Cyrillo Volkmar Machado and Pereira Júnior: a (improbable) partnership in the leisure canal of the Queluz Palace

O Canal de Passeio e Lazer do Palácio Nacional de Queluz encontra-se hoje totalmente revestido com múltiplas composições azulejares de diferentes feições plásticas, que precorrem um tempo cronológico que vai da segunda metade do século XVIII até ao início do século XX, quando provavemente se encerrou o capítuli de campanhas decorativas do canal. O versátil José Maria Pereira Júnior (1841-1921), mais conhecido por Pereira Cão, que desde cedo criou ligações com a Casa Real Portuguesa, foi incumbido de complementar, ao nível azulejar, diversas secções do canal dos jardins do Palácio de Queluz, que se encontrariam extremamente deterioradas, tendo sido também responsável pelo arranjo e revestimento do corpo central elevado, que correspondia à antiga localização da Casa da Música. Nesta ampla empreitada, que se realizou nos primeiros anos do século XX, Pereira Júnior fez uso de diversas iconografias para o revestimento do Canal de Passeio e Lazer.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Aroma map in European woodland strawberry

Woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca, 2x) is the diploid closest ancestor of the cultivated strawberry (Fragaria ´ annassa, 8x) and the model species for genetic studies in the Fragaria genus. It is naturally distributed all across Europe and it is appreciated for their delicate aroma and flavor. Aiming to describe the genetic and organoleptic diversity of European woodland strawberry and decipher the genetic control of its characteristic volatile compounds, we have sequenced and metabolically-phenotyped a diverse collection of 199 geographically distant European accessions. The metabolic profiling of the lines includes a set of 100 unambiguosly identified volatiles. This study has revealed genetic and metabolic differences between subpopulations with different geographical origin. In addition, Genome Wide Association Analysis points to several candidate genetic regions controlling the accumulation of volatiles compounds sharing common biosynthetic pathways. Specifically, we have detected SNPs associated to the accumulation of methyl ketones and their corresponding alcohols mapping to a small region of chromosome 4 with a reduced set of candidate genes.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tec

Aroma Map in European Woodland Strawberry

Woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca, 2x) is a wild, diploid ancestor of the cultivated strawberry (Fragaria ananassa, 8x), the most economically important berry crop. F. vesca is very appreciated for its intense fruity aroma, characterized by a unique combination of volatile compounds, which are absent, or accumulated at lower rates, in the commercial strawberry varieties. In addition, F. vesca presents a wide genetic diversity and it is naturally distributed across Europe. Our aim is to describe the genetic and organoleptic diversity of European woodland strawberry and decipher the genetic control of its characteristic volatile compounds. A collection of 199 accessions representing the European genetic diversity of F. vesca has been re-sequenced obtaining a set of 1.8M SNPs. In addition, the volatilome of ripe fruits was quantified in two independent harvests by GCMS providing a set of 100 unambiguously identified compounds. This study has revealed genetic and metabolic differences between subpopulations with different geographical origin. In addition, Genome-Wide Association Analysis has revealed genetic regions significantly associated to the accumulation of several metabolites that contribute to strawberry aroma, such as terpenes (alpha-farnesene, alpha-pinene, alpha-terpineol, linalool, myrtenol), lactones (g-decalactone), eugenol and mesifurane among others.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tec

Quality Assurance in Nursing Education: A Qualitative Study Involving Students and Newly Graduated Nurses

Background: Assuring quality training for future nursing professionals is essential to preserving population health and socio-economic development. Quality assurance in the European Higher Education Area places students in a leading role to transform and improve higher education programs. Therefore, an innovative way of reviewing strengths and weaknesses of the nursing education program of a Spanish university has been developed. Objectives: The aim of this paper was to explore the perceptions and opinions of nursing students and newly-qualified nurses regarding the contents of the nursing curriculum in order to improve its quality. Methods: Descriptive and exploratory qualitative research was carried out involving 12 newly-qualified nurses and 12 student nurses. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were performed. Results: Based on the thematic analysis, two themes emerged: improving clinical practices and reviewing the theoretical curriculum. Conclusions: Among the improvements suggested by the participants, the most relevant ones were establishing a clear structure of learning contents in the practicum, and redistributing the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System ECTS credits in various courses of the study program. However, additional evidence is needed prior to proceeding with any changes

Quality Assurance in Nursing Education: A Qualitative Study Involving Students and Newly Graduated Nurses

Background: Assuring quality training for future nursing professionals is essential to preserving population health and socio-economic development. Quality assurance in the European Higher Education Area places students in a leading role to transform and improve higher education programs. Therefore, an innovative way of reviewing strengths and weaknesses of the nursing education program of a Spanish university has been developed. Objectives: The aim of this paper was to explore the perceptions and opinions of nursing students and newly-qualified nurses regarding the contents of the nursing curriculum in order to improve its quality. Methods: Descriptive and exploratory qualitative research was carried out involving 12 newly-qualified nurses and 12 student nurses. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were performed. Results: Based on the thematic analysis, two themes emerged: improving clinical practices and reviewing the theoretical curriculum. Conclusions: Among the improvements suggested by the participants, the most relevant ones were establishing a clear structure of learning contents in the practicum, and redistributing the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System ECTS credits in various courses of the study program. However, additional evidence is needed prior to proceeding with any changes

The adaptation of the main floor of the Palace Melo e Abreu (18th century) to an infirmary of the old asylum of mendicity: history and tile panels compositional characterization

Due to its sunny location and mild climate, the hill of Sant'Ana in Lisbon was, since early times, the place of construction of religious and civil buildings. In the eighteenth century, near the former Santo António dos Capuchos Convent (later Hospital – HSAC), a Baroque palace was erected and later on rebuilt by the Melo e Abreu family (later Condes de Murça in the 19th century), whose noble rooms were decorated by a set of high quality tiles, concerned with iconographic and plasticity aspects. The transfer of the Melo e Abreu family to the parish of Santos-o-Velho and subsequent founding of the Asilo da Mendicidade, allowed the purchase of the building in order to expand the assistance space. Currently, the palace serves hospital’s needs, with all the constraints resulting from the cohabitation between cultural heritage and professional medical care day life. Thus, Palace Melo e Abreu is a good case study, not only for the functional changes that it has been subjected to, but also for the rehabilitation measures for structural restoration and conservation made over time. For the assessment of its importance in terms of both heritage and scientific history, we will present an interdisciplinary study, including History of Art and Archaeometry; In this work (together with the history of the adaptation of the main floor of the Palace Melo e Abreu to an infirmary of the old asylum of mendacity) a first stage of the archaeometric approach is presented, comprising the compositional characterization (chemical and mineralogical) of both mortar and glazed tile body of selected panels. We believe that this paper will promote a deep reflection about the safeguard and future heritage policies of this kind of Lisbon's hospitals.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Economic Problems and Loneliness as Factors Related to Subjective Unmet Health Needs in People with Chronic Diseases and Dependency

Background: The continuous increase of people with chronic diseases is one of the greatest challenges for healthcare systems worldwide. Population growth and life expectancy means that an increasing number of people with chronic diseases and dependency need some kind of assistance to meet their needs. Determining these subjective unmet needs helps to understand the situation of these people. The aim of this study was to explore the perceptions of chronic patients over 65 years of age from the day-care center toward subjective health needs that are not being met by the socio-health system. Methods: Qualitative exploratory-descriptive study. Through convenience sampling, we selected people with chronic diseases and dependency who used day-care centers and met the inclusion criteria. Focus groups were performed. The data were transcribed and a thematic analysis was carried out using Atlas.ti software. Results: The topics resulting from the analysis were classified into dissatisfaction of biological/physiological needs, psychological needs, social needs, and other issues that arose in both groups of participants which referred to the types of needs previously indicated. The issues related to social and psycho-social needs stood out. Conclusions: People with chronic diseases and dependency have their physiological needs covered with the help they receive, but their situation of dependency generates additional costs that worsen their economic situation. However, their greatest need is due to the loneliness they feel and the feeling they have of “being a burden” on their families

Megatsunamis Induced by Volcanic Landslides in the Canary Islands: Age of the Tsunami Deposits and Source Landslides

Evidence for frequent, large landslides on the flanks of the volcanic edifices forming the Canary Islands include outstanding landslide scars and their correlative submarine and subaerial rock and debris avalanche deposits. These landslides involved volumes ranging from tens to hundreds of km3. The sudden entry of large volumes of rock masses in the sea may have triggered tsunamis capable of affecting the source and neighboring islands, with the resulting huge waves dragging coastal and seabed materials and fauna and redepositing them inland. Here, we present new geological evidence and geochronological data of at least five megatsunamis in Tenerife, Lanzarote, and Gran Canaria, triggered by island flank megalandslides, and occasionally explosive eruptions, during the last 1 million years. The exceptional preservation of the megatsunami deposits and the large area they cover, particularly in Tenerife, provide fundamental data on the number of tsunami events and run-ups, and allow proposals on the sources and age of the tsunamis. Tsunami run-up heights up to 290 m above coeval sea level, some of the highest known on Earth in recent geological times, were estimated based on sedimentological, geomorphological, paleontological, and geochronological data. The research results made it possible to estimate the recurrence of tsunamis in the archipelago during the last hundreds of thousands of years, and to establish relationships between tsunami deposits and the probable triggering island flank landslides.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Characterization of ripe fruit epidermis-specific transcription factors in strawberry

Transcriptome changes during strawberry fruit ripening have been previously reported using either complete fruits or achenes (actual fruits) and receptacles (fleshy part) separately. In order to perform a more detailed study, we have performed a tissue- and stage-specific transcriptome analysis in receptacles of Fragaria vesca fruits, allowing us to infer Gene Regulatory Networks (GRN) in each tissue and stage. In the study, we have focused on the epidermis at the ripe stage, since it plays an important role in defense, as it is the external cell layer in direct contact with the environment, and, in contrast to receptacles of the commercial species, it is the only part of the fruit that accumulates anthocyanins. MapMan analysis of the GRN in ripe epidermis showed that wax and flavonoid biosynthesis were significantly overrepresented functions. Three out of the several TFs found among the main hubs in this GRN were selected to study their biological role, one of them belonging to the MYB family, and two bHLH genes. Protein interaction assays revealed that the MYB protein physically interacts with the two bHLHs, leading to the subcellular relocalization from the cytoplasm to the nucleus in one of them. DAP-seq analyses showed that the bHLH TFs do not bind DNA by themselves, but that genes involved in cuticle formation and flavonoid biosynthesis are among the MYB targets, which were validated by a transactivation assay using the Luciferase/Renilla system. Consistently, MYB-overexpressing stable lines exhibited an upregulation of genes related to cuticle and wax biosynthesis in ripe fruits, and an accumulation of higher amounts of epicuticular waxes in young leaves compared to the WT. We are currently establishing RNAi and CRISPR lines for these three ripe-epidermis specific TFs to further investigate their biological role and performing analyses to understand the effect on gene expression of the interaction between them.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech