Investigating the photophysical properties and biological efficacy of BODIPY derivatives as photosensitizers in photodynamic therapy

The selectivity of photosensitizers for light activation is a key advantage in photodynamic therapy (PDT), allowing for precise targeting while sparing healthy cells. BODIPY derivatives have emerged as promising PDT candidates due to their tunable photophysical properties and versatile synthesis. Herein, we explore the photophysical characterization and the in vitro photodynamic activity of BODIPY analogues meso-substituted with an anthracene moiety and functionalized with iodine atoms or formyl group at 2,6-position. The formylated anthracene-BODIPY derivative exhibited the highest tumor suppression under irradiation, making it a potential candidate as PDT photosensitizer

The complete genome sequence of Chromobacterium violaceum reveals remarkable and exploitable bacterial adaptability

Chromobacterium violaceum is one of millions of species of free-living microorganisms that populate the soil and water in the extant areas of tropical biodiversity around the world. Its complete genome sequence reveals (i) extensive alternative pathways for energy generation, (ii) ≈500 ORFs for transport-related proteins, (iii) complex and extensive systems for stress adaptation and motility, and (iv) wide-spread utilization of quorum sensing for control of inducible systems, all of which underpin the versatility and adaptability of the organism. The genome also contains extensive but incomplete arrays of ORFs coding for proteins associated with mammalian pathogenicity, possibly involved in the occasional but often fatal cases of human C. violaceum infection. There is, in addition, a series of previously unknown but important enzymes and secondary metabolites including paraquat-inducible proteins, drug and heavy-metal-resistance proteins, multiple chitinases, and proteins for the detoxification of xenobiotics that may have biotechnological applications

Introduction

SFRH/BPD/72225/2010 UID/HIS/04209/2013This book is the product of the 2nd World Conference on Environmental History, held in Guimarães, Portugal, in 2014. It gathers works by authors from the five continents, addressing concerns raised by past events so as to provide information to help manage the present and the future. It reveals how our cultural background and examples of past territorial intervention can help to combat political and cultural limitations through the common language of environmental benefits without disguising harmful past human interventions. Considering that political ideologies such as socialism and capitalism, as well as religion, fail to offer global paradigms for common ground, an environmentally positive discourse instead of an ecological determinism might serve as an umbrella common language to overcome blocking factors, real or invented, and avoid repeating ecological loss. Therefore, agency, environmental speech and historical research are urgently needed in order to sustain environmental paradigms and overcome political, cultural an economic interests in the public arena. This book intertwines reflections on our bonds with landscapes, processes of natural and scientific transfer across the globe, the changing of ecosystems, the way in which scientific knowledge has historically both accelerated destruction and allowed a better distribution of vital resources or as it, in today’s world, can offer alternatives that avoid harming those same vital natural resources: water, soil and air. In addition, it shows the relevance of cultural factors both in the taming of nature in favor of human comfort and in the role of the environment matters in the forging of cultural identities, which cannot be detached from technical intervention in the world. In short, the book firstly studies the past, approaching it as a data set of how the environment has shaped culture, secondly seeks to understand the present, and thirdly assesses future perspectives: what to keep, what to change, and what to dream anew, considering that conventional solutions have not sufficed to protect life on our planet.publishersversionpublishe

How relevant are non-use values and perceptions in economic valuations? The case of hydropower plants

The construction of hydropower plants, particularly of large ones, is far from being a consensual decision: advocates defend their construction based on the unquestionable benefits hydropower provides, while critics argue that these facilities are far from harmless and cause adverse impacts on the environment, being not only against the construction but also demanding the destruction of existing ones. We review a selection of recent empirical studies concerning impacts of hydropower developments, to make a case for the consideration of non-use values in the economic valuation of the environmental and social impacts of hydropower plants, through the use of non-market valuation methodologies. Additionally, we present data from a case study of hydropower economic valuation, where different subgroups of the population with differing degrees of contact and familiarity with hydropower rate their perception of impacts. Respondents with more contact are less penalizing of hydropower than other respondents. We conclude that non-use values are non-negligible and can be valued through stated preference methods, but researchers should take into consideration perceptions and the role of users and non-users. Non-use values should thus not be neglected by policy makers and regulators at the planning and public consultation stages or as part of the decommissioning decision.L.P. and M.V. acknowledge the funding by Portuguese public funds through FCT—Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P., in the framework of the project UID/ECO/03182/2019. The funding bodies had no involvement in the conduct of the research or preparation of the article

Introduction

SFRH/BPD/72225/2010 UID/HIS/04209/2013This book is the product of the 2nd World Conference on Environmental History, held in Guimarães, Portugal, in 2014. It gathers works by authors from the five continents, addressing concerns raised by past events so as to provide information to help manage the present and the future. It reveals how our cultural background and examples of past territorial intervention can help to combat political and cultural limitations through the common language of environmental benefits without disguising harmful past human interventions. Considering that political ideologies such as socialism and capitalism, as well as religion, fail to offer global paradigms for common ground, an environmentally positive discourse instead of an ecological determinism might serve as an umbrella common language to overcome blocking factors, real or invented, and avoid repeating ecological loss. Therefore, agency, environmental speech and historical research are urgently needed in order to sustain environmental paradigms and overcome political, cultural an economic interests in the public arena. This book intertwines reflections on our bonds with landscapes, processes of natural and scientific transfer across the globe, the changing of ecosystems, the way in which scientific knowledge has historically both accelerated destruction and allowed a better distribution of vital resources or as it, in today’s world, can offer alternatives that avoid harming those same vital natural resources: water, soil and air. In addition, it shows the relevance of cultural factors both in the taming of nature in favor of human comfort and in the role of the environment matters in the forging of cultural identities, which cannot be detached from technical intervention in the world. In short, the book firstly studies the past, approaching it as a data set of how the environment has shaped culture, secondly seeks to understand the present, and thirdly assesses future perspectives: what to keep, what to change, and what to dream anew, considering that conventional solutions have not sufficed to protect life on our planet.publishersversionpublishe

Working Paper Series The importance of the origin of apple varieties: results from a discrete choice experiment in Portugal Núcleo de Investigação em Microeconomia Aplicada Universidade do Minho The importance of the origin of apple varieties: results fro

Abstract The increased depletion of biological diversity in agriculture can be attributed to the massification and standardization of production. Another argument is the often mentioned lower productivity of these varieties and the lack of a market price premium that compensates for these higher production cost. Policies to address this issue can either rest on market instruments or on command and control initiatives. The paper aims to determine the role that the origin of the apple variety plays in consumers' choice, controlling for the place of production. Most literature analyzing the role of origin of production finds that national or local productions have a positive effect on consumers' choices, receiving a positive price premium. However, appellation of origin has, to our knowledge, never been analyzed in the fruit market. Determining, in a controlled design, whether the Portuguese traditional variety has a positive price premium and characterizing the socio-economic characteristics of consumers valuing this attribute the most can provide valuable insights for apple producers and policy makers. It can help designing more effective strategies to increase market shares or identifying market niches for producers and to promote agro-biodiversity more effective by policy makers. Our results indicate that consumers are willing to pay a statistically significant price premium for the national varieties. In addition, consumers that value the national variety, on average, buy larger quantities and buy more frequently, buy specific varieties, are more aware of products characteristics and are on average older. These results are encouraging for policy makers as they demonstrate the potential for policies based on market instruments as consumers are responsive to price. In addition, the analysis of consumers' heterogeneity typifies the segments that are more willing to buy national varieties. Finally, the results also indicate, to apple producers and marketers, possible ways to increase their market shares by identifying the socio-demographic characteristics of consumers more willing to buy national varieties at higher prices that may compensate for the increased costs of production

Testing static game theory with dynamic experiments: A case study of public goods

Game theory provides predictions of behavior in many one-shot games. On the other hand, most experimenters usually play repeated games with subjects, to provide experience. To avoid subjects rationally employing strategies that are appropriate for the repeated game, experimenters typically employ a "random strangers" design in which subjects are randomly paired with others in the session. There is some chance that subjects will meet in multiple rounds, but it is claimed that this chance is so small that subjects will behave as if they are in a one-shot environment. We present evidence from public goods experiments that this claim is not always true.Game theory Experiments Public goods