Social and ecological sustainability in social work training

Social ecology appears as overcoming the functional inconsistencies of the current development model, introducing a new perspective of eco-systemic balance among species and between humans and nature, as well as society systems. This is a theme directly related to Social Work that seeks to ensure social well-being, intervening in multiple dimensions of human, social and sustainable development. This presentation aims to analyse the perception of social work master students about social ecology and the importance of social and ecological sustainability on social work training. We followed a collaborative learning methodology with a group of Erasmus Social Work master's students from various Universities (Portugal, Finland, Slovakia, Spain and Lithuania). Based on a questionnaire given to each student before the group discussion, we assessed the participants' knowledge on this topic. From here we proceeded to a debate activity that allowed systematizing contributions to Social Work, as well as discussing the importance of promoting more sustainable societies and practices. The results showed that many students had limited knowledge about ecological and social sustainability, recognizing that this was a relevant topic for Social Work training. Among the aspects that the group highlighted as essential in the training were: the importance of promoting a more inclusive planet, combating social inequalities and to ensure environment as fundamental right; and the importance of promoting sustainable actions that preserve the environment and respond to climate changes. Additionally, the participants considered that social and ecological sustainability should be part of the Social Work training programme, considering present and future social intervention.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Genetic and virulence characterization of Toxoplasma gondii strains isolated from pigeons in Lisbon region

habitat with cats and humans, bands are observed in recreational areas such as urban parks, playgrounds and parks. The interaction between cats, birds and human population is quite evident favoring the fecal-oral transmission of T. gondii between the definitive host and intermediate hosts, in the urban cycle of the parasite. The results of the inoculation in vivo of the brain homogenates showed pigeon isolation rates (58.5%) significantly higher when compared with previous studies, including the preliminary study in 2006 that the isolation rate in mice was 39,1% (9/23) (Waap 2008) and another that was not achieved any isolation in mouse (Godoi 2010). The genotypic analysis revealed a majority of strains of type II, which is consistent with what has been described in Portugal, the rest of Europe and the USA (Ajzenberg 2005, Fazaeli 2000, Honoré 2000, Howe 1997, Waap 2008) . We also isolated strains of type III and type I. The identification of type III strains in animals have been reported by other authors, but the type I have been rarely found in animals has not been previously described in Portugal except in a preliminary study of our team at the 2008 (Waap 2008). The type I strains are usually associated with high virulence in laboratory mice, leading to death within days. This strain was identified by molecular biology and has not been isolated in vivo. The difficulty in isolation of strain may be related to the small number of cysts of the type I strains can develop, these type strains are considered low cystogenic. Genetic characterization of strains of T. gondii is far from its terminus, more sequences of different genes should be studied to help the understanding of the molecular epidemiology and genetic characterization of T. gondii, a relevant parasite for which these data are lacking. The combination of data from humans and animals, through the use of high resolution genetic characterization should improve our perceptive of T. gondii, which will be ultimately beneficial for the control of T. gondii transmission

Desenvolvimento e validação de chip de DNA para genotipagem em escala de acessos do programa de conservação de germoplasma e de melhoramento genético de arroz.

Neste trabalho, dados de sequenciamento, montagem e alinhamento de genomas de oito variedades de arroz foram empregados na descoberta e seleção de milhares de sítios SNP. As informações em torno das sequências que flanqueiam os SNPs selecionados foram utilizadas para desenvolver um chip de DNA para uso em genotipagem em escala. Este chip foi avaliado e validado para a genotipagem de amostras do germoplasma de arroz

Screening of Aflatoxin B1 in Laboratory Rat Feed

Many hazards can interfere with the safety of the feeding stuffs intended to provide nutrients to experimental  animals. Chemical and biological contaminants of laboratory animal feed can be a problem for toxicological  and immunological research. Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a secondary toxic metabolite, produced by  the ubiquitous fungal genera, Aspergillus. AFB1 is particularly dangerous for health, inducing cancer of the  urinary tract or liver carcinoma. The aim of this preliminary screening was to evaluate the presence of AFB1  in 31 samples of laboratory rat feed using a method validated in-house, then separated by High Pressure  Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) coupled to a fluorescence detector. The detection limit (limit of detection:  LOD) and the quantification limit (LOQ) were 0.2 and 0.4 ìg/kg respectively. Recoveries ranged from 58.0  to 74.5% for spiked samples. The immunoaffinity approach was significantly faster than methods employing  conventional chromatography clean-up (Sep-Pak Classic Florisil and Sep-Pak ClassicC18 cartridges).  Aflatoxins were not detected in any analysed sample.

Características isotópicas Sr-Nd do Granito do Pedregal e rochas migmatíticas associadas

Neste trabalho são apresentados os resultados isotópicos Sr-Nd do Granito do Pedregal e das rochas gnaissomigmatíticas associadas, aflorantes na Zona Centro-Ibérica noroeste de Portugal, no bordo oriental do maciço granítico sin-orogénico do Porto. O granito do Pedregal é um pequeno corpo alongado na direcção NW-SE, intrusivo em micaxistos estaurolíticos do Supergrupo Dúrico-Beirão e em rochas gnaisso-migmatíticas. O granito do Pedregal é um granitóide de duas micas, de grão fino a médio, com pequen os nódulos biotíticos (1 a 2 cm). As rochas gnaisso-migmatíticas associadas são caracterizadas por leucossomas quartzo-feldspáticos predominantes e sem foliação, alternando com paleossomas micáceos onde ocorrem intercrescimento de granada e quartzo (<1cm). Os dados isotópicos Sr-Nd mostram ausência de sobreposição das composições iniciais do granito e das rochas gnaisso-migmatíticas, em aparente contradição com dados geoquímicos apresentados previamente. A inexistência daquela sopreposição é possivelmente resultante quer de desequilíbrio isotópico de Nd durante o processo de fusão parcial, quer de cristalização tardia de moscovite, acompanhada de incremento da razão Rb/Sr, no granito.The Sr-Nd isotopic data for the Pedregal granite and associated gneiss -migmatite rocks are presented in this work. The Pedregal granite is exposed in the Central Iberian Zone, northern Portugal, in the eastern border of the synorogenic Porto massif. It is a small body with an elongated NW -SE shape, intrusive into staurolite-micaschist of the Douro-Beiras Supergroup and gneiss-migmatite rocks. The Pedregal granite is a fine to medium-grained two mica granitoid with small biotitic nodules (1 to 2 cm). The associated gneiss-migmatite rocks are banded, showing alternating of quartz-feldspathic leocosomes without foliation with subordinated micaceous paleosomes where intergrowths of garnet and quartz (<1 cm) are present. The initial isotopic compositions (Sr-Nd) of Pedregal granite and associated gnaiss-migmatite rocks don't overlap, in apparent contradiction with the previously presented geochemical data. This isotopic heterogeneity could be explained by Nd isotopic disequilibrium, during the melting event, or by the late muscovite cristalization, with Rb/Sr enrichment in the granite

QUANTIFICATION OF CALCIUM IN SPARKLING WINES BY INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY

Markets are increasingly competitive and the companies feel the urge to improve their manufacturing processes. Blending that with a larger control of quality and safety it was created a need to develop new methods of analysis each time more accurate, faster and with lower costs. Alentejo is a region with a wide variety of soils, most of them are rich in calcium and potassium. In the production of sparkling wine many wineries use encapsulated yeast in alginate beads, instead of the traditional method, champenoise. The first method is faster, allowing a more versatile production, reducing the risk of contamination and features organoleptic characteristics similar to the traditional method (yeast free). However, encapsulated yeast spheres should be only used if the base wine matches a number of features, among them calcium content. In this study the calcium content in the wine was determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) and by near-infrared spectroscopy. The AAS is a high sensitivity method clearly produces a reliable result, however it is very time consuming and produces great quantities of environmental waste, therefore the possibility of using near-infrared spectroscopy as a method was studied to be a fast, simple and clean alternative to the AAS. It was obtained a calibration model with a variation coefficient higher than 0.80 which indicates that the near-infrared spectroscopy as an adequately alternative the ASS

Cosmic String Network Evolution in arbitrary Friedmann-Lemaitre models

We use the velocity-dependent one-scale model by Martins & Shellard to investigate the evolution of a GUT long cosmic string network in arbitrary Friedmann-Lemaitre models. Four representative models are used to show that in general there is no scaling solution. The implications for structure formation are briefly discussed.Comment: 8 pages, 4 postscript figures included, submitted to Phys. Rev.