Tangible Cultural Heritage Re-Appropriation Towards A New Urban Centrality. A Critical Crossroad In Semi-Peripheral Eastern Riverside Lisbon

The transformation of decayed semi-peripheral riverside areas and its Tangible Culture Heritage is presented today as a contributing factor in urban regeneration by several public preservation bodies and agendas, as well as privately led investment. These practices demand the economic and symbolic valorization of abandoned Tangible Cultural Heritage, where the social coexistence of residents, workers and visitors is seen as a smoother urban integration of these deprived territories and their communities into the surrounding contemporary cities. We’ll focus our approach on socio-spatial changes occurring in Marvila and Beato, presented today as new urban areas in which to financially invest after the 2011 economic crisis occurred in Portugal, discussing public and private re- appropriation of Old Palaces, Convents and Farms and Reconverted Warehouses (industrial and commercial); towards the creation of a new urban centrality in Lisbon. In this case, public ground-field intervention established a culture led regeneration process, with the creation of a municipal library, a crucial point in the cultural use of this space, community participation and gathering. Dealing with private investors, despite the positive effects, such as a reduction in unemployment, economic diversification and re-use of urban voids, there is always the possibility of undesired consequences. This paper argues, and the research experiments in many European cities show us that the ambition to improve the image of these deprived areas, despite somGonzalex encouraging ground level achievements, has unwanted or unexpected outcomes, starting as urban regeneration practices, often sliding towards gentrification, where local public powers have a determinant role.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Characterization and expression of cytokinin signalling genes in sulfur deficient grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.)

Mestrado em Engenharia Agronómica - Instituto Superior de AgronomiaSulfur (S) is an essential macronutrient for plant growth and development. In vitro grapevine callus, cells and shoots in culture media in the absence of sulfur (-S) respond markedly with a reduction of growth and shoot multiplication. This may result from an interference of -S with cytokinin signal pathway (CSP) or at shoot apical meristem (SAM) or axillary meristem (AM) identity level. Cytokinins are essential plant hormones that control various processes in plants. As in Arabidopsis, Vitis CSP is composed by receptors (HKs), phosphotransmitters (HPTs) and two types of response regulators (A-type and B-type RRs). Cells in -S in the presence of cytokinin show a downregulation of most CSP genes while -S without cytokinin leads to an upregulation of A-type RRs. CSP is not significantly affected by –S in in vitro shoots, so the multiplication inhibition can be caused by a downregulation of the expression of SAM and AM identity genes, respectively STM and LAS. In vitro conditions more similar to autotrophy as Temporary Immersion System, the scarce multiplication impairment must result from the reduction of B-type RRs transcription. As a whole the present work provides new insights on the crosstalk between –S and cytokinin signaling in in vitro grapevine model systems

Desenvolvimento de microcápsulas magnéticas como bioreatores dinâmicos para aplicação na engenharia de tecidos

As doenças ósseas são um problema que afeta grande parte da população mundial e têm tendência a aumentar no futuro. Apesar de o tecido ósseo ter capacidade de regeneração, quando uma fratura ultrapassa um ponto crítico o osso não possui capacidade de autorreparar esse defeito. Atualmente estes defeitos são tratados a nível médico através da utilização de implantes cerâmicos ou metálicos que originam respostas imunológicas por parte do hospedeiro e como consequência são rejeitados ao fim de algum tempo pós implantação. Além deste facto, a não bioatividade destes biomateriais restringe a reparação total do tecido e a recuperação das suas propriedades biológicas e funcionais. Terapias como a injeção in situ de células encapsuladas em biomateriais bioativos e biodegradáveis para aplicação na regeneração óssea têm surgido nos últimos anos como uma abordagem alternativa e vantajosa. Neste contexto, os sistemas capsulares apresentam-se como os mais vantajosos pois não só protegem as células administradas, mas também permitem a troca de nutrientes/metabolitos de uma forma eficaz. Este facto garante a viabilidade do sistema ao longo de maiores períodos de tempo, contribuindo assim para uma melhor regeneração do tecido lesado. No entanto, a implantação de microcápsulas contendo células tem-se revelado bastante desafiante devido à sua fraca interação com os tecidos circundantes, sendo comum o seu deslocamento do local inicial da implantação. Como forma de ultrapassar estas limitações, este trabalho teve como objetivo desenvolver uma cápsula magneticamente responsiva como sistema de entrega de células aderidas a micropartículas. A inclusão de reposta a estímulos magnéticos tem como objetivo permitir a fixação das cápsulas in situ no local de implantação através da utilização de um campo magnético externo. Para tal foram inicialmente produzidas nanopartículas magnéticas de óxido de ferro (≈42.69 nm), que foram ressuspendidas numa solução de Policaprolactona que por emulsão óleo-em-água deram origem a micropartículas magneticamente responsivas (μPCL[MNPs]) cujo tamanho médio foi de 40.5±13.2 μm antes de serem peneiradas. A gama de tamanhos a ser utilizada foi de 40-63μm para potenciar a adesão celular daí a necessidade de peneirar as partículas (55.3±9.00 μm). As micropartículas μPCL[MNPs] foram depois sujeitas a um revestimento de colagénio I para promover a adesão de células pre-osteoblásticas (MC3T3-E1) após a encapsulação. A encapsulação foi feita utilizando uma mistura de alginato, μPCL[MNPs] e células, que por gelificação ionotrópica originou a formação de estruturas esféricas como demonstrado pelas imagens de microscopia ótica. As microesferas foram posteriormente sujeitas a um processo de revestimento por deposição sequencial de polielectrólitos utilizando a técnica camada-a-camada (LBL). Esta abordagem permitiu a obtenção de cápsulas com um núcleo liquefeito e com integridade devido ao seu revestimento LBL. De seguida foi avaliada a viabilidade celular e a atividade metabólica das células encapsuladas. Resumindo, as cápsulas produzidas mantiveram a viabilidade celular e atividade metabólica ao longo de 7. Estudos ex vivo demonstraram que a utilização de um campo magnético externo permite a fixação das cápsulas no local onde foram colocadas mesmo quando sujeitas a lavagem com um fluído. Os resultados obtidos evidenciam que é possível fixar as cápsulas in situ após serem implantadas e abrem a oportunidade de utilizar estes sistemas em aplicações biomédicas no futuro próximoBone related disorders are a problem which affects most of the world population with a tendency to increase. Although the bone tissue has regenerative capacity, when a fracture exceeds a critical point the bone does not have the capacity to self-repair this defect. Currently these defects are treated at the medical level using ceramic or metallic implants which give rise to immune responses by the host and as a consequence are rejected after some time after implantation. Furthermore, the non-bioactivity of these biomaterials restricts the total repair of the tissue and the recovery of its biological and functional properties. Therapies such as the in situ injection of cells encapsulated in bioactive and biodegradable biomaterials have emerged in recent years as an alternative and advantageous approach for bone regeneration. In this context, capsular systems are the most advantageous because they not only protect the cells administered, but also allow the exchange of nutrients / metabolites in an effective way. This ensures the viability of the system over longer periods of time, thus contributing to a better regeneration of the damaged tissue. However, the implantation of microcapsules containing cells has proved to be quite challenging because of its poor interaction with surrounding tissues, and its displacement from the initial site of implantation is common. As a way of overcoming these limitations, this work aimed to develop a magnetically responsive capsule as a delivery system for cells adhered to microparticles. The inclusion of a response to magnetic stimuli aims to allow the capsules to be fixed in situ at the implantation site through an external magnetic field. For this purpose, iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles (≈42.69 nm) were initially produced, which were resuspended in a solution of polycaprolactone which, by oil-in-water emulsion, gave rise to magnetically responsive microparticles (μPCL [MNPs]) with an average size of 40.5 ± 13.2 μm. The range of sizes to be used was 40-63μm to enhance cell adhesion, hence the need to sieve the particles (55.3 ± 9.00 μm). Microparticles μPCL [MNPs] were then subjected to a coating of collagen I to promote adhesion of pre-osteoblastic cells (MC3T3-E1) after encapsulation. The encapsulation was done using a mixture of alginate, μPCL [MNPs] and cells, which by ionotropic gelation gave rise to the formation of spherical structures as demonstrated by optical microscopy images. The microspheres were then subjected to a coating process by sequential deposition of polyelectrolytes using the layer-by-layer (LBL) technique. This approach allowed to obtain capsules with a liquefied nucleus and with integrity due to their coating LBL. Cell viability and metabolic activity of the encapsulated cells were then evaluated. In summary, the capsules produced maintained cell viability and metabolic activity over 7 years. Ex vivo studies demonstrated that the use of an external magnetic field allows the capsules to be fixed where they were placed even when subjected fluid wash. The results show that it is possible to fix the capsules in situ after being implanted and open the opportunity to use these systems in biomedical applications in the near futureMestrado em Biotecnologi

The performance of german equity mutual funds

Dissertação de mestrado em FinançasThis study evaluates the performance of German mutual funds that invest in the domestic, European and global market, using unconditional and conditional models of performance evaluation. The dataset includes 159 German funds over the period of January 2010 to December 2018. The results suggest that mutual fund managers investing domestically have a neutral performance, whereas those investing internationally show negative performance. These results are consistent with the existence of a distance effect, since fund managers who invest locally perform better than those who invest in foreign markets. Overall, the results confirm that multi-factor models, with the inclusion of additional risk factors, are better than single models in explaining mutual fund returns. In addition, the use of the full conditional model with time-varying alphas and betas increases the explanatory power of the models.Este estudo avalia o desempenho de fundos de investimento alemães que investem no mercado doméstico, Europeu e global, usando modelos não condicionais e condicionais de avaliação de desempenho. A amostra inclui 159 fundos alemães no período de Janeiro de 2010 a Dezembro de 2018. Os resultados sugerem que os gestores de fundos domésticos têm um desempenho neutro, ao passo que os gestores de fundos internacionais têm um desempenho negativo. Estes resultados são consistentes com a existência de efeito distância, uma vez que os gestores de fundos que investem localmente têm um desempenho melhor do que aqueles que investem em mercados mais longínquos. No geral, os resultados confirmam que modelos multi-fatores, com a inclusão de fatores de risco adicionais, são superiores aos modelos de um fator na explicação das rendibilidades dos fundos de investimento. Além disso, observa-se que o uso do modelo condicional completo com alfas e betas variáveis no tempo aumenta o poder explicativo dos modelos

The contribution of facilitation techniques to proximal head control as an influencing factor of postural control in a Peripheral Vestibular injury: a case report

The Vestibular injury associated with the Peripheral Nervous System is a pathology that causes various alterations in individuals by the absence of afferent information. It mainly affects the orientation of the head and its relationship to the trunk of the body, influencing the individual’s stability by a deficit in balance and coordination. In this context a 69-year-old female subject who had undergone surgery to remove a Schwannoma from the right VIII cranial nerve or Vestibular Schwannoma, with changes in head position and postural control in seated and bipedal positions and also in gait pattern, was evaluated. After a 10-week intervention program (1-hour sessions 2 to 3 times a week) which facilitation techniques based on the Bobath Concept were used, there was a considerable improvement in the subject’s motor and functional status. The subject acquired the cervical rectification strategies necessary for better head alignment, better postural control, and a consequently greater autonomy in walking and daily activities.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Mineral stress response of Vitis cell wall transcriptome: identification, characterization and expression of genes from key families involved in wall biosynthesis and modification

Doutoramento em Engenharia Agronómica - Instituto Superior de Agronomia - ULGrapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) is one of the most economically important fruit crops in the world. Abiotic stresses are likely to affect the plant development, yield and ultimately the quality of economic products. The cell wall (CW) is a dynamic structure that determines plant form, growth and response to environmental conditions. To investigate V. vinifera CW adaptative response to restrictions in major nutrients, essential to plant growth and development, N, P and S were excluded from V. vinifera callus and shoots growing substrates. Water stress on berry skin CW was studied in non-irrigated versus irrigated plants of two varieties. Specific CW components, namelly cellulose, were impacted in callus, shoots and berries subjected to abiotic stress. To overcome this, V. vinifera CWs suffered compositional changes and reorganization of deposition of several CW components, in particular the degree and pattern of pectin methyl-esterification, arabinan and XyG, which together promote stiffening of the CW. Moreover, polysaccharides of callus grown under mineral deficiency, mainly N, were more tightly bound in the CW. Under mineral stress the expression of genes from CW candidate enzyme families was affected for example downregulation of GH9C, XTHs with predicted hydrolytic activity and PMEs were observed. In shoots probed with CW-epitope monoclonal antibodies an increase in pectins with a low degree of methyl-esterification able to dimerise association through calcium ions was observed. CWs grown under N deficiency were enriched in 1,5-arabinan rhamnogalacturonan-I (RG-I) side chains. The impact on CW was dependent on the mineral stress, nitrogen leading to more pronounced responses, supporting the primary role of this major nutrient in plant development and metabolism. Water shortage affected berry skin by stiffening the CW, probably due to alterations in PGs, XTH and PME expression and pectin methyl-esterification in a variety dependent wa

The intervention of Physiotherapy in the improvement of facial mimicry in a Peripheral Facial Palsy associated with a Preg-nancy: A case report

Peripheral Facial Palsy is a peripheral paralysis of the facial nerve that results in muscle weakness on one side of the face. Patients develop unilateral facial paralysis within one to three days with involvement of the facial musculature associated or not with neurological alterations, the best-known being Bell's Palsy. Symptoms usually peak in the first week and then gradually subside over three weeks to three months. In this context, a female patient with the clinical Diagnosis of Peripheral Facial Paralysis, was subjected to an intervention plan in Physiotherapy lasting 4 months (sessions of 45 minutes at a frequency of 3 times a week), with the particularity of be 28 weeks pregnant at the start of the sessions. After the end of the sessions, there was a considerable improve ment in facial movements, translating into considerable functional changes. The patient acquired greater motor recruitment in flaccid muscles, greater facial symmetry, and consequently greater autonomy in eating, chewing, containing liquids and intraoral sensibility.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Clonagem: desafio bioético

O autor efectua uma abordagem bioética acerca da clonagem humanaThe author make an bioethics approach about the human clonin