Magnetic/plasmonic MnFe2O4/Au nanoparticles covered with lipid bilayers for applications in thermotherapy

In this work, three different types of magnetic/plasmonic nanoparticles were prepared: core-shell nanoparticles with a manganese ferrite core and a gold shell; plasmonic gold nanoparticles decorated with magnetic nanoparticles of manganese ferrite; and magnetic nanoparticles of manganese ferrite decorated with plasmonic gold nanoparticles. The structural, spectroscopic and magnetic properties of these nanoparticles were evaluated. In order to further develop applications in cancer therapy, the prepared mixed nanoparticles were covered with a lipid bilayer. The local heating capability of these nanosystems was tested through the quenching of rhodamine fluorescence incorporated in the lipid layer.Financial support by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) in the framework of the Strategic Funding UID/FIS/04650/2013. A.R.O Rodrigues thanks the FCT for SFRH/BD/90949/2012 PhD grant and funding to MAP-Fis Doctoral Program.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Prevalência de HPV no sul do Brasil

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SARS-CoV-2 introductions and early dynamics of the epidemic in Portugal

Genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in Portugal was rapidly implemented by the National Institute of Health in the early stages of the COVID-19 epidemic, in collaboration with more than 50 laboratories distributed nationwide. Methods By applying recent phylodynamic models that allow integration of individual-based travel history, we reconstructed and characterized the spatio-temporal dynamics of SARSCoV-2 introductions and early dissemination in Portugal. Results We detected at least 277 independent SARS-CoV-2 introductions, mostly from European countries (namely the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Italy, and Switzerland), which were consistent with the countries with the highest connectivity with Portugal. Although most introductions were estimated to have occurred during early March 2020, it is likely that SARS-CoV-2 was silently circulating in Portugal throughout February, before the first cases were confirmed. Conclusions Here we conclude that the earlier implementation of measures could have minimized the number of introductions and subsequent virus expansion in Portugal. This study lays the foundation for genomic epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in Portugal, and highlights the need for systematic and geographically-representative genomic surveillance.We gratefully acknowledge to Sara Hill and Nuno Faria (University of Oxford) and Joshua Quick and Nick Loman (University of Birmingham) for kindly providing us with the initial sets of Artic Network primers for NGS; Rafael Mamede (MRamirez team, IMM, Lisbon) for developing and sharing a bioinformatics script for sequence curation (https://github.com/rfm-targa/BioinfUtils); Philippe Lemey (KU Leuven) for providing guidance on the implementation of the phylodynamic models; Joshua L. Cherry (National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health) for providing guidance with the subsampling strategies; and all authors, originating and submitting laboratories who have contributed genome data on GISAID (https://www.gisaid.org/) on which part of this research is based. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not reflect the view of the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Health and Human Services, or the United States government. This study is co-funded by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia and Agência de Investigação Clínica e Inovação Biomédica (234_596874175) on behalf of the Research 4 COVID-19 call. Some infrastructural resources used in this study come from the GenomePT project (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-022184), supported by COMPETE 2020 - Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation (POCI), Lisboa Portugal Regional Operational Programme (Lisboa2020), Algarve Portugal Regional Operational Programme (CRESC Algarve2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), and by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Trajetórias da Educomunicação nas Políticas Públicas e a Formação de seus Profissionais

Esta obra é composta com os trabalhos apresentados no primeiro subtema, TRAJETÓRIA – Educação para a Comunicação como Política pública, nas perspectivas da Educomunicação e da Mídia-Educação, do II Congresso Internacional de Comunicação e Educação. Os artigos pretendem propiciar trocas de informações e produzir reflexões com os leitores sobre os caminhos percorridos, e ainda a percorrer, tendo como meta a expansão e a legitimação das práticas educomunicativas e/ou mídia-educativas como política pública para o atendimento à formação de crianças, adolescentes, jovens e adultos, no Brasil e no mundo

Desenvolvimento de magnetolipossomas baseados em ferrites com coroa de ouro para terapêutica do cancro

Dissertação de mestrado em Biofísica e BionanossistemasAtualmente, a nanotecnologia tem, cada vez mais, permitido o desenvolvimento de novas técnicas e estratégias para aplicação na terapia do cancro, por exemplo, através do uso de hipertermia. Para além disso, as nanopartículas magnéticas (MNPs) mostram-se cada vez mais importantes neste sentido, devido às suas características únicas, tais como a capacidade de direcionamento para um local terapêutico alvo com recurso a gradientes de campo magnético externo. Por outro lado, o ouro tem sido utilizado em diversos estudos e em diferentes aplicações, desde o revestimento de partículas para prevenir a aglomeração, até aos testes do seu potencial no aquecimento local em terapia contra o cancro. Para além disso, outros estudos mostram que partículas revestidas com ouro conseguiram eliminar células cancerígenas. Neste trabalho, foram preparados três tipos de nanopartículas diferentes: nanopartículas núcleo-coroa com núcleo de ferrite de manganês e coroa de ouro; nanopartículas plasmónicas de ouro decoradas com nanopartículas magnéticas de ferrite de manganês; e ainda nanopartículas magnéticas de ferrite de manganês decoradas com nanopartículas de ouro. Foram avaliadas as propriedades estruturais, espetroscópicas e magnéticas destas nanopartículas. As partículas preparadas foram incorporadas em lipossomas, de modo a obter-se magnetolipossomas. Foram preparados magnetolipossomas quer aquosos (AMLs), quer sólidos (SMLs), contendo as nanopartículas sintetizadas. Nos magnetolipossomas aquosos, contendo os vários tipos de nanopartículas, foi incorporado um novo potencial fármaco antitumoral, derivado de tienopiridina. Verificou-se que o fármaco é transportado na bicamada lipídica destes nanossistemas e que estes interagem com modelos de membranas celulares (vesículas unilamelares gigantes, GUVs) por fusão. A formação da dupla camada lipídica nos magnetolipossomas sólidos foi provada por ensaios de FRET (transferência de energia de ressonância de Förster), entre lípidos marcados com o doador NBD e o aceitante rodamina. Com a finalidade do desenvolvimento posterior de aplicações em terapêutica do cancro, a capacidade de aquecimento local destes nanossistemas foi testada com recurso a excitação com uma lâmpada de arco de Xénon, tendo-se avaliado a inibição de fluorescência da rodamina incorporada na camada lipídica dos SMLs. Verificaram-se resultados promissores para os SMLs contendo nanopartículas núcleo/coroa de MnFe2O4/Au e os que contêm nanopartículas de MnFe2O4 decoradas com partículas plasmónicas de ouro.Nowadays, nanotechnology has increasingly allowed the development of new techniques and strategies for application in cancer therapy, for example through the use of hyperthermia. Besides, magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have shown to be increasingly important in this field, due to their unique characteristics, such as the ability to target a therapeutic site by using an external magnetic field gradient. On the other hand, gold has been used in several studies and in different applications, from the coating of particles to prevent agglomeration, to the evaluation of their potential for local heating in cancer therapy. In addition, other studies showed that gold-coated particles have been able to kill cancer cells. In this work, three different types of nanoparticles were prepared: core-shell nanoparticles, with a manganese ferrite core and gold shell; plasmonic gold nanoparticles decorated with magnetic nanoparticles of manganese ferrite; and magnetic nanoparticles of manganese ferrite decorated with gold nanoparticles. The structural, spectroscopic and magnetic properties of these nanoparticles were evaluated. The prepared particles were incorporated in liposomes, to obtain magnetoliposomes. Both aqueous (AMLs) and solid (SMLs) magnetoliposomes, containing the different synthesized nanoparticles, were prepared. A novel potential antitumor drug, derivative of thienopyridine, was incorporated in the aqueous magnetoliposomes, containing the several types of nanoparticles. It was concluded that the drug is carried in the lipid bilayer of these nanosystems and that the latter interact with models of cell membranes (giant unilamellar vesicles, GUVs) by fusion. For solid magnetoliposomes, the formation of the lipid bilayer was proved by FRET (Förster Resonance Energy Transfer) assays, between lipids labeled with the energy donor NBD and the energy acceptor rhodamine. In order to further development of applications in cancer therapy, the local heating capacity of these nanosystems was tested using excitation with a Xenon arc lamp, the quenching of rhodamine fluorescence incorporated in SMLs lipid layer being evaluated. Promising results were obtained for the SMLs containing core-shell MnFe2O4/Au nanoparticles and for those containing MnFe2O4 nanoparticles decorated with plasmonic gold nanoparticle

Unraveling the genetic background of individuals with a clinical familial hypercholesterolemia phenotype

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a common genetic disorder of lipid metabolism caused by pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants in LDLR, APOB, and PCSK9 genes. Variants in FH-phenocopy genes (LDLRAP1, APOE, LIPA, ABCG5, and ABCG8), polygenic hypercholesterolemia, and hyperlipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] can also mimic a clinical FH phenotype. We aim to present a new diagnostic tool to unravel the genetic background of clinical FH phenotype. Biochemical and genetic study was performed in 1,005 individuals with clinical diagnosis of FH, referred to the Portuguese FH Study. A next-generation sequencing panel, covering eight genes and eight SNPs to determine LDL-C polygenic risk score and LPA genetic score, was validated, and used in this study. FH was genetically confirmed in 417 index cases: 408 heterozygotes and 9 homozygotes. Cascade screening increased the identification to 1,000 FH individuals, including 11 homozygotes. FH-negative individuals (phenotype positive and genotype negative) have Lp(a) >50 mg/dl (30%), high polygenic risk score (16%), other monogenic lipid metabolism disorders (1%), and heterozygous pathogenic variants in FH-phenocopy genes (2%). Heterozygous variants of uncertain significance were identified in primary genes (12%) and phenocopy genes (7%). Overall, 42% of our cohort was genetically confirmed with FH. In the remaining individuals, other causes for high LDL-C were identified in 68%. Hyper-Lp(a) or polygenic hypercholesterolemia may be the cause of the clinical FH phenotype in almost half of FH-negative individuals. A small part has pathogenic variants in ABCG5/ABCG8 in heterozygosity that can cause hypercholesterolemia and should be further investigated. This extended next-generation sequencing panel identifies individuals with FH and FH-phenocopies, allowing to personalize each person’s treatment according to the affected pathway

Characterisation of microbial attack on archaeological bone

As part of an EU funded project to investigate the factors influencing bone preservation in the archaeological record, more than 250 bones from 41 archaeological sites in five countries spanning four climatic regions were studied for diagenetic alteration. Sites were selected to cover a range of environmental conditions and archaeological contexts. Microscopic and physical (mercury intrusion porosimetry) analyses of these bones revealed that the majority (68%) had suffered microbial attack. Furthermore, significant differences were found between animal and human bone in both the state of preservation and the type of microbial attack present. These differences in preservation might result from differences in early taphonomy of the bones. © 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved

NEOTROPICAL ALIEN MAMMALS: a data set of occurrence and abundance of alien mammals in the Neotropics

Biological invasion is one of the main threats to native biodiversity. For a species to become invasive, it must be voluntarily or involuntarily introduced by humans into a nonnative habitat. Mammals were among first taxa to be introduced worldwide for game, meat, and labor, yet the number of species introduced in the Neotropics remains unknown. In this data set, we make available occurrence and abundance data on mammal species that (1) transposed a geographical barrier and (2) were voluntarily or involuntarily introduced by humans into the Neotropics. Our data set is composed of 73,738 historical and current georeferenced records on alien mammal species of which around 96% correspond to occurrence data on 77 species belonging to eight orders and 26 families. Data cover 26 continental countries in the Neotropics, ranging from Mexico and its frontier regions (southern Florida and coastal-central Florida in the southeast United States) to Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay, and the 13 countries of Caribbean islands. Our data set also includes neotropical species (e.g., Callithrix sp., Myocastor coypus, Nasua nasua) considered alien in particular areas of Neotropics. The most numerous species in terms of records are from Bos sp. (n = 37,782), Sus scrofa (n = 6,730), and Canis familiaris (n = 10,084); 17 species were represented by only one record (e.g., Syncerus caffer, Cervus timorensis, Cervus unicolor, Canis latrans). Primates have the highest number of species in the data set (n = 20 species), partly because of uncertainties regarding taxonomic identification of the genera Callithrix, which includes the species Callithrix aurita, Callithrix flaviceps, Callithrix geoffroyi, Callithrix jacchus, Callithrix kuhlii, Callithrix penicillata, and their hybrids. This unique data set will be a valuable source of information on invasion risk assessments, biodiversity redistribution and conservation-related research. There are no copyright restrictions. Please cite this data paper when using the data in publications. We also request that researchers and teachers inform us on how they are using the data

NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES: a data set on carnivore distribution in the Neotropics

Mammalian carnivores are considered a key group in maintaining ecological health and can indicate potential ecological integrity in landscapes where they occur. Carnivores also hold high conservation value and their habitat requirements can guide management and conservation plans. The order Carnivora has 84 species from 8 families in the Neotropical region: Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Otariidae; Phocidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae. Herein, we include published and unpublished data on native terrestrial Neotropical carnivores (Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae). NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES is a publicly available data set that includes 99,605 data entries from 35,511 unique georeferenced coordinates. Detection/non-detection and quantitative data were obtained from 1818 to 2018 by researchers, governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations, and private consultants. Data were collected using several methods including camera trapping, museum collections, roadkill, line transect, and opportunistic records. Literature (peer-reviewed and grey literature) from Portuguese, Spanish and English were incorporated in this compilation. Most of the data set consists of detection data entries (n = 79,343; 79.7%) but also includes non-detection data (n = 20,262; 20.3%). Of those, 43.3% also include count data (n = 43,151). The information available in NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES will contribute to macroecological, ecological, and conservation questions in multiple spatio-temporal perspectives. As carnivores play key roles in trophic interactions, a better understanding of their distribution and habitat requirements are essential to establish conservation management plans and safeguard the future ecological health of Neotropical ecosystems. Our data paper, combined with other large-scale data sets, has great potential to clarify species distribution and related ecological processes within the Neotropics. There are no copyright restrictions and no restriction for using data from this data paper, as long as the data paper is cited as the source of the information used. We also request that users inform us of how they intend to use the data