectual na terceira e quarta idade : Um estudo com MMSE e MoCA

Dissertação de Mestrado em Gerontologia Social apresentada na Escola Superior de Educação do Instituto Politécnico de Viana do CasteloO envelhecimento repercute-se no funcionamento intelectual, sobretudo no grupo das pessoas muito idosas (80+ anos). As medidas de screening/rastreio cognitivo, tais como o Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE; Folstein, Folstein & McHugh, 1975) e o Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA; Nasreddine, et al., 2005) são ferramentas indicadas para uma avaliação global do estado mental. Investigação com estas medidas mostra que o MoCA se tem revelado mais sensível que o MMSE na deteção do défice cognitivo, sobretudo em populações mais escolarizadas. Neste sentido, o presente estudo tem como objetivo analisar o funcionamento intelectual na terceira (65-79 anos) e quarta idade (80+ anos), usando para o efeito os instrumentos de rastreio cognitivo supracitados. Assim, foi realizado um estudo exploratório de natureza quantitativa, com pessoas com 65+ anos a residir em casa e Estruturas Residenciais para Pessoas Idosas (ERPI). Na recolha de informação foi utilizado um protocolo constituído por Ficha Sociodemográfica, e as versões portuguesas do MMSE e MoCA. Para evitar a contaminação das medidas de screening foram incluídas a versão portuguesa da Escala de Satisfação com a Vida (Diener, Emmons, Larsen & Griffin, 1985) e da Escala Breve de Redes Sociais de Lubben (Lubben, 2006). Foram avaliados 58 participantes residentes em casa e em ERPI, com uma média de idade de 78 anos (dp=8,2) e de escolaridade de 7 anos (dp=5,6), sendo predominantemente mulheres (58,6%). A pontuação média global no MMSE foi superior à pontuação do MoCA (M=26,2, dp=3,1, vs M=18,5, dp=6,5 respetivamente). Os participantes da 3ª idade apresentam melhor desempenho do que os da 4ª idade (MMSE:27,2 vs 24,5; MoCA: 20,5 vs 15,3) e os participantes mais escolarizados (independentemente do grupo etário) obtêm também sistematicamente resultados superiores nas duas medidas (MMSE 1-4 anos vs 13+: 24,8 vs 28,3; MoCA 1-4 anos vs 13+: 14,0 vs 23,8). Estes resultados corroboram a investigação no domínio que associa o melhor desempenho cognitivo a menor idade e a maior escolaridade (Pendlebury, Markwick, Jager, Zamboni, Wilcock & Rotwell, 2012; Simões, 2012; Vigário, 2012; Morgado 2009; Freitas, Alves, Simões & Santana, 2013; Hawkins et al., 2014). No que diz respeito à percentagem indicadora de défice cognitivo, em função da idade e escolaridade, observa-se que, para qualquer escolaridade, a proporção de défice cognitivo é superior na 4ª idade em relação à 3ª idade (MMSE 70% vs 28%; MoCA 65% vs 25%). Os participantes mais velhos (80+ anos) e menos escolarizados (1-4 anos) são os que apresentam a proporção de défice mais elevada no MMSE (71% vs 50%). No MoCA, os participantes mais velhos (80+ anos) e menos escolarizados mantêm também a proporção de défice mais elevada (79%). No entanto, os grupos mais escolarizados (10 a 12 e 13+ anos) não apresentam défice cognitivo. Quanto às implicações práticas, e consideradas as limitações deste estudo, os resultados aqui encontrados sugerem a necessidade de se estabelecerem planos de intervenção diferenciados.The ageing phenomenon has repercussions on the intellectual function, especially on very old people (80+ years). The screening tests, such as Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE; Folstein, Folstein & McHugh, 1975) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA; Nasreddine et al., 2005), are adequate tools to a global evaluation of the mental state. Research using these measures show that MoCA has proven to be more sensitive than MMSE on the detection of cognitive deficit, mostly in more educated populations. This way, the present study aims to analyze the intellectual function on third (65-79 years) and fourth (80+ years) ages, using the aforementioned cognitive screening instruments. For this purpose, an exploratory study with a quantitative nature was conducted with participants aged 65 years or older, living at home and in Residential Structures for the Elderly. The collection data protocol used comprised a Sociodemographic Registry and the Portuguese versions of the MMSE, and MoCA. To avoid the screening measures contamination the Satisfaction with Life Scale (Diener, Emmons, Larsen & Griffin, 1985) and the Brief Social Network Scale of Lubben (Lubben, 2006). A total of 58 participants were evaluated living at home or in Residential Structures for the Elderly, with mean age of 78 years old (sd=8.2) and 7 years of mean schooling (sd=5.6); predominantly are women (58,6%). The global mean score in MMSE is higher than in MoCA (M=26.2, dp=3.1, vs M=18.5, dp=6.5 respectively). The 65-79 year-old participants show better cognitive performance the older group (80+) (MMSE:27.2 vs 24.5; MoCA: 20.5 vs 15.3) and the more educated participants have systematically higher results (independently from their age group) in both measures (MMSE 1-4 years vs 13+: 24.8 vs 28.3; MoCA 1-4 years vs 13+: 14.0 vs 23.8). These results corroborate the research in this domain that associates the better cognitive performance with younger and more educated participants (Pendlebury, Markwick, Jager, Zamboni, Wilcock & Rotwell, 2012; Simões, 2012; Vigário, 2012; Morgado 2009; Freitas, Alves, Simões & Santana, 2013; Hawkins et al., 2014). The proportion of cognitive impairment by age and school years, is higher in the older group (80+ years old) than the younger (65-79 years old) (MMSE 70% vs 28%; MoCA 65% vs 25%). The older participants (80+ anos) and also less educated (1-4 anos) present the highest proportion of cognitive deficit in MMSE (71% vs 50%). In MoCA, the older and less educated participants have also the highest proportion of cognitive impairment (79%). Nonetheless the more educated groups (10 to 12 years and 13+ years) do not present cognitive impairment. Regarding the practical implications of this study and considering its limitations, the results here shown suggest the need to establish differential plans of intervention

Unravelling the hidden inter and intra-varietal diversity of durum wheat commercial varieties used in Portugal

Short CommunicationAssessing durum wheat genomic diversity is crucial in a changing environmental particularly in the Mediterranean region where it is largely used to produce pasta. Durum wheat varieties cultivated in Portugal and previously assessed regarding thermotolerance ability were screened for the variability of coding sequences associated with technological traits and repetitive sequences. As expected, reduced variability was observed regarding low molecular weight glutenin subunits (LMW-GS) but a specific LMW-GS allelic form associated with improved pasta-making characteristics was absent in one variety. Contrastingly, molecular markers targeting repetitive elements like microsatellites and retrotransposons – Inter Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) and Inter Retrotransposons Amplified Polymorphism (IRAP) – disclosed significant inter and intra-varietal diversity. This high level of polymorphism was revealed by the 20 distinct ISSR/IRAP concatenated profiles observed among the 23 individuals analysed. Interestingly, median joining networks and PCoA analysis grouped individuals of the same variety and clustered varieties accordingly with geographical origin. Globally, this work demonstrates that durum wheat breeding strategies induced selection pressure for some relevant coding sequences while maintaining high levels of genomic variability in non-coding regions enriched in repetitive sequencesinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Diferenças entre os níveis de atividade física e aptidão física em jovens do ensino básico

Apesar das recomendações sobre a prática de atividade física, tem-se verificado que esta está aquém das expectativas. Tanto a atividade física como a aptidão física estão diretamente ligadas à saúde e bem-estar. Os objetivos deste estudo são: a) verificar os níveis de atividade física e a envolvência na mesma; b) comparar os níveis da aptidão física entre os jovens de 11 e 15 anos; c) verificar a existência de uma associação entre a quantidade de atividade física e os resultados da aptidão física. A amostra será composta por cerca de 200 jovens do sexo feminino e outros 200 do sexo masculino de 11 e 15 anos de um Agrupamento de Escolas de Braga. Será aplicado o questionário PAQ-C (“Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children”) para avaliação dos níveis de atividade física e a bateria de testes “Fitnessgram” para a avaliação da aptidão física. Espera-se encontrar diferenças estatisticamente significativas entre os resultados obtidos nos jovens de 11 e nos de 15 anos. Atualmente o nível de aptidão física das crianças é tido como insuficiente, pelo que os resultados provavelmente apontarão para a recomendação de implementação de programas extra curriculares de atividade física, de modo a melhorar a aptidão física dos jovens. Toda a equipa educativa escolar, bem como as famílias das crianças e jovens, assumem um papel importante na promoção da atividade física e como tal no desenvolvimento e implementação de hábitos de vida saudáveis de forma a garantir um futuro com melhor qualidade de vida.CIEC - Centro de Investigação em Estudos da Criança, UM (UI 317 da FCT

Solução integrada de seguros para trabalhadores independentes

Os trabalhadores independentes representavam, em 2011, cerca de 17% da população empregada em Portugal e destes, apenas, 20% possuíam uma apólice obrigatória de seguro de acidentes de trabalho, o que demonstra que esta classe não está sensibilizada para importância do seguro de acidentes de trabalho, pondo em risco a sua atividade profissional, uma vez que, em caso de acidente de trabalho, para além do pagamento de prestações em caso de incapacidade, esta apólice de seguro garante a recuperação da pessoa segura para o trabalho. Neste relatório, são identificadas as profissões com maior número de trabalhadores independentes e os seus diferentes perfis, analisada a solução de seguro de acidentes de trabalho trabalhador independente da companhia de seguros MAPFRE e com base em análise estatística identificados os fatores de risco de acidente de trabalho destes trabalhadores. A partir dos resultados dessa análise identificou-se a possibilidade de alargar a lista de ocupações profissionais disponíveis para acidentes de trabalho trabalhador independente, assim como uma oportunidade de rever algumas taxas, adequando o prémio ao risco de cada ocupação profissional. Por se tratar de uma classe de trabalhadores de elevada importância na economia nacional e com elevado potencial de negócio para o mercado segurador é apresentada uma solução integrada de seguros de diferentes ramos, adequada a cada perfil de trabalhador independente.Self-employed workers represented in 2011 about 17% of the Portuguese employed population and of those only 20% had a mandatory policy of work compensation insurance, which shows that this class is not sensitized to the importance of work compensation insurance, endangering his professional activity, since, in the event of an accident at work, beyond the payment of benefits in case of disability, this insurance policy guarantees the recovery of the insured person for the job. In this work, were identified the occupations with the highest number of self-employed and their different profiles. In addition, it was considered the solution of current work accident insurance from the company MAPFRE to this profession and, on the basis of statistical analysis have been identified the risk factors of accident at work of these employees. The results of this analysis showed the call for to extend the list of occupations available in the product of work compensation insurance of MAPFRE independent worker, as well as adjust some fees and adjusting the premium to the risk of each manual occupation. Because it is a working class with high importance in the national economy and with high potential for business and for the insurance market it is primordial to obtain an integrated solution for different insurance branches, appropriate to each self-employed profile

Grid structure impact in sparse point representation of derivatives

In the Sparse Point Representation (SPR) method the principle is to retain the function data indicated by significant interpolatory wavelet coefficients, which are defined as interpolation errors by means of an interpolating subdivision scheme. Typically, a SPR grid is coarse in smooth regions, and refined close to irregularities. Furthermore, the computation of partial derivatives of a function from the information of its SPR content is performed in two steps. The first one is a refinement procedure to extend the SPR by the inclusion of new interpolated point values in a security zone. Then, for points in the refined grid, such derivatives are approximated by uniform finite differences, using a step size proportional to each point local scale. If required neighboring stencils are not present in the grid, the corresponding missing point values are approximated from coarser scales using the interpolating subdivision scheme. Using the cubic interpolation subdivision scheme, we demonstrate that such adaptive finite differences can be formulated in terms of a collocation scheme based on the wavelet expansion associated to the SPR. For this purpose, we prove some results concerning the local behavior of such wavelet reconstruction operators, which stand for SPR grids having appropriate structures. This statement implies that the adaptive finite difference scheme and the one using the step size of the finest level produce the same result at SPR grid points. Consequently, in addition to the refinement strategy, our analysis indicates that some care must be taken concerning the grid structure, in order to keep the truncation error under a certain accuracy limit. Illustrating results are presented for 2D Maxwell's equation numerical solutions

Aplicação multimédia sobre a Ria Formosa e seus fins educacionais (ForDid)

Na atualidade torna-se inquestionável a necessidade de integrar a aprendizagem com as novas tecnologias de modo a cativar e facilitar a compreensão dos temas abordados através de aplicações didáticas. Durante a última década o Centro de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental (CIMA) assumiu a responsabilidade de criar meios eficazes de comunicação entre o público em geral e a comunidade científica, através de plataformas multimédia interativas. Foram objecto destas aplicações didáticas as várias vertentes do património natural do Algarve. Após o sucesso das primeiras aplicações GuaDid e MonDid visando o Estuário do Rio Guadiana e a Serra de Monchique respectivamente, o desafio de criar e inovar foi acrescido, resultando numa nova aplicação – ForDid, visando a divulgação do importante sistema lagunar Ria Formosa.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio