Critical reflections concerning the concept of participation in social intervention and research

In processes oriented towards social change and transformation, the specification of different concepts and levels of participation is an important intellectual and epistemic challenge. Critical questioning of participation in social intervention and research is fundamental for structuring a common understanding and a grammar for intervention, which supports, in theory, the construction of a type of architecture of participation, that is, a conceptual network that sets the parameters for the evaluation of participation. The concept of participation, used so frequently in a populist way, can adapt as easily to objectives of regulation, as to social transformation, and can be subordinate to such divergent paradigms of social intervention such as task-centered interventions, the building of opportunities for development and the processes which aim to improve personal and social decision-making. One of the major goals of participation is to increase the power of individuals and collective decision-making. Beyond this individual and micro-level dimension, it reveals processes of co-construction of social alternatives and structures of opportunity on the meso level (the community) and the macro level (the political instance). Thus, participation in the present day constitutes a strategic axis for social intervention and research. It is necessary to reflect about it. How to operationalize participation? How important is the way it tackles and develops participation in research and transformative social intervention?info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Geographic variation in phenology behavior and response to drought of cork oak populations is crucial to cope with climate change

Cork oak is widely distributed in the Western Mediterranean region, spanning a range of different environmental conditions, and frequently dominating open woodlands of high conservation and socioeconomic value. Cork oak woodlands spread-out for over 715000 ha in Portugal, covering 21% of the national forested area and 30% of the world’s cork producing area. Cork oak is well adapted to the seasonal drought of Mediterranean climate, following several decades of warming- up and frequent drought years. However, since the 70's, maximum and minimum temperatures have risen in Portugal about 0.5 ºC each decade, corresponding to twice the average world temperature increment. In addition, since longer, more frequent, and more intense drought periods are expected, stress caused by the expansion of arid and semi-arid climate throughout the country will affect the species distribution. Consequently, not only established stands may be prone to tree mortality, but also the current reforestation effort may be jeopardized by low survival rates attributed to the use of unsuitable genetic material. It is expected that, through genetic adaptation and/or phenotypic plasticity, cork oak populations may have developed significant differences in fitness and the traits related to it. In this context, provenance trials are the best resource of material to assess the variability between and within populations from seed sources sampled in a wide range of locations (stands) covering the geographical distribution of the species. This will enable to assess the levels and patterns of genetic variation for growth and traits determining adaptation to a specific environment, hence providing crucial information to select appropriate seed sources for planting, as well as to develop sustainable breeding and gene conservation programs. In 1998, multi-site provenance trials were established at three locations in Portugal, as a part of the “European Network for the Evaluation of Genetic Resources of Cork Oak for Appropriate Use in Breeding and Gene Conservation Strategies”. Results from these field trials at 7 years from planting pointed out that seed origin must be considered in reforestation programs, since survival, growth and adaptive traits (phenology, water use efficiency - wue) showed significant differences among populations. Responses to drought (a major limitation to cork oak regeneration) of four contrasting populations, selected according to their field performance for growth, phenology and wue, were further studied under controlled-environment conditions where drought stress was induced. In addition, morphological (total height, root/shoot biomass), physiological (wue, water potential, relative water content and gas exchange) and biochemical (maximum quantum yield of PSII) traits were assessed in 6-month seedlings produced from acorns collected in the stands representing the four contrasting provenances. Results from the controlled experiment provided an indication that drought adaptation was mainly related to early stomatal closure and root investment, with these traits showing significant differences between the studied populations. We have also observed significant differences in growth rhythm, as well as dissimilar temporal drought responses, in the populations under study. In conclusion, both field trials and controlled environment showed consistent results and indicated an important influence of geographic origin on growth performance and wue.projeto PTDC/AGR-AAM/104364/200

Reoperation in tetralogy of Fallot

A Tetralogia de Fallot é uma doença congénita que carece de correção cirúrgica nos primeiros meses de vida e, em alguns casos, de reoperação. É descrito o caso clínico de uma doente de 8 anos que foi reoperada devido ao aparecimento de sintomatologia consequente do agravamento da obstrução do trato de saída do ventrículo direito. Destacou-se, nesta reoperação, o recurso imprescindível à circulação extracorporal e o sucesso de todos os procedimentos cirúrgicos que proporcionaram um pós-operatório sem complicações subsequentes o que, pelo contrário, não se verificou na primeira cirurgia eletiva da TOF devido à hemiparesia manifesta após a operação.ABSTRACT: Tetralogy of Fallot is a congenital disease that requires surgical correction in the first months of life and, in some cases, reoperation. We describe the clinical case of an 8 year old patient who underwent reoperation due to the onset of symptoms resulting from the worsening of the obstruction of the right ventricular outflow tract. In this reoperation it was highlighted the essential use of cardiopulmonary bypass and the success of all surgical procedures that provided a postoperative period without subsequent complications which on the contrary did not occur in the first elective TOF surgery due to the hemiparesis manifested after the operation.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Revisiting thyroid hormones in schizophrenia

Thyroid hormones are crucial during development and in the adult brain. Of interest, fluctuations in the levels of thyroid hormones at various times during development and throughout life can impact on psychiatric disease manifestation and response to treatment. Here we review research on thyroid function assessment in schizophrenia, relating interrelations between the pituitary-thyroid axis and major neurosignaling systems involved in schizophrenia’s pathophysiology. These include the serotonergic, dopaminergic, glutamatergic, and GABAergic networks, as well as myelination and inflammatory processes. The available evidence supports that thyroid hormones deregulation is a common feature in schizophrenia and that the implications of thyroid hormones homeostasis in the fine-tuning of crucial brain networks warrants further research.The present work was supported by Grant POCI/SAUESP/58757/2004 from the Portuguese Science Foundation (FCT/FEDER). NCS was supported by the fellowship SFRH/ BPD/51057/2010 by FCT

Propriedades hidráulicas de solos algarvios em cenário pós-incêndio

A ocorrência de incêndios florestais tem implicações nas propriedades hidráulicas dos solos. (Pierce et al., 2004), devido ao aparecimento de uma camada superficial de cinzas por combustão da mata e arvoredo. A fim de caracterizar a modificação das propriedades hidráulicas do solo devido à presença de incêndios florestais, foi realizada uma campanha experimental em que se recolheram amostras de solo da Serra Algarvia e do litoral Algarvio, sob as quais foram realizados ensaios de simulação de incêndio. Foram de igual modo realizados ensaios para caracterização das propriedades físicas dos solos em questão e sua classificação. Na simulação dos ensaios de incêndio foram consideradas diferentes quantidades de material combustível. Em seguida, realizaram-se novos ensaios para determinar o teor em água no solo e realizaram-se também ensaios de infiltração, com infiltrómetro de duplo anel, de modo a determinar a condutividade hidráulica quase saturada (Ks) e a sorvidade (S) nas diferentes amostras.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Bases fisiológicas para a distribuição de clones de Eucalyptus globulus Labill. por diferentes áreas edafo-climáticas

Congresso Florestal Nacional: a floresta e as gentes - Actas das ComunicaçõesO Eucalyptus globulus Labill., pela sua importância económica, encontra-se distribuído por todos os países de clima favorável, reflectindo o interesse que têm as suas características intrínsecas como sejam um rápido crescimento e uma superior qualidade da madeira para produção de pasta para papel. Em Portugal, a relevância económica desta espécie traduz-se quer em termos de uma contribuição positiva para a balança comercial quer em termos do investimento feito na plantação de novas áreas florestais. No entanto, devido à restrição ao aumento da área de plantações verifica-se uma crescente exigência em aumentar a produtividade das áreas plantadas, garantindo a sustentabilidade económica, social e ambiental dos ecossistemas florestais. Actualmente, a área clonal de E. globulus é de aproximadamente 15000 ha tendo vindo a aumentar nos últimos anos cerca de 2000 ha por ano, como resultado das melhores técnicas de propagação e dos programas de melhoramento. Uma vez que o nº de clones comercialmente interessantes para a produção e que são utilizados em plantações tem tendência a ser reduzido, torna-se necessário deter um conhecimento mais aprofundado das suas respostas fisiológicas de forma a reduzir o risco inerente a uma diminuição da diversidade genética. Particularmente, e porque em Portugal as plantações ocorrem em áreas onde ocorrem défices hídricos sazonais, havendo uma grande variabilidade interanual no stress hídrico e sendo previsível um agravamento da aridez num futuro próximo, é necessário conhecer detalhadamente os mecanismos de resistência ao stress hídrico de forma a sustentar as decisões de distribuição dos clones por diferentes regiões edafo-climáticas. Este trabalho constitui um primeiro passo para o aprofundamento do conhecimento dos processos fisiológicos, de modo a identificar características biológicas que sirvam de referência à selecção de genótipos, permitindo uma consolidação dos resultados obtidos nos ensaios de campo e, portanto, uma mais ajustada distribuição dos clones pelos seus locais de plantação e crescimento futuro. Especificamente, avaliaram-se em condições controladas os mecanismos de resistência à secura em dois clones de Eucalyptus globulus Labill. com diferente sensibilidade à secura no campo, com base em estudos fisiológicos, biofísicos e morfológicos

Leptin Downregulates LPS-Induced Lung Injury: Role of Corticosterone and Insulin

Background/Aims: We investigated the effects of leptin in the development of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung inflammation (ALI) in lean mice. Methods: Mice were administered leptin (1.0 mu g/g) or leptin (1.0 mu g/g) followed by LPS (1.5 mu g/g) intranasally. Additionally, some animals were given LPS (1.5 mu g/g) or saline intranasally alone, as a control. Tissue samples and fluids were collected six hours after instillation. Results: We demonstrated that leptin alone did not induce any injury. Local LPS exposure resulted in significant acute lung inflammation, characterized by a substantial increase in total cells, mainly neutrophils, in bronchoalveolar lavages (BAL). We also observed a significant lymphocyte influx into the lungs associated with enhanced lung expression of chemokines and cytokines (KC, RANTES, TNF-alpha, IFN-beta, GM-CSF and VEGF). LPS-induced ALI was characterized by the enhanced expression of ICAM-1 and iNOS in the lungs. Mice that received LPS showed an increase in insulin levels. Leptin, when administered prior to LPS instillation, abolished all of these effects. LPS induced an increase in corticosterone levels, and leptin potentiated this event. Conclusion: These data suggest that exogenous leptin may promote protection during sepsis, and downregulation of the insulin levels and upregulation of corticosterone may be important mechanisms in the amelioration of LPS-induced ALI.Copyright (c) 2014 S. Karger AG, BaselConselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Complex Fluids INCTFundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Univ São Paulo, Inst Biomed Sci 1, Dept Pharmacol, Lab Hypertens, BR-1524 São Paulo, BrazilUniv São Paulo, Inst Biomed Sci, Dept Immunol, Lab Transplantat Immunobiol, BR-1524 São Paulo, BrazilUniv São Paulo, Lab Inflammat & Vasc Pharmacol, BR-05508 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Div Nephrol, Lab Clin & Expt Immunobiol, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Div Nephrol, Lab Clin & Expt Immunobiol, São Paulo, BrazilFAPESP: 12/51104-8FAPESP: 10/01404-0FAPESP: 12/02270-2FAPESP: 12/10512-6Web of Scienc

The renal and hepatic distribution of Bence Jones proteins depends on glycosylation: A scintigraphic study in rats

The aim of the present study was to evaluate renal and liver distribution of two monoclonal immunoglobulin light chains. the chains were purified individually from the urine of patients with multiple myeloma and characterized as lambda light chains with a molecular mass of 28 kDa. They were named BJg (high amount of galactose residues exposed) and BJs (sialic acid residues exposed) on the basis of carbohydrate content. A scintigraphic study was performed on male Wistar rats weighing 250 g for 60 min after iv administration of 1 mg of each protein (7.4 MBq), as the intact proteins and also after carbohydrate oxidation. Images were obtained with a Siemens gamma camera with a high-resolution collimator and processed with a MicroDelta system. Hepatic and renal distribution were established and are reported as percent of injected dose. Liver uptake of BJg was significantly higher than liver uptake of BJs (94.3 vs 81.4%) (P<0.05). This contributed to its greater removal from the intravascular compartment, and consequently lower kidney accumulation of BJg in comparison to BJs (5.7 vs 18.6%) (P<0.05). After carbohydrate oxidation, there was a decrease in hepatic accumulation of both proteins and consequently a higher renal overload. the tissue distribution of periodate-treated BJg was similar to that of native BJs: 82.7 vs 81.4% in the liver and 17.3 vs 18.6% in the kidneys. These observations indicate the important role of sugar residues of Bence Jones proteins for their recognition by specific membrane receptors, which leads to differential tissue accumulation and possible toxicity.UNIV São Paulo,FAC MED,LAB FISIOPATOL RENAL,BR-01246903 São Paulo,SP,BRAZILUNIV São Paulo,CTR MED NUCL,BR-05403010 São Paulo,SP,BRAZILUNIV São Paulo,HOSP CLIN,SERV RADISISOTOPOS,BR-05403000 São Paulo,SP,BRAZILUniversidade Federal de São Paulo,MOL BIOL LAB,BR-04024900 São Paulo,SP,BRAZILUniversidade Federal de São Paulo,MOL BIOL LAB,BR-04024900 São Paulo,SP,BRAZILWeb of Scienc

Kinship Analysis and Pedigree Reconstruction of a Natural Regenerated Cork Oak (Quercus suber) Population

Cork oak (Quercus suber L.) is a valuable forest species in the western Mediterranean Basin due to its ecological value and the production of cork (a renewable natural material). Cork quality depends on the genetic background and cork oak environment, which has long been recognized. As no cork oak genetic trials with pedigree information were available, the inference of the genetic relatedness between individuals from molecular markers can potentially be applied to natural populations. This work aimed to investigate the potential of performing kinship prediction and pedigree reconstruction by SNP genotyping a natural cork oak population. A total of 494 trees located in Portugal were genotyped with 8K SNPs. The raw SNP set was filtered differently, producing four SNP sets that were further filtered by missing data, genotype frequency, and minor allele frequency. For each set, an identity by descent (IBD) matrix was generated to perform the relationship prediction, revealing from 22,114 to 23,859 relationships. Familial categories from the first to the third degree were able to be assigned. The feasibility of SNP genotyping for future studies on the kinship analysis and pedigree reconstruction of cork oak populations was demonstrated. The information produced may be used in further breeding and conservation programs for cork oakinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide receptor overexpression in adrenocortical hyperplasia in MEN1 syndrome without loss of heterozygosity at the 11q13 locus

BACKGROUND: The molecular mechanisms involved in the genesis of the adrenocortical lesions seen in MEN1 syndrome (ACL-MEN1) remain poorly understood; loss of heterozygosity at 11q13 and somatic mutations of MEN1 are not usually found in these lesions. Thus, additional genes must be involved in MEN1 adrenocortical disorders. Overexpression of the glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide receptor has been shown to promote adrenocortical tumorigenesis in a mice model and has also been associated with ACTH-independent Cushing syndrome in humans. However, to our knowledge, the status of glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide receptor expression in adrenocortical lesions in MEN1 has not been previously investigated. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide receptor expression in adrenocortical hyperplasia associated with MEN1 syndrome. MATERIALS/METHODS: Three adrenocortical tissue samples were obtained from patients with previously known MEN1 germline mutations and in whom the presence of a second molecular event (a new MEN1 somatic mutation or an 11q13 loss of heterozygosity) had been excluded. The expression of the glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide receptor was quantified by qPCR using the DDCT method, and b-actin was used as an endogenous control. RESULTS: The median of glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide receptor expression in the adrenocortical lesions associated with MEN1 syndrome was 2.6-fold (range 1.2 to 4.8) higher than the normal adrenal controls (p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: The current study represents the first investigation of glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide receptor expression in adrenocortical lesions without 11q13 loss of heterozygosity in MEN1 syndrome patients. Although we studied a limited number of cases of MEN1 adrenocortical lesions retrospectively, our preliminary data suggest an involvement of glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide receptor overexpression in the etiology of adrenocortical hyperplasia. New prospective studies will be able to clarify the exact role of the glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide receptor in the molecular pathogenesis of MEN1 adrenocortical lesions