Modulation of rye rDNA chromatin conformation induced by high temperature stress

Report - Bolsa de integração na InvestigaçãoEpigenetic modulation has been correlated with expression patterns alterations involved in plant response to stress. However, the influence of abiotic stress, namely high temperature, in chromatin organization of plant nuclei is poorly known. The aim of this work was the analysis of rDNA chromatin organization in interphase nuclei of rye root-tip and coleoptiles from high temperature treated (HTS) and untreated plantlets, through Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization (FISH) using rDNA probes. Rye seeds were germinated in controlled conditions and HTS treated plantlets were subject to a period of 4 hours at 40oC. FISH was performed successfully using a new rDNA probe produced by PCR that can replace with advantage the pTa71 probe and the results obtained with both probes revealed significant differences in rDNA chromatin organization patterns between control and HTS in interphase nuclei from both tissues analyzed. The detected rDNA chromatin decondensation provoked by HTS may be involved in a greater potential for transcription necessary to the amendment induced by HTS and emphasize the role of chromatin epigenetic remodelling in plant adjustment pathways under stress conditions

Sistemas solares térmicos por medida: avaliação de comportamento térmico a longo prazo

Tese de mestrado integrado em Engenharia da Energia e do Ambiente, apresentada à Universidade de Lisboa, através da Faculdade de Ciências, 2014Existem atualmente diversos estudos que caracterizam sistemas solares térmicos de acordo com as normas EN12975 e EN12976, no entanto existem ainda poucos estudos em que são caracterizados sistemas solares térmicos de acordo com a EN12977:2012, mais concretamente sistemas solares térmicos por medida. Estes são sistemas onde o depósito de armazenamento e o coletor solar podem ser escolhidos em separado e avaliados como um todo num único sistema, não ficando dependentes de configurações fixas como nas anteriores normas. Foi com esse intuito de caracterizar e avaliar o comportamento térmico de um sistema solar térmico por medida que se procedeu à realização deste trabalho. Neste trabalho procedeu-se numa primeira fase à realização e acompanhamento de diversos ensaios no Laboratório de Energia Solar (LES) do Laboratório Nacional de Energia e Geologia (LNEG) com vista à caracterização térmica de um depósito de armazenamento de energia. Para tal foi utilizada uma bancada de ensaios existente no laboratório e que foi construída para suprir as condições requeridas pela norma EN19277:2012. Após a realização de todos os ensaios pretendidos foram determinados e validados os parâmetros característicos do depósito utilizando o software TRNSYS e recorrendo ao método iterativo de Hooke-Jeeves. Numa segunda parte do trabalho, realizada após a caracterização do depósito de armazenamento de energia, modelou-se um sistema solar em TRNSYS no qual o depósito de armazenamento de energia utilizado foi o caracterizado na primeira parte. Nesta segunda parte fizeram-se variar alguns parâmetros como a área dos coletores solares, entre 4m2 e 10m2, o consumo entre 200l/dia e 600l/dia e os locais os quais foram: Atenas (Grécia), Davos (Suíça), Wurtzburgo (Alemanha) e Copenhaga (Dinamarca) e tiraram-se as respetivas conclusões.Nowadays there are several studies that characterize solar thermal systems according to the European norms EN12975 and EN12976, however there are a few studies that characterize solar thermal systems according to the European norm EN12977:2012, specifically solar thermal custom built systems. These are systems where the storage tank and the solar collector can be chosen separately and evaluated as a whole system not being dependent on fixed configurations as in the previous norms. It was with this aim of characterizing and evaluating the thermal behavior of a solar thermal custom built system that this work was carried out. In this work there was a first step where it was implemented and monitored various tests at the Laboratório de Energia Solar (LES) of the Laboratório Nacional de Energia e Geologia (LNEG) aiming to thermally characterize an energy storage tank. To make sure that this was done correctly, it was used a test bench that exists on the laboratory and that was built to meet the requirements of the European norm EN12977:2012. After the implementation of all the tests to the storage all the parameters that characterize the storage tank were determined and validated using the TRNSYS software and the iterative method of Hooke-Jeeves. On a second part of the work, carried out after the characterization of the energy storage tank, the long term thermal behavior of a solar system was evaluated using the TRNSYS software and the parameters of the storage tank that were determined on the first part. On this second part some parameters were changed as for example the collector area from 4m2 to 10m2, the consumption between 200l/day to 600l/day and the locations which were: Athens (Greece), Davos (Switzerland), Wurzburg (Germany) and Copenhagen (Denmark)

Estudo das alterações epigenéticas induzidas por stress térmico em centeio

Relatório de Projecto - BiologiaA modulação epigenética tem sido correlacionada com alterações de padrões de expressão em plantas como resposta a stresses ambientais. No entanto, a influência de stresses abióticos, particularmente de stresses térmicos, na organização da cromatina ainda é pouco conhecida. Deste modo, o objectivo deste trabalho foi estudar o efeito de stresses de altas e baixas temperaturas na conformação da cromatina em núcleos interfásicos de centeio utilizando a técnica de hibridação in situ fluorescente. Para isso, foram caracterizados os padrões de organização da cromatina ribossomal em núcleos interfásicos de ápices radiculares e de coleóptilos de plântulas submetidas a alta temperatura (SAT, 4h a 40ºC) e foram quantificados os sinais de in situ de sequências de rDNA e subteloméricas em núcleos de ápices radiculares de plântulas submetidas a stresse de baixa temperatura (24h a 4ºC). Os resultados obtidos demonstram que o SAT induz descondensação da cromatina ribossomal, efeito que pode estar correlacionado com o potencial de transcrição necessário ao ajuste provocado pela exposição a altas temperaturas. Por outro lado, o tratamento de baixa temperatura induz a compactação da cromatina ribossomal e subtelomérica. Estes resultados sublinham o papel da remodelação da cromatina na resposta das plantas a condições de stresse

The mitochondrial phylogeny of land plants shows support for Setaphyta under composition-heterogeneous substitution models

Congruence among analyses of plant genomic data partitions (nuclear, chloroplast and mitochondrial) is a strong indicator of accuracy in plant molecular phylogenetics. Recent analyses of both nuclear and chloroplast genome data of land plants (embryophytes) have, controversially, been shown to support monophyly of both bryophytes (mosses, liverworts, and hornworts) and tracheophytes (lycopods, ferns, and seed plants), with mosses and liverworts forming the clade Setaphyta. However, relationships inferred from mitochondria are incongruent with these results, and typically indicate paraphyly of bryophytes with liverworts alone resolved as the earliest-branching land plant group. Here, we reconstruct the mitochondrial land plant phylogeny from a newly compiled data set. When among-lineage composition heterogeneity is accounted for in analyses of codon-degenerate nucleotide and amino acid data, the clade Setaphyta is recovered with high support, and hornworts are supported as the earliest-branching lineage of land plants. These new mitochondrial analyses demonstrate partial congruence with current hypotheses based on nuclear and chloroplast genome data, and provide further incentive for revision of how plants arose on land.UIDB/04326/2020, PTDC/BIA-EVF/1499/2014, EMBRC.PT ALG-01-0145-FEDER-022121, BIODATA.PT ALG-01-0145-FEDER-022231info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Monkeypox Diagnosis by Cutaneous and Mucosal Findings

Publisher Copyright: © 2022 by the authors.A monkeypox outbreak has been reported in several countries since early May 2022. Human monkeypox (MPX) diagnosis is based on a clinical suspicion supported by typical skin and mucosal lesions, confirmed with molecular testing. We present the results of all MPX confirmed patients presenting to our department until July 15 of 2022, describing the characteristics of the lesions at diagnosis. In total, 47 patients were included, all men and 44.7% (n = 21) were HIV-positive. Skin lesions were noted in all patients. The most commonly affected area was the genital region (63.8%), followed by the anorectal region (46.8%). Extra anogenital mucosal (oral or conjunctival mucosa) involvement was reported in three patients. Typical skin findings included erythematous papules, whitish, umbilicated papules, some with a necrotic center and an elevated whitish border. Most patients had lesions in multiple phases presenting simultaneously. Correct identification of MPX skin and mucosal lesions is crucial to avoid late diagnosis and prevent further spreading, ensuring less worldwide morbidity.publishersversionpublishe

Caracterização volátil e sensorial de vinhos brancos de três castas potuguesas minoritárias

This work focused on the characterization of the volatile compounds and sensory profile of white wines produced from three minority grapevine varieties of Portugal namely ‘Malvasia’ (Colares), ‘Verdelho’ and ‘Galego Dourado’. The characterization took place using sensory and gas chromatography analysis. Furthermore, the data obtained were analysed through the use of multivariate analysis, which made it possible to evaluate the similarities and dissimilarities between the varieties. The results obtained show a differentiation of the wines produced from each grapevine variety but above all a differentiation of the two vintages was verified. The results obtained, both from a sensory and a chemical point of view, show an interesting oenological potential of these varieties, but still require further studies, in order to evaluate the influence of climatic effects on the profile of volatile compounds and also on the sensory profileEste trabalho centrou-se na caracterização sensorial e da composição volátil de vinhos brancos produzidos a partir de três castas minoritárias, designadamente ‘Malvasia’ (Colares), ‘Verdelho’ e ‘Galego Dourado’. A caracterização ocorreu por meio de análise sensorial e por cromatografia gás líquido de alta resolução, e os resultados obtidos foram analisados através de análise multivariada, que permitiu avaliar as semelhanças e as diferenças entre as castas. Os resultados obtidos mostram uma diferenciação dos vinhos produzidos a partir de cada casta, mas acima de tudo uma diferenciação das duas colheitas. Os resultados obtidos, tanto do ponto de vista sensorial como na composição química, mostram um potencial enológico interessante destas castas, embora sejam necessários mais estudos para avaliar a influência dos efeitos climáticos no perfil de compostos voláteis e também no perfil sensorialinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Genetic variants of Grapevine leafroll-associated virus 2 infecting Portuguese grapevine cultivars

Genetic variability of 19 isolates of Grapevine leafroll-associated virus 2 (GLRaV-2) from Portuguese grapevine cultivars was characterized by sequencing the entire capsid protein (CP) gene of the virus. Global phylogenetic analysis of the CP gene, which included nucleotide sequences obtained in this study and complete homologous sequences from GenBank, showed segregation of GLRaV-2 variants from Portuguese isolates into three major phylogroups (PN, 93/955 and H4). The novelty of these phylogenetic results is the evidence of well-supported subdivision within H4 as well as within PN, with subgroup PN3 composed exclusively of variants from a Portuguese isolate. These findings and the genetic analysis of global phylogroups indicate demographic expansion, mainly within PN and 93/955. Because the existence of a mixture of variants from different phylogroups was detected in some of the isolates, a typification assay based on reverse transcription reaction followed by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis, was developed to complement molecular detection assay of the virus. This protocol discriminates variants from the phylogroups identified in this study, and is appropriate for routine testing for GLRaV-2

Clinical change in anger, shame, and paranoia after a structured cognitive-behavioral group program: Early findings from a randomized trial with male prison inmates

Objectives: This study’s main goal was to assess the efficacy of a structured cognitive-behavioral group program, Growing Pro-Social (GPS), in reducing anger, paranoia and external shame in male prison inmates. Methods: In this randomized trial, a treatment group (n=24) was compared to a control group (n=24) and both groups were assessed at pre- and post-treatment. Participants answered the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory, the Paranoia Scale, and the Other as Shamer Scale. Treatment effects were tested using ANCOVA with baseline as covariate and condition as fixed factor. Additionally, in order to assess significant clinical change after intervention, the Reliable Change Index (RCI) was computed. Results: At baseline, no significant differences between conditions were found. ANCOVA with baseline as covariate showed significant differences between groups at post-treatment. When compared to controls, treatment subjects showed lower scores in anger-trait (temperament and reaction subscales) and paranoia. Concerning clinical change, a high percentage of treatment subjects presented improvements in anger, paranoia and external shame; the majority of controls showed significant deterioration in the same variables. After treatment, differences between groups were observed in the distributions by clinical change categories for anger-trait and its subscales, and paranoia. No differences between groups were found in anger-state and external shame. Conclusions: These results point out the GPS’s ability to promote significant change in cognitive and emotional relevant variables associated with antisocial behavior