Assessing an E- learning and B- Learning Model: a Study of Perceived Satisfaction

Comunicação apresentada na 7ª Conferência ICERI, 17-19 novembro de 2014, Sevilha, Espanh

Projeto Balal Gainako – projeto de dinamização dos sistemas de produção pecuários nos sectores de Pitche e Gabú (Guiné-Bissau): implementação do maneio alimentar

Os efetivos bovinos da região de Gabú (Guiné-Bissau), além das limitações naturais impostas pela produtividade da raça e pelas doenças endémicas, estão sujeitos a um forte stress alimentar na estação seca. A experiência internacional mostra que as espécies arbóreas e arbustivas indígenas, ou alóctones, produtoras de forragem de elevado valor nutritivo, rica em proteína bruta, integradas em sistemas agrosilvopastoris, são uma solução técnica eficaz e eficiente para obviar a escassez de alimentos animais nos períodos secos, nas áreas tropicais de chuvas sazonais. A estruturação de sistemas agro-silvopastoris para a área de estudo envolveu nove etapas metodológicas, entre as quais: (i) seleção e entrevista no campo de informantes locais; (ii) identificação e seleção, à escala da espécie, das plantas autóctones de maior interesse veterinário ou na alimentação animal; (iii) elaboração de uma proposta modelo de recolha, multiplicação e distribuiçãode germoplasma das espécies selecionadas (autóctones e alóctones). Foram identificadas 10 espécies autóctones de interesse potencial, das quais foram selecionadas para multiplicação: Faidherbia albida (Fabaceae, Mimosoideae), Afzelia africana (Fabaceae, Caesalpinioideae), Dichrostachys cinerea (Fabaceae, Mimosoideae), Moringa oleifera (Moringaceae) e Prosopis africana (Fabaceae, Faboideae). As espécies indígenas são insuficientes para cumprir os objectivos do projeto. Entre as espécies arbóreas forrageiras alóctones de uso corrente em sistemas silvo-pastoris em outros países africanos, elegeram-se para multiplicação e distribuição duas leguminosas de origem centro-americana: Gliricidia sepium e a Leucaena leucocephala

Comparative Performance Analysis of Femtosecond-Laser-Written Diode-Pumped Pr:LiLuF4 Visible Waveguide Lasers

In this work, we present the operation of a femtosecond-laser-written diode-pumped visible waveguide laser based on praseodymium-doped lithium lutetium fluoride. The refractive index modification induced by the femtosecond laser in the crystal exhibits an anisotropic behavior, thus enabling the fabrication of different types of waveguides from single-track structures to stress-induced waveguides and depressed cladding structures. All the waveguides were characterized by realizing transmission measurements and the waveguide design was optimized to obtain extremely low propagation losses, equal to 0.12 dB/cm. Lasing has been achieved at 604 nm and 721 nm from different waveguides. In addition, stable continuous-wave lasing at 698 nm has been obtained in a depressed cladding waveguide. This wavelength corresponds to the one needed for the transition of the atomic clock based on the neutral strontium atom. In the end, we report the observation of laser emission at 645 nm from a depressed cladding waveguide

Information system for tablet identification (ISTI)

Poster presented at the 4th International Congress of CiiEM - "Health, Well-being and Ageing in the XXI Century. 2-5 June 2019, Campus Egas Moniz, Monte de Caparica, PortugalN/

Transport mechanism of macromolecules on hydrophilic bio-polymeric matrices : diffusion of protein-based compounds from chitosan films

The transport mechanism of protein-based bioactive compounds (a peptide fraction from whey protein concentrate, glycomacropeptide and lactoferrin), from chitosan films to liquid medium, was studied. Mathematical models were used to discuss the transport mechanism. Data from release experiments was successfully described by a model which accounts for both Fick and Case II transport – the linear superimposition model. Results show that the mechanism of transport and the effect of temperature and peptide type could be related with physical properties of chitosan films where the tested bioactive compounds were incorporated. The approach presented here allows interpretation of the phenomena involved in mass transport in the systems studied and, once extended to other systems, may contribute to an understanding of transport in hydrophilic bio-polymeric matrices.This work was supported by Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia through project PTDC/AGR/ALI/67194/2006. Authors Ana C. Pinheiro, Ana I. Bourbon and Mafalda A.C. Quintas gratefully acknowledge their Grants SFRH/BD/48120/2008, SFRH/BD/73178/2010 and SFRH/BPD/41715/2007, respectively

Information System for Tablets Identification (ISTI)

Abstract in proceedings of the Fourth International Congress of CiiEM: Health, Well-Being and Ageing in the 21st Century, held at Egas Moniz’ University Campus in Monte de Caparica, Almada, from 3–5 June 2019.This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A genetic interaction of NRXN2 with GABRE, SYT1 and CASK in migraine patients: a case-control study

Background: Migraine is a multifactorial disorder that is more frequent (two to four times) in women than in men. In recent years, our research group has focused on the role of neurotransmitter release and its regulation. Neurexin (NRXN2) is one of the components of the synaptic vesicle machinery, responsible for connecting intracellular fusion proteins and synaptic vesicles. Our aim was to continue exploring the role and interaction of proteins involved in the control and promotion of neurotransmission in migraine susceptibility. Methods: A case-control study was performed comprising 183 migraineurs (148 females and 35 males) and 265 migraine-free controls (202 females and 63 males). Tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms of NRXN2 were genotyped to assess the association between NRXN2 and migraine susceptibility. The χ 2 test was used to compare allele frequencies in cases and controls and odds ratios were estimated with 95% confidence intervals. Haplotype frequencies were compared between groups. Gene-gene interactions were analysed using the Multifactor Dimensionality Reduction v2.0. Results: We found a statistically significant interaction model (p = 0.009) in the female group between the genotypes CG of rs477138 (NRXN2) and CT of rs1158605 (GABRE). This interaction was validated by logistic regression, showing a significant risk effect [OR = 4.78 (95%CI: 1.76–12.97)] after a Bonferroni correction. Our data also supports a statistically significant interaction model (p = 0.011) in the female group between the GG of rs477138 in NRXN2 and, the rs2244325's GG genotype and rs2998250’s CC genotype of CASK. This interaction was also validated by logistic regression, with a protective effect [OR = 0.08 (95%CI: 0.01–0.75)]. A weak interaction model was found between NRXN2-SYT1. We have not found any statistically significant allelic or haplotypic associations between NRXN2 and migraine susceptibility.This work was funded by Sociedade Portuguesa de Cefaleias (SPC), Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT; PTDC/MEC-NEU/29468/2017), Tecnifar fellowships and by European Commission and European Regional Development Fund under the project 'Análisis y correlación entre la epigenética y la actividad cerebral para evaluar el riesgo de migraña crónica y episódica en mujeres' (Cooperation Programme Interreg V-A Spain-Portugal, POCTEP 2014–2020, by the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades)

Light Gluinos and the Parton Structure of the Nucleon

We study the effects of light gluinos with mass below about 1 GeV on the nucleon parton densities and the running of alpha_(S). It is shown that from the available high-statistics DIS data no lower bound on the gluino mass can be derived. Also in the new kinematical region accessible at HERA the influence of such light gluinos on structure f unctions is found to be very small and difficult to detect. For use in more direct searches involving final state signatures we present a radiative estimate of the gluino distribution in the nucleon.Comment: 23 pages, LateX, 8 figures, MPI-PhT/94-22, LMU-3/9

Management of imatinib-resistant CML patients

Imatinib has had marked impact on outcomes in chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) patients for all stages of the disease and is endorsed by international treatment guidelines as the first line option. Although imatinib is highly effective and well tolerated, the development of resistance represents a clinical challenge. Since the most frequently identified mechanism of acquired imatinib resistance is bcr-abl kinase domain point mutations, periodic hematologic, cytogenetic, and molecular monitoring is critical throughout imatinib therapy. Once cytogenetic remission is achieved, residual disease can be monitored by bcr-abl transcript levels as assayed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Detection of bcr-abl mutants prior to and during imatinib therapy can aid in risk stratification as well as in determining therapeutic strategies. Thus, mutation screening is indicated in patients lacking or losing hematologic response. Moreover, search for mutations should also be performed when a 3-log reduction of bcr-abl transcripts is not achieved or there is a reproducible increase of transcript levels. In patients harboring mutations which confer imatinib resistance, novel second line tyrosine kinase inhibitors have demonstrated encouraging efficacy with low toxicity. Only the T315I bcr-abl mutant has proved totally resistant to all clinically available bcr-abl inhibitors. Strategies to further increase the rates of complete molecular remissions represent the next frontier in the targeted therapy of CML patients

Physico-chemical characterization of chitosan-based edible films incorporating bioactive compounds of different molecular weight

Chitosan packaging films containing different bioactive compounds (a peptide fraction from whey protein concentrate (WPC) hydrolysate, glycomacropeptide (GMP) and lactoferrin) were produced and their mechanical and barrier properties were evaluated. The molecular weight of protein-based compounds was determined using SDS–PAGE. The addition of GMP and lactoferrin to chitosan film caused a significant reduction of tensile strength and the elongation-at-break significantly increased with the incorporation of lactoferrin. The addition of protein-based compounds also affected gas permeability: a significant decrease in water vapor permeability was observed with the incorporation of lactoferrin; oxygen permeability significantly decreased with the addition of GMP and lactoferrin and carbon dioxide permeability significantly decreased with the incorporation of all of the protein-based compounds. Such results were related with film’s hydrophilicity and crystallinity. This manuscript contributes to the establishment of an approach to optimize edible films performance based on physico-chemical properties, aiming at a higher benefit for the consumer.The authors gratefully acknowledge LoicHilliou for the fruitful discussions on the results and Ana Nicolau for helping in confocal analysis. The present work was supported by the project PTDC/AGR/ALI/67194/2006. The authors M.A. Cerqueira (SFRH/BD/23897/2005), M.C. Avides (SFRH/BPD/26913/2006) and M.A.C. Quintas (SFRH/BPD/41715/2007) were recipient of fellowships from the Fundacaopara a Ciencia e Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal)