1,090 research outputs found
The pinewood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, in Madeira Island
The environmental conditions in Madeira Island are favorable
for the presence and dissemination of the pinewood
nematode (PWN), Bursaphelenchus xylophilus. Five hundred
Pinus pinaster wood samples were collected in several
forest areas and PWN was detected in 22.8 % of the
samples. Bursaphelenchus xylophilus isolates from Madeira
Island displayed the species-specific diagnostic characters.
A morphological variation in the female tail terminus was
detected. In most females, the tail presented a broadly
rounded terminus and, occasionally, a digitate terminus with
a terminal nipple-like extension resembling a mucro. PCR
ITS-RFLP analysis revealed that Madeira Island isolates
exhibited patterns specific to the species B. xylophilus and
similar to virulent isolates. Amplified ITS regions were
further sequenced and no genetic diversity was found for
this genomic region among 17 Portuguese isolates (Madeira
Island and Continental Portugal). Phylogenetic analysis
revealed that Portuguese isolates grouped with isolates from
China, Korea and one isolate from Japa
School psychology in Portugal: practitionersâ characteristics and practices
Little empirical evidence is available on the professional characteristics and practices of
school psychologists in Portugal. This study surveyed a total of 477 Portuguese school
psychologists employed in public (80%) and private schools (20%). Portuguese school
psychologists are described with regard to demographic, professional, and educational
backgrounds, school settings, roles performed, and main target populations served. Evaluating and counseling regular education students, vocational guidance, and special education-related activities emerged as the most time-consuming professional practices. A professional practice primarily focused on students, mainly from the highest education levels, was also observed.
Results are compared with findings of previous surveys and reviewed in the context of the current literature on the school psychologistâs role. Implications for the field are also provided.Department of Educational Psychology and Special Education, University of Minho, Braga, PortugalSchool Psychology Program, School of Education, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, US
A study of the ethical dilemmas experienced by school psychologists in Portugal
Published online: 06 Apr 2015This study examines the ethical dilemmas and difficulties encountered by Portuguese school psychologists.
As part of a larger survey, participants were asked about ethical issues faced in daily practice and asked to describe ethical incidents. Of the 477 respondents, 274 reported 441 ethically troubling or challenging situations. Responses were coded into a six-category system based on the code of ethics of Portuguese psychologists. Most of the reported dilemmas concerned privacy and confidentiality principles (53%). Results are discussed in light of relevant literature and international findings. Implications for the development of the profession and future research are provided.This research was financially sponsored by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (Doctoral grant, SFRH/BD/78646/2011)
Zeolite addition to improve biohydrogen production from dark fermentation of C5/C6-sugars and Sargassum sp. biomass
Thermophilic biohydrogen production by dark fermentation from a mixture (1:1) of C5 (arabinose) and C6 (glucose) sugars, present in lignocellulosic hydrolysates, and from Sargassum sp. biomass, is studied in this work in batch assays and also in a continuous reactor experiment. Pursuing the interest of studying interactions between inorganic materials (adsorbents, conductive and others) and anaerobic bacteria, the biological processes were amended with variable amounts of a zeolite type-13X in the range of zeolite/inoculum (in VS) ratios (Z/I) of 0.0650.26 g g1. In the batch assays, the presence of the zeolite was beneficial to increase the hydrogen titer by 1521% with C5 and C6-sugars as compared to the control, and an increase of 27% was observed in the batch fermentation of Sargassum sp. Hydrogen yields also increased by 1026% with sugars in the presence of the zeolite. The rate of hydrogen production increased linearly with the Z/I ratios in the experiments with C5 and C6-sugars. In the batch assay with Sargassum sp., there was an optimum value of Z/I of 0.13 g g1 where the H2 production rate observed was the highest, although all values were in a narrow range between 3.21 and 4.19 mmol L1 day1. The positive effect of the zeolite was also observed in a continuous high-rate reactor fed with C5 and C6-sugars. The increase of the organic loading rate (OLR) from 8.8 to 17.6 kg m3 day1 of COD led to lower hydrogen production rates but, upon zeolite addition (0.26 g g1 VS inoculum), the hydrogen production increased significantly from 143 to 413 mL L1 day1. Interestingly, the presence of zeolite in the continuous operation had a remarkable impact in the microbial community and in the profile of fermentation products. The effect of zeolite could be related to several properties, including the porous structure and the associated surface area available for bacterial adhesion, potential release of trace elements, ion-exchanger capacity or ability to adsorb different compounds (i.e. protons). The observations opens novel perspectives and will stimulate further research not only in biohydrogen production, but broadly in the field of interactions between bacteria and inorganic materials. © 2021, The Author(s).This study was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) under the scope of the strategic funding of UID/BIO/04469 unit and COMPETE 2020 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006684), Project SAICTPAC/0040/2015 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016403) and BioTecNorte operation (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000004) funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the scope of Norte2020-Programa Operacional Regional do Norte.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Descriptive?Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) in adults with imported severe Plasmodium falciparum?malaria: A 10 year-study in a Portuguese tertiary care hospital
Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a severe complication of malaria that remains largely unstudied. We aim to describe the development of ARDS associated with severe P. falciparum malaria, its management and impact on clinical outcome.B910-DDDF-6BB2 | Lu?s Carlos Carvalho da Gra?aN/
The governance of formal universityâindustry interactions: understanding the rationales for alternative models
This article develops a conceptual framework to explain the economic rationale underpinning the choice of different modes of governance of formal universityâindustry interactions: personal contractual interactions, where the contract regulating the collaboration involves a firm and an individual academic researcher, and institutional interactions, where the relationship between the firm and the academic is mediated by the university. Although institutional interactions, for numerous reasons, have become more important, both governance modes are currently being implemented. We would argue that they have some important specificities that need to be understood if universityâindustry knowledge transfer is to be managed effectively and efficiently
Synthesis, molecular Docking and biological evaluation of new 1-Aryl-3-[3-(thieno[3,2-b]pyridin-7-ylthio)phenylureas as Potent Type II VEGFR-2 Tyrosine Kinase inhibitors
The vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR-2) is a tyrosine kinase receptor, expressed primarily in endothelial cells,
and is activated by the specific binding of VEGF to the VEGFR-2 extracellular regulatory domain. Once activated, VEGFR-2 undergoes
autophosphorylation, triggering signaling pathways leading to endothelial cell proliferation and subsequent angiogenesisY1 Small
molecules may act as inhibitors by competing for the ATP-binding s'1te of the VEGFR-2 intracellular tyrosine kinase domain, thereby
preventing the intracellular signa ling that leads to angiogenesis. [ZJ
Here, we present the synthesis of new 1-aryl-3-[3-(thieno[3,2-b]pyridin-7-ylthio)phenyl]ureas la-c, as potent type 11 VEGFR-2
inhibitors based on molecular docking (Figure A) and biological evaluation including enzymatic assays using the VEGFR-2 tyrosine kinase
domain (ICso=l0-28 nM) and studies in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). The latter included cell viability (MTS),
proliferation (BrdU) and Western blot for total and phosphorylated VEGFR-2 (Figure B).
The predicted docked poses were analyzed in detail and a plausible explanation for compounds 1 potency was obtained base9 on
the simultaneous presence of a S-linker and the arylurea moiety in the meta position as a new substitution pattern for the type 11
VEGFR-2 inhibitors. These chemical features place the thieno[3,2-b]pyridine and the terminal aryl ring in close superimposition to a
pyrrolo[3,2-d]pyrimidine derivative. The presence of hydrofobic substituents (F and Me) in the terminal aryl ring is also important. For
these compounds a significant inhibition in HUVECs proliferation upon VEGF stimulation was observed at low concentrations (0.5-1.0
IJ.M) without affecting
cell viability. Westernblot
analysis
demonstrated that
compounds 1
significantly
the
inhibited
VEGFR-2
phosphorylation at
1.0 jlM, thus confirming
their anti-angiogenic
potential
Calluna vulgaris (L.) Hull: Chemical characterization, evaluation of its bioactive properties and effect on the vaginal microbiota
The inflorescences of Calluna vulgaris were nutritionally and chemically characterized. Furthermore,
different organic and aqueous extracts were prepared for the evaluation of their bioactive properties.
From the obtained results, carbohydrates were the major compounds, followed by protein, lipid and
ashes. It was possible to identify the sugars fructose and glucose, five organic acids, 26 individual fatty
acids and the four tocopherol isoforms. Concerning the extract composition, 12 phenolic compounds
were identified, with myricetin-3-O-glucoside and myricetin-O-rhamnoside predominating. Concerning
the bioactive effects, the more polar extracts showed not only the highest amount in phenolic compounds,
but also the strongest antioxidant and antibacterial activities. In contrast, for the anti-inflammatory
and cytotoxic potential, the most effective extracts were the n-hexane and the ethyl acetate extracts,
respectively. C. vulgaris presented a wide range of biological effects, highlighting their capacity to inhibit
pathogenic bacteria without affecting beneficial microflora, corroborating their use in traditional medicine.The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and
Technology (FCT, Portugal) and FEDER under Programme
PT2020 for financial support through CIMO (UID/AGR/00690/2013), CQ-VR (UID/QUI/00616/2013), and S. Heleno (SFRH/BPD/101413/2014) grants, and L. Barros and R. C. Calhelha contracts. The authors are also grateful to the FEDER-Interreg
España-Portugal programme for financial support through the
project 0377_Iberphenol_6_E. The authors are thankful to
Dr Ana Maria Carvalho from the Instituto Politécnico de
Bragança for her botanical expertise.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Synthesis of aminodiarylamines in the thieno[3,2-b]pyridine series and effects on tumor cell growth inhibition, cell cycle and apoptosis
Several series of compounds that include the
thienopyridine scaffold have been reported as
inhibitors of known cancer therapeutic targets or
as inhibitors of cell proliferation in tumor cell lines
[1,2]. Our research group has already
synthesized several thieno[3,2-b]pyridine
derivatives by Pd-catalyzed C-C (Suzuki and
Sonogashira) and C-N (Buchwald-Hartwig)
couplings and some of them have presented
tumor cell growth inhibitory activity in cell lines [3-
5]
- âŠ