Atividade fotocatalítica de nanopartículas de ZnO:N.

Entrada padronizada: RIBEIRO, C

Detrital Zircons in Crustal Evolution: A Perspective from the Indian Subcontinent

AbstractDetrital zircons are frequently used for crustal evolutionary studies as they sample vast regions of the continental crust. In the present study, we utilise newly compiled U-Pb detrital zircon data from the Indian subcontinent as well as a compilation of previously reported global data along with Hf isotopes of modern and ancient sediments in order to understand crustal evolution in the Indian subcontinent. The detrital zircon U-Pb age data from the Indian subcontinent show peaks (at 2400–2700, 1600–1900, 850–1200, and 450–550 Ma) that correlate with the formation of major known supercontinents. In addition, two other peaks at 3200–3400 Ma and <100 Ma do not correspond to periods of supercontinent formation. The former peak may represent uneven geographic sample density due to enhanced erosion and exhumation of Archean sources. The distinctly younger (<100 Ma) detrital zircon age peak may represent zircon preservation due to the Himalayan orogeny. The zircon Hf model ages from the Indian subcontinent suggest that the Precambrian crust was the major source of continental crust with younger ages. The conspicuous shift to positive εHf (t) at ca. 3600 Ma from detrital zircons of the Indian subcontinent may underscore a change in geodynamic processes, while the highly negative values post ~3200 Ma may be associated with the crustal reworking. A wavelet analysis of detrital zircons from the Indian and global databases reveals a prominent cyclicity of ~800 Myr and ∼350 Myr plausibly representing the supercontinent cycle and its half cycle. An incongruence in power between global and Indian εHf (t) could be due to the local subcontinental geologic processes during the Paleo- to Mesoarchean

Valorization of lignin side-streams into polyols and rigid polyurethane foams—a contribution to the pulp and paper industry biorefinery

Valorization of industrial low-value side-streams are of great interest, contributing to boosts in the circular economy. In this context, lignin side-streams of the pulp and paper industry were oxypropylated to produce biobased polyols and tested in the synthesis of rigid polyurethane (RPU) foams. E. globulus lignins, namely a lignin isolated from an industrial Kraft black liquor and depolymerized lignins obtained as by-products of an oxidation process, were used. RPU foams, synthesized with 100% lignin-based polyols and using a 1.1 NCO/OH ratio, were characterized concerning apparent density, morphology, thermal conductivity, thermal stability, and heat release rate (HRR). Foams containing the lignin-based polyols presented densities varying from 44.7 to 112.2 kg/m3 and thermal conductivity in the range of 37.2–49.0 mW/mK. For the reference foam (sample produced with 100% wt. Daltofoam TP 32015 polyol), values of 70.9 kg/m3 and 41.1 mW/mK were obtained, respectively. The achieved results point out the viability of using the generated lignin-based polyols at 100% content in RPU foams, mainly when depolymerized lignins are used. Moreover, fire retardancy was favored when the lignin-based polyols were introduced. The proposed strategies can contribute to establishing the integrated pulp and paper biorefinery concept where material synthesis (polyols and RPU foams) can be combined with chemical production (vanillin and syringaldehyde).Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) and FEDER under Program PT2020 for financial support to CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020), and to UIDB/50020/2020 of the Associate Laboratory LSRE-LCM—funded by national funds through FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC); national funding by FCT, PI, through the institutional scientific employment program contract for Isabel P. Fernandes. This work was carried out under the Project No. 33969 Bioblocks—Design of biobased products from renewable lignocellulosic sources as precursors for the bioindustry of chemical synthesis and biomaterials—financed by FEDER through the Operational Program for Competitiveness Factors (POFC) and QREN. To COST Action LignoCOST (CA17128) supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A Reescrita do riso: uma abordagem crítica de duas traduções portuguesas da obra The Importance of Being Earnest

Orientadora: Mestre Maria Helena GuimarãesO objectivo deste nosso trabalho é identificar, através de uma abordagem crítica de duas das traduções portuguesas da obra de Oscar Wilde The Importance of Being Earnest, quais os processos de fabricação do cómico, para utilizar aqui uma terminologia bergsoniana, bem como tentar sistematizar alguns dos problemas que a sua tradução coloca e apontar para estratégias que ajudem a solucionar as múltiplas dificuldades tradutivas presentes em textos marcados pela ironia e pelo humor. Cremos poder afirmar que as questões inerentes à tradução do Riso, do que de humorístico há num texto, escrito ou oral, raramente são abordadas pelos teóricos dos Estudos de Tradução, embora seja indiscutível o ser humor um fenómeno transversal a todas as culturas e os textos de cariz jocoso serem, em geral, bastante apreciados. Partimos deste pressuposto para estabelecer quer o nosso corpus de análise, quer a organização do nosso trabalho. A nossa investigação recairá, como já dissemos, sobre duas das traduções portuguesas existentes da obra de Oscar Wilde The Importance of Being Earnest, uma obra exemplar em termos da complexidade de interpretação e de tradução do humor, a saber: A Importância de Ser Earnest de Januário Leite1 Quanto Importa Ser Leal de António Pedro2 No Capítulo 2, socorrer-nos-emos das obras Le Rire, de Henri Bergson, e The Joke and its Relation to the Unconscious, de Sigmund Freud, para tentar chegar a uma definição do conceito de humor. No Capítulo 3, traçamos o quadro metodológico transdisciplinar que norteou este nosso trabalho de investigação. No Capítulo 4, tentaremos, com base na análise crítica comparada de duas traduções da peça de Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest, apontar, pela via transdisciplinar, aqueles que consideramos ser os maiores obstáculos a uma correcta tradução do risível

Petrogenesis and geodynamic implications of Oligocene A-type granite in the Guadalcazar area, San Luis Potosi, central Mexico

The Guadalcazar is located in the Mesa Central (MC) province, which is mainly composed of granitic rocks and is known for its metallogenetic. The granitic rocks contain complex Sn-Hg-Ag-F mineralization and were emplaced during Eocene to Oligocene. However, the source, origin, and evolution of magma and the tectonic setting of this magmatic area have never been explained. In this study, we have conducted petrology, whole-rock geochemistry, and U–Pb zircon geochronology on granitic rocks from the Guadalcazar to constrain the petrogenesis and tectonic environment. LA-ICP-SF-MS zircon U–Pb dating shows that the Guadalcazar granite was emplaced ca. 31 Ma. These rocks are characterized by high (SiO2) contents (64–75 wt%), low CaO (0.28–1.78 wt%), with relatively high (FeOt)adj/(FeOt + MgO) values ranging from 0.90 to 0.98. The geochemical diagrams of SiO2 vs [(FeOt)/(FeOt + MgO)] and SiO2 vs [(Na2O + K2O) − CaO] show the ferroan and mostly alkali-calcic nature of these rocks. The granite shows an A2-type affinity and is strongly peraluminous, with ASI (molar Al2O3/[CaO + Na2O + K2O]) values of 1.13 to 2.60. These granitic rocks are characterized by enrichments in rare earth elements (REE) and high field strength elements (HFSE), and depletion in Ba, Nb, Sr, Ti, and Eu. These features suggest that these A-type granites were derived from the metasedimentary rocks and evolved through extensive fractional crystallization. The multidimensional discrimination diagrams showed a continental rift or within-plate setting. By combining previous and new data, we proposed a new magmatic evolution model that supports an extension during ca. 34–28 Ma in the Guadalcazar, central Mexico

Temporal-spatial profiling of pedunculopontine galanin-cholinergic neurons in the lactacystin rat model of Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is conventionally seen as resulting from single-system neurodegeneration affecting nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons. However, accumulating evidence indicates a multi-system degeneration and neurotransmitter deficiencies, including cholinergic neurons which degenerate in a brainstem nucleus, the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN), resulting in motor- and cognitive impairments. The neuropeptide galanin can inhibit cholinergic transmission, whilst being upregulated in degenerating brain regions associated with cognitive decline. Here we determined the temporal-spatial profile of progressive expression of endogenous galanin within degenerating cholinergic neurons, across the rostro-caudal axis of the PPN, by utilising the lactacystin-induced rat model of PD. First, we show progressive neuronal death affecting nigral dopaminergic and PPN cholinergic neurons, reflecting that seen in PD patients, to facilitate use of this model for assessing the therapeutic potential of bioactive peptides. Next, stereological analyses of the lesioned brain hemisphere found that the number of PPN cholinergic neurons expressing galanin increased by 11%, compared to sham-lesioned controls, increasing by a further 5% as the neurodegenerative process evolved. Galanin upregulation within cholinergic PPN neurons was most prevalent closest to the intra-nigral lesion site, suggesting that galanin upregulation in such neurons adapt intrinsically to neurodegeneration, to possibly neuroprotect. This is the first report on the extent and pattern of galanin expression in cholinergic neurons across distinct PPN subregions in both the intact rat CNS and lactacystin lesioned rats. The findings pave the way for future work to target galanin signaling in the PPN, to determine the extent to which upregulated galanin expression could offer a viable treatment strategy for ameliorating PD symptoms associated with cholinergic degeneration

Potent Innate Immune Response to Pathogenic Leptospira in Human Whole Blood

Background: Leptospirosis is caused by pathogenic spirochetes of the genus Leptospira. The bacteria enter the human body via abraded skin or mucous membranes and may disseminate throughout. In general the clinical picture is mild but some patients develop rapidly progressive, severe disease with a high case fatality rate. Not much is known about the innate immune response to leptospires during haematogenous dissemination. Previous work showed that a human THP-1 cell line recognized heat-killed leptospires and leptospiral LPS through TLR2 instead of TLR4. The LPS of virulent leptospires displayed a lower potency to trigger TNF production by THP-1 cells compared to LPS of non-virulent leptospires. Methodology/Principal Findings: We investigated the host response and killing of virulent and non-virulent Leptospira of different serovars by human THP-1 cells, human PBMC's and human whole blood. Virulence of each leptospiral strain was tested in a well accepted standard guinea pig model. Virulent leptospires displayed complement resistance in human serum and whole blood while in-vitro attenuated non-virulent leptospires were rapidly killed in a complement dependent manner. In vitro stimulation of THP-1 and PBMC's with heat-killed and living leptospires showed differential serovar and cell type dependence of cytokine induction. However, at low, physiological, leptospiral dose, living virulent complement resistant strains were consistently more potent in whole blood stimulations than the corresponding non-virulent complement sensitive strains. At higher dose living virulent and non-virulent leptospires were equipotent in whole blood. Inhibition of different TLRs indicated that both TLR2 and TLR4 as well as TLR5 play a role in the whole blood cytokine response to living leptospires. Conclusions/Significance: Thus, in a minimally altered system as human whole blood, highly virulent Leptospira are potent inducers of the cytokine response

Evidence for a Fourteenth mtDNA-Encoded Protein in the Female-Transmitted mtDNA of Marine Mussels (Bivalvia: Mytilidae)

BACKGROUND: A novel feature for animal mitochondrial genomes has been recently established: i.e., the presence of additional, lineage-specific, mtDNA-encoded proteins with functional significance. This feature has been observed in freshwater mussels with doubly uniparental inheritance of mtDNA (DUI). The latter unique system of mtDNA transmission, which also exists in some marine mussels and marine clams, is characterized by one mt genome inherited from the female parent (F mtDNA) and one mt genome inherited from the male parent (M mtDNA). In freshwater mussels, the novel mtDNA-encoded proteins have been shown to be mt genome-specific (i.e., one novel protein for F genomes and one novel protein for M genomes). It has been hypothesized that these novel, F- and M-specific, mtDNA-encoded proteins (and/or other F- and/or M-specific mtDNA sequences) could be responsible for the different modes of mtDNA transmission in bivalves but this remains to be demonstrated. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We investigated all complete (or nearly complete) female- and male-transmitted marine mussel mtDNAs previously sequenced for the presence of ORFs that could have functional importance in these bivalves. Our results confirm the presence of a novel F genome-specific mt ORF, of significant length (>100aa) and located in the control region, that most likely has functional significance in marine mussels. The identification of this ORF in five Mytilus species suggests that it has been maintained in the mytilid lineage (subfamily Mytilinae) for ∼13 million years. Furthermore, this ORF likely has a homologue in the F mt genome of Musculista senhousia, a DUI-containing mytilid species in the subfamily Crenellinae. We present evidence supporting the functionality of this F-specific ORF at the transcriptional, amino acid and nucleotide levels. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our results offer support for the hypothesis that "novel F genome-specific mitochondrial genes" are involved in key biological functions in bivalve species with DUI

Skin color and severe maternal outcomes: evidence from the brazilian network for surveillance of severe maternal morbidity

Taking into account the probable role that race/skin color may have for determining outcomes in maternal health, the objective of this study was to assess whether maternal race/skin color is a predictor of severe maternal morbidity. This is a secondary analysis of the Brazilian Network for Surveillance of Severe Maternal Morbidity, a national multicenter cross-sectional study of 27 Brazilian referral maternity hospitals. A prospective surveillance was performed to identify cases of maternal death (MD), maternal near miss (MNM) events, and potentially life-threatening conditions (PLTC), according to standard WHO definition and criteria. Among 9,555 women with severe maternal morbidity, data on race/skin color was available for 7,139 women, who were further divided into two groups: 4,108 nonwhite women (2,253 black and 1,855 from other races/skin color) and 3,031 white women. Indicators of severe maternal morbidity according to WHO definition are shown by skin color group. Adjusted Prevalence Ratios (PRadj - 95%CI) for Severe Maternal Outcome (SMO=MNM+MD) were estimated according to sociodemographic/obstetric characteristics, pregnancy outcomes, and perinatal results considering race. Results. Among 7,139 women with severe maternal morbidity evaluated, 90.5% were classified as PLTC, 8.5% as MNM, and 1.6% as MD. There was a significantly higher prevalence of MNM and MD among white women. MNMR (maternal near miss ratio) was 9.37 per thousand live births (LB). SMOR (severe maternal outcome ratio) was 11.08 per 1000 LB, and MMR (maternal mortality ratio) was 170.4 per 100,000 LB. Maternal mortality to maternal near miss ratio was 1 to 5.2, irrespective of maternal skin color. Hypertension, the main cause of maternal complications, affected mostly nonwhite women. Hemorrhage, the second more common cause of maternal complication, predominated among white women. Nonwhite skin color was associated with a reduced risk of SMO in multivariate analysis. Nonwhite skin color was associated with a lower risk for severe maternal outcomes. This result could be due to confounding factors linked to a high rate of Brazilian miscegenation.2019CNPQ - Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico402702/2008-