How to Stop Growth?

Functional regeneration of organs upon injury is a key process for animals survival. Contrary to humans, some vertebrates are remarkably competent in regenerating after acute organ or appendage lesions. This advantageous skill allows overcoming limitations in repair even in adult stages, when tissues are fully developed, via a process of epimorphic regeneration. One such organism is the zebrafish, which can regenerate several organs, namely its heart, retina, spinal cord and fins. (...)Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT

bone pathologies and nanoparticle treatment approaches

Trabalho Final de Mestrado Integrado, Ciências Farmacêuticas, 2022, Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Farmácia.A esperança média de vida teve um aumento de mais de 6 anos entre 2000 e 2019, passando de 66.8 anos em 2000 para 73.4 em 2019. Porém, a esperança de vida saudável não acompanhou este aumento de forma proporcional, tendo o impacto e incidência das doenças e distúrbios ósseos aumentado, o que constitui um problema para os doentes e para a saúde pública, visto que as suas eventuais repercussões, como o progressivo agravamento da saúde física e mental, têm um grande impacto na qualidade de vida dos doentes e afetam negativamente os recursos dos sistemas de saúde, levando à morte em casos mais graves. As alterações nos tratamentos têm resultado num aumento da sobrevivência dos doentes, porém estas estratégias terapêuticas têm ainda pouca eficácia, fracos outcomes e muitos efeitos adversos, o que leva a elevada morbilidade e mortalidade. A nanomedicina tornou-se uma realidade nos últimos anos. Nos últimos 20 anos, cerca de 80 formulações farmacêuticas da área da nanomedicina foram aprovadas, pela Food and Drug Administration (FDA) e pela Agência Europeia do Medicamento (EMA), para serem usadas em diversas áreas terapêuticas, tendo a maioria sido aprovada para as áreas de oncologia e hematologia. O aumento da necessidade de desenvolver novas terapêuticas, eficientes e inovadoras, para tratar distúrbios ósseos, levou os investigadores a focarem-se nas terapêuticas de nanomedicina e na investigação de nanopartículas (NPs) que pudessem cumprir este objetivo. Estes sistemas têm sido explorados nos últimos anos, devido à sua capacidade de transportarem diversas moléculas terapêuticas, de serem administrados por várias vias, de terem uma taxa de libertação controlada e de serem direcionados para alvos terapêuticos específicos que muitas vezes são difíceis de alcançar, como o osso. Esta monografia apresenta uma revisão de alguns estudos recentes e do progresso, dos desafios e das expectativas associadas às terapêuticas de NPs, no que toca ao tratamento de doenças relacionadas com o osso, como as inflamações ósseas (osteomielite), as doenças degenerativas (osteoporose), as doenças genéticas (osteogenesis imperfecta), os distúrbios traumáticos (fraturas) e as doenças tumorais ósseas, incluindo tumores ósseos primários, como o osteossarcoma e o sarcoma de Ewing, e também tumores ósseos metastáticos.The global mean life expectancy has increased by more than 6 years between 2000 and 2019, going from 66.8 years old in 2000 to 73.4 in 2019. However, healthy life expectancy has not proportionally accompanied this increase and the impact and incidence of bone injuries and diseases has risen, posing a problem for patients and public health since their potential repercussions, such as disability and downward spiral in physical and mental health, have a major impact on patients’ quality of life and affect the resources of health systems, leading to death in more severe cases. Although changes in treatment have improved patients’ survival, these therapeutic approaches still have poor efficacy and outcome and various side effects, which lead to high morbidity and mortality. Nanomedicine became a reality in recent years. Over the last 20 years, around 80 pharmaceutical nanomedicine formulations have been approved for use in various therapeutic areas by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA), most of them for the oncology and hematology areas. The increasing need for the development of effective and innovative therapies to treat bone diseases has led researchers to turn to nanomedicine approaches and the research of nanoparticles (NPs) that could fulfill this purpose. These systems have been explored in recent years due to their ability to carry various therapeutic molecules, to be administered through different routes, to modulate release rate and to specifically target disease sites that are difficult to reach, like bone tissues. This review presents a summary of recent studies and the progress, the challenges and the expectations associated with nanoparticle approaches as a treatment of skeletal-related disorders such as bone inflammation (osteomyelitis), degenerative disorders (osteoporosis), genetic disorders (osteogenesis imperfecta), traumatic disorders (fractures) and bone tumor diseases, which include primary bone tumors, such as osteosarcoma and Ewing’s sarcoma, and metastatic bone tumors

Gestión de la convivencia escolar: estrategias para su fortalecimiento desde la clase de educación física

127 páginas y anexosThe investigation emerges as a response to situations that affect coexistence in the Sixth grade of the Educational Institution Antonio Nariiio of Mosquera, (Cundinamarca). During the first stage, was analyzed the coexistence of the students; after reviewing the literature, the behaviors were identified which of these situations occurred most frequently in the Physical Education class. According to the first stage, in the intervention were used two strategies oriented to encouraging student participation, generating favourable social relationships, using time optimization for the teaching and learning process of Physical Education class. The strategies were: the democratic creation of coexistence agreements for the class and the peaceful resolution of conflicts in the classroom. The intervention was implemented during the Physical Education classes to all Sixth grade population of the institution, with the objective of strengthening coexistence. The results were obtained from the analysis of each indicator of coexistence proposed and the conclusions were made based on the objectives, giving response to the problem and the investigation question.El trabajo investigativo surge como respuesta ante las situaciones que afectan la convivencia, particularmente en el grado Sexto de la I.E. Antonio Nariño del Municipio de Mosquera, Cundinamarca. Durante el proceso se lleva a cabo un diagnostico, en el cual se analiza la convivencia de los estudiantes, tras la revisión de la literatura, se clasificaron los comportamientos que la afectaban y se precisaron cuales de estas situaciones se presentaban con mayor frecuencia en la clase de Educación Física. Como resultado del diagnostico se plantea la intervención y se sistematizaron dos estrategias, orientadas a fomentar la participación de los estudiantes, a generar relaciones sociales favorables, a lograr el aprovechamiento del tiempo y la optimización del proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje disciplinares. Las estrategias fueron: la creación democrática de acuerdos de convivencia para la clase y la resolución pacifica de conflictos en el aula mediante el análisis de dilemas. La intervención fue implementada durante las clases de Educación Física a toda la población de grado Sexto de la institución con el objetivo de fortalecer la convivencia. Los resultados se obtuvieron del análisis de los indicadores de convivencia propuestos y las conclusiones se concretaron en función de los objetivos dando respuesta al problema y a la pregunta de investigación.Magíster en Educación con énfasis en Gestión Educativa y EvaluaciónMaestrí

Origin and evolution of the β-lactam resistance determinant in staphylococci

In staphylococci, resistance to methicillin and to all β-lactam antibiotics is provided by the mecA gene, which encodes a penicillin-binding protein with low affinity to β-lactams (PBP2a). The mecA is carried by a mobile genetic element, the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec), one of the most widely studied bacterial pathogenicity islands. SCCmec carries mecA and its regulators (the mec complex), as well as cassette chromosome recombinases encoded by ccr genes that form the ccr complex. These recombinases assure the mobility of the cassette. In addition, SCCmec cassettes carry joining regions (J regions) that link the orfX to the mec complex (J3); the mec complex to the ccr complex (J2) and the ccr complex to the end of the cassette (J1). The J regions can carry additional antibiotic resistance determinants, transposons, insertion sequences and plasmids. The SCCmec element always inserts at the same site in the bacterial chromosome, downstream orfX (which encodes a RNA methyltransferase), located 500 kb downstream the origin of replication. SCCmec is a very diverse element; so far eleven different types have been identified in Staphylococcus aureus and many more are probably carried by coagulase-negative staphylococcal species. SCCmec is transferred horizontally among strains and species of Staphylococcus, through an unknown molecular mechanism.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Developmental Plasticity in Butterfly Eyespot Mutants: Variation in Thermal Reaction Norms across Genotypes and Pigmentation Traits

Developmental plasticity refers to the property by which a genotype corresponds to distinct phenotypes depending on the environmental conditions experienced during development. This dependence of phenotype expression on environment is graphically represented by reaction norms, which can differ between traits and between genotypes. Even though genetic variation for reaction norms provides the basis for the evolution of plasticity, we know little about the genes that contribute to that variation. This includes understanding to what extent those are the same genes that contribute to inter-individual variation in a fixed environment. Here, we quantified thermal plasticity in butterfly lines that differ in pigmentation phenotype to test the hypothesis that alleles affecting pigmentation also affect plasticity therein. We characterized thermal reaction norms for eyespot color rings of distinct Bicyclus anynana genetic backgrounds, corresponding to allelic variants affecting eyespot size and color composition. Our results reveal genetic variation for the slope and curvature of reaction norms, with differences between eyespots and between eyespot color rings, as well as between sexes. Our report of prevalent temperature-dependent and compartment-specific allelic effects underscores the complexity of genotype-by-environment interactions and their consequence for the evolution of developmental plasticity.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A valorização do som na informação da Antena 1

Relatório de estágio de mestrado apresentado à Escola Superior de Comunicação Social como parte dos requisitos para obtenção de grau de mestre em Jornalismo.O presente relatório de estágio surge no âmbito do Mestrado em Jornalismo, da Escola Superior de Comunicação Social do Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa, e visa a obtenção do grau de Mestre nesta área. O trabalho resultou de uma investigação decorrente de um período de três meses de estágio curricular na Antena 1, compreendido entre 7 de janeiro e 5 de abril do ano de 2019, nos programas “Noticiário Nacional” e “Portugal em Direto”, e pretende destacar o poder da sonoplastia como complemento da palavra falada na construção de mensagens. Estabeleceu-se como objetivo averiguar que valorização é dada ao som na construção das narrativas jornalísticas, a partir de um corpus empírico selecionado de entre peças emitidas naqueles programas e de entrevistas realizadas com jornalistas e editores. Os resultados da análise de conteúdo das peças e as respostas dos entrevistados revelam o recurso predominante à sonorização das peças e a convicção de que este é um elemento fundamental da sua valorização.ABSTRACT: This internship report occurs within the ambit of the Master’s Degree in Journalism from the Escola Superior de Comunicação Social of the Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa and aims to obtain a Master’s degree in this subject. This work is the result of an investigation about an internship at Antena 1, with a duration of a three-month period between January 7th and April 5th of 2019 in the programs “Noticiário Nacional” and “Portugal em Direto” and aims to highlight the value of sound as a complement to the spoken word in the construction of messages. The goal was set to ascertain as to what value was given to sound in the construction of journalistic narratives, from an empirical corpus selected from pieces/works broadcasted on those programs and from interviews with journalists and editors. The results of the content analysis of the pieces/works and interviewee’s answers reveal the predominant resource used for piece/work sonorization and the conviction that this is a fundamental element to its valuing.N/

Hemin ameliorates the inflammatory activity in the inflammatory bowel disease: a non-clinical study in rodents

FCT_UIDB/05608/2020. FCT_UIDP/05608/2020.Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal tract. Currently, there is no cure, and pharmacological treatment aims to induce and maintain remission in patients, so it is essential to investigate new possible treatments. Hemin is a heme-oxygenase inducer that can confer anti-inflammatory, cytoprotective, and antiapoptotic effects; therefore, it can be considered an asset for different gastrointestinal pathologies, namely for IBD. Aim: This experiment aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of hemin, in a chronic 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced colitis model in rodents. Methods: The induction of chronic colitis consisted of five weekly intrarectal administrations of 1% TNBS. Then, the mice were treated daily with 5 mg/kg/day or 10 mg/kg/day of hemin, through intraperitoneal injections, for 14 days. Results: Hemin demonstrated an anti-inflammatory effect through the reduction in tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α levels, fecal calprotectin, and fecal hemoglobin. It was also found to be safe in terms of extraintestinal manifestations since hemin did not promote renal and/or hepatic changes. Conclusions: Hemin could become an interesting tool for new possible pharmacological approaches in the management of IBD.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Thermal imprinting modifies adult stress and innate immune responsiveness in the teleost sea bream

The impact of thermal imprinting on the plasticity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal (HPI) axis and stress response in an adult ectotherm, the gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata, L.), during its development was assessed. Fish were reared under 4 thermal regimes, and the resulting adults exposed to acute confinement stress and plasma cortisol levels and genes of the HPI axis were monitored. Changes in immune function, a common result of stress, were also evaluated using histomorphometric measurements of melanomacrophages centers (MMCs) in the head kidney and by monitoring macrophage-related transcripts. Thermal history significantly modified the HPI responsiveness in adult sea bream when eggs and larvae were reared at a higher than optimal temperature (HT, 22 degrees C), and they had a reduced amplitude in their cortisol response and significantly upregulated pituitary pomc and head kidney star transcripts. Additionally, after an acute stress challenge, immune function was modified and the head kidney of adult fish reared during development at high temperatures (HT and LHT, 18-22 degrees C) had a decreased number of MMCs and a significant downregulation of dopachrome tautomerase. Thermal imprinting during development influenced adult sea bream physiology and increased plasma levels of glucose and sodium even in the absence of an acute stress in fish reared under a high-low thermal regime (HLT, 22-18 degrees C). Overall, the results demonstrate that temperature during early development influences the adult HPI axis and immune function in a teleost fish.project Lifecycle EU-FP7 [222719]FCT- Foundation for Science and Technology [CCMAR/Multi/04326/2013]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio