Macrofungi of Mata da Margaraça (Portugal), a relic from the Tertiary Age

Mata Nacional da Margaraça represents a rare example where the Atlantic climate influences the perpetuity of a small enclave of a previously widespread laurel forest. The higher relative humidity values (> 80%), which are almost constant all year long and the mild temperatures, rarely exceeding 30°C, even in the dry season (June to September), create an insular-like effect. The biological communities of Margaraça exhibit a transitory character. The forest is dominated by Quercus robur and Castanea sativa, yet Quercus suber, although less frequent, can also be found. The laurel species, such as Viburnum tinus, Ilex aquifolium, Laurus nobilis and the Portuguese endemic Prunus lusitanica ssp. lusitanica, relics from the ancient Portuguese Tertiary, comprise the understorey. The present work represents, to the best of our knowledge, the first regional macrofungal species list of the Mata da Margaraça published to date. The recent fires that occurred in the area have provided the opportunity to study the post-fire communities. The surveys were carried out in 2004 and later in 2018-2019. A total of 272 species were registered as belonging to Basidiomycota (≈ 80%) and Ascomycota (≈ 20%). The most represented Basidiomycota families were Russulaceae, Mycenaceae and Agaricaceae and the most represented Ascomycota families were Pyronemataceae and Pezizaceae. The new records to Portugal add up to a total of 74 species and another 116 species are new records to the province of Beira Litoral. Post-fire fungi account for 17 of the total of 272 species registered in these studies and most of these species are new to Portugal

Morphological Characterization of the In Vitro Mycorrhizae Formed between Four Terfezia Species (Pezizaceae) with Cistus salviifolius and Cistus ladanifer—Towards Desert Truffles Production in Acid Soils

Terfezia species are obligate symbiotic partners of several xerophytic host plants, mainly belonging to the Cistaceae. Yet, their mycorrhizal associations with members of the genus Cistus remain poorly characterized and their potential application in desert truffle cultivation remains unexplored. This work provides the first anatomic descriptions of the mycorrhizae formed in vitro by four Terfezia species (i.e., T. arenaria; T. extremadurensis; T. fanfani, T. pini) with C. ladanifer and C. salviifolius, two of the most widespread and common Cistus species in acidic soils. All the tested associations resulted in the formation of ectomycorrhizae with well-developed Hartig net, but with a varying degree of mantle development. Our results also demonstrate that all the experimented Terfezia-Cistus combinations expressed high mycorrhization rates. Moreover, the present work shows that C. salviifolius and C. ladanifer are suitable plant hosts for Terfezia species, including some that are, to date, known to be only associated with annual herbs or tree species. This new evidence might aid in broadening the number of situations whereby Terfezia spp. can be cultivated in acid soils.This research was funded by Alentejo 2020 (Project ALT20-03-0145-FEDER-000006) and National Funds through FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology under the Project UIDB/05183/202

Serra de São Mamede Natural Park, a macrofungal diversity hotspot in the Mediterranean region

The Serra de São Mamede Natural Park is a biodiversity hotspot in the broad region of Alentejo, Portugal, where the influence of the Atlantic Ocean allows for the continuity of a Eurosiberian-like forest in the heart of a Mediterranean region. The park is therefore unique among the few protected areas in Portugal. We attempt to describe the macrofungal diversity of the park for the first time. Our results reveal a rich and diverse assembly of macrofungal species (239 taxa), and in particular, mycorrhizal species (145 taxa). Furthermore, 26 taxa are newly recorded from Portugal, while 81 taxa are newly recorded from Alto Alentejo Province. Also, the majority of these newly reported taxa were recorded in mixed stands of Quercus pyrenaica Willd.—a European protected habitat of limited extent—whose importance is enhanced now the rich and diverse associated macrofungal community, as shown in our study

A haplotype-resolved draft genome of the European sardine (Sardina pilchardus)

The European sardine (Sardina pilchardus Walbaum, 1792) is culturally and economically important throughout its distribution. Monitoring studies of sardine populations report an alarming decrease in stocks due to overfishing and environmental change, which has resulted in historically low captures along the Iberian Atlantic coast. Important biological and ecological features such as population diversity, structure, and migratory patterns can be addressed with the development and use of genomics resources.Agência financiadora Portuguese national funds from FCT-Foundation for Science and Technology: UID/Multi/04326/2016; European Regional Development Fund (FEDER): 22153-01/SAICT/2016; ALG-01-0145-FEDER-022121; ALG-01-0145-FEDER-022231; MAR2020 operational programme of the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (project SARDI-NOMICS): MAR-01.04.02-FEAMP-0024; European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme: 654008info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Prática de ensino e investigação pedagógica : banda desenhada como recurso educativo

O presente Relatório de Prática de Ensino Supervisionado, elaborado no âmbito do Mestrado em Ensino de Informática da Universidade Católica Portuguesa, que decorreu no Externato Infante D. Henrique em Ruílhe, Concelho de Braga, no ano letivo 2012-2013, é uma reflexão teórica e prática de toda a atividade pedagógica letiva e não letiva, intervenção na comunidade escolar e investigação de cariz científico, desenvolvida pelo professor estagiário Bruno Ambrioso, sob a orientação pedagógica do Professor Dr. Luís Baptista e orientação científica da Professora Doutora Sílvia Cardoso. A componente letiva decorreu numa turma do 7º ano de escolaridade do ensino regular na disciplina de Tecnologias da Informação de Comunicação cujos conteúdos programáticos correspondem às metas curriculares para o ano em causa e abordaram temas como a internet, processador de texto, folha de cálculo e apresentações eletrónicas. Relativamente à componente não letiva esta compreendeu todas as tarefas inerentes à preparação da componente letiva, nomeadamente planificação, aulas e avaliação. Também neste âmbito foi desenvolvido e implementado uma plataforma de apoio ao ensino à distância, Moodle, além de outras atividades protagonizadas e dinamizadas pelo núcleo de estágio. Por fim, o relatório de estágio apresenta o resultado de uma investigação científica realizada na turma de estágio, baseada na utilização da Banda Desenhada construída de forma inovadora e utilizado como recurso educativo

A new subfamily of ionotropic glutamate receptors unique to the echinoderms with putative sensory role

Chemosensation is a critical signalling process in animals and especially important in sea cucumbers, a group of ecologically and economically important marine echinoderms (class Holothuroidea), which lack audio and visual organs and rely on chemical sensing for survival, feeding and reproduction. The ionotropic receptors are a recently identified family of chemosensory receptors in insects and other protostomes, related to the ionotropic glutamate receptor family (iGluR), a large family of membrane receptors in metazoan. Here we characterize the echinoderm iGluR subunits and consider their possible role in chemical communication in sea cucumbers. Sequence similarity searches revealed that sea cucumbers have in general a higher number of iGluR subunits when compared to other echinoderms. Phylogenetic analysis and sequence comparisons revealed GluH as a specific iGluR subfamily present in all echinoderms. Homologues of the vertebrate GluA (aka alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid, AMPA), GluK (aka kainate) and GluD (aka delta) were also identified. The GluN (aka N-methyl-d-aspartate, NMDA) as well as the invertebrate deuterostome subfamily GluF (aka phi) are absent in echinoderms. The echinoderm GluH subfamily shares conserved structural protein organization with vertebrate iGluRs and the ligand binding domain (LBD) is the most conserved region; genome analysis indicates evolution via lineage and species-specific tandem gene duplications. GluH genes (named Grih) are the most highly expressed iGluRs subunit genes in tissues in the sea cucumber Holothuria arguinesis, with Griha1, Griha2 and Griha5 exclusively expressed in tentacles, making them candidates to have a chemosensory role in this species. The multiple GluH subunits may provide alternative receptor assembly combinations, thus expanding the functional possibilities and widening the range of compounds detected during aggregation and spawning in echinoderms.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Transcriptomic down-regulation of immune system components in barrier and hematopoietic tissues after lipopolysaccharide injection in antarctic notothenia coriiceps

The environmental conditions and isolation in the Antarctic have driven the evolution of a unique biodiversity at a macro to microorganism scale. Here, we investigated the possible adaptation of the teleost Notothenia coriiceps immune system to the cold environment and unique microbial community of the Southern Ocean. The fish immune system was stimulated through an intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS 0111:B4 from E. coli) and the tissue transcriptomic response and plasma biochemistry were analyzed 7 days later and compared to a sham injected control. Gene transcription in the head-kidney, intestine and skin was significantly modified by LPS, although tissues showed different responsiveness, with the duodenum most modified and the skin the least modified. The most modified processes in head-kidney, duodenum and skin were related to cell metabolism (up-regulated) and the immune system (comprising 30% of differentially expressed genes). The immune processes identified were mostly down-regulated, particularly interleukins and pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptors and mannose receptors, unlike the toll-like receptors response commonly described in other teleost fish. The modified transcriptional response was not mirrored by a modified systemic response, as the circulating levels of enzymes of innate immunity, lysozyme and antiproteases, were not significantly different from the untreated and sham control fish. In conclusion, while the N. coriiceps immune system shares many features with other teleosts there are also some specificities. Further studies should better characterize the PRRs and their role in Antarctic teleosts, as well as the importance of the LPS source and its consequences for immune activation in teleosts.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Holothurians have a reduced GPCR and odorant receptor-like repertoire compared to other echinoderms

Sea cucumbers lack vision and rely on chemical sensing to reproduce and survive. However, how they recognize and respond to environmental cues remains unknown. Possible candidates are the odorant receptors (ORs), a diverse family of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) involved in olfaction. The present study aimed at characterizing the chemosensory GPCRs in sea cucumbers. At least 246 distinct GPCRs, of which ca. 20% putative ORs, were found in a transcriptome assembly of putative chemosensory (tentacles, oral cavity, calcareous ring, and papillae/tegument) and reproductive (ovary and testis) tissues from Holothuria arguinensis (57 ORs) and in the Apostichopus japonicus genome (79 ORs). The sea cucumber ORs clustered with those of sea urchin and starfish into four main clades of gene expansions sharing a common ancestor and evolving under purifying selection. However, the sea cucumber ORs repertoire was the smallest among the echinoderms and the olfactory receptor signature motif LxxPxYxxxxxLxxxDxxxxxxxxP was better conserved in cluster OR-l1 which also had more members. ORs were expressed in tentacles, oral cavity, calcareous ring, and papillae/tegument, supporting their potential role in chemosensing. This study is the first comprehensive survey of chemosensory GPCRs in sea cucumbers, and provides the molecular basis to understand how they communicate.Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology: UIDB/04326/2020info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Investment in innovation and its Influence on net sales: an analysis based on PINTEC data

The aim of this research is to analyze the influence of innovation investments on net sales from major national sectors. The data was collected from the free access to the Technological Innovation Research (PINTEC) database. To proceed the analysis, we collected the PINTEC data from the years 2000, 2003, 2005, 2008 and 2011, consolidating them in a specific way. The analysis were developed through regressions of panel data with fixed effects, according to Hausman test, and the definition of large scale sectors was based on the median of net sales. The results suggest that, on average, for the large scale sectors the acquisition of machinery & equipment and industrial projects & other technical improvements are statistically relevant variables to increase the net sales.

Incidência de internações de pacientes com critérios para cuidados paliativos em hospital de nível terciário

Introdução: De acordo com a OMS, cuidados paliativos é o tratamento não curativo, que busca oferecer uma melhor qualidade de vida a pacientes e familiares, tanto física quanto psicológica. No Brasil essa prática ainda é recente, e de acordo com a Academia Nacional de Cuidados Paliativos (ANCP), atualmente, existem 157 centros especializados no serviço, sendo que 60 se encontram no estado de São Paulo. Objetivo: Avaliar o número de pacientes internados nas enfermarias de um Hospital terciário com critérios de elegibilidade para cuidados paliativos (CP) antes e após a introdução de uma equipe multidisciplinar focada em CP nesse mesmo serviço. Método: Inicialmente foi realizada uma busca ativa com análise de 1199 prontuários de pacientes internados nesse hospital, a fim de definir o número de pessoas que estariam inclusas nos critérios de cuidados paliativos de acordo com a ANCP e que se beneficiariam com essa prática. Após a implementação do serviço de CP, foi analisada por um período de 12 meses a quantidade de pacientes internados nesse serviço e que receberam atendimento pela equipe multidisciplinar.Resultados: No primeiro mês foram analisados 1199 prontuários, sendo que 106 apresentaram indicações de paliação. Nos 12 meses seguintes, após a implementação do serviço apenas 179 pacientes foram admitidos no programa de CP. Discussão: A demanda dos 106 pacientes que poderiam ter se beneficiado com os cuidados paliativos enfatizou a necessidade da criação da equipe multidisciplinar no serviço.  Entretanto, observou-se com os dados obtidos que muitos profissionais da saúde ainda desconhecem os critérios de elegibilidade para CP, bem como o momento para indicação desses cuidados, o que prorroga o sofrimento de pacientes e familiares. Conclusão: Sabe-se que o tema está se tornando cada vez mais frequente em nosso meio, não apenas pelos benefícios que traz ao paciente e seus familiares, mas também pela redução de custos ao serviço. Porém muitos profissionais da saúde ainda não sabem a real importância dos critérios para o correto encaminhamento para os cuidados paliativos. Além disso, poucos são os centros especializados nesse tipo de abordagem, pois no Brasil essa prática ainda é recente