Integrated soil degradation analysis of tierra de Barros region (Badajoz, Spain).

This study assesses the soil degradalion in Tierra de Barros region (Badajoz province, Spain (280.900 ha). The sludy emphasizes on lhe soil susceptibilily to sealing and crusting, compactation and soilloss by water erosion

The angiotensin II AT(1), receptor structure-activity correlations in the light of rhodopsin structure

The most prevalent physiological effects of ANG II, the main product of the renin-angiotensin system, are mediated by the AT(1) receptor, a rhodopsin-like AGPCR. Numerous studies of the cardiovascular effects of synthetic peptide analogs allowed a detailed mapping of ANG II's structural requirements for receptor binding and activation, which were complemented by site-directed mutagenesis studies on the AT(1) receptor to investigate the role of its structure in ligand binding, signal transduction, phosphorylation, binding to arrestins, internalization, desensitization, tachyphylaxis, and other properties. the knowledge of the high-resolution structure of rhodopsin allowed homology modeling of the AT(1) receptor. the models thus built and mutagenesis data indicate that physiological (agonist binding) or constitutive (mutated receptor) activation may involve different degrees of expansion of the receptor's central cavity. Residues in ANG II structure seem to control these conformational changes and to dictate the type of cytosolic event elicited during the activation. 1) Agonist aromatic residues (Phe(8) and Tyr(4)) favor the coupling to G protein, and 2) absence of these residues can favor a mechanism leading directly to receptor internalization via phosphorylation by specific kinases of the receptor's COOH-terminal Ser and Thr residues, arrestin binding, and clathrin-dependent coated-pit vesicles. On the other hand, the NH2-terminal residues of the agonists ANG II and [Sar(1)]-ANG II were found to bind by two distinct modes to the AT(1) receptor extracellular site flanked by the COOH-terminal segments of the EC-3 loop and the NH2-terminal domain. Since the [Sar(1)]-ligand is the most potent molecule to trigger tachyphylaxis in AT(1) receptors, it was suggested that its corresponding binding mode might be associated with this special condition of receptors.Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Dept Biophys, BR-04023062 São Paulo, BrazilUniv São Paulo, Ribeirao Preto Med Sch, Dept Biochem & Immunol, BR-14049 Ribeirao Preto, BrazilUniv São Paulo, Inst Chem, Dept Biochem, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Dept Biophys, BR-04023062 São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

The State of the ReCLes. pt CLIL training project

Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), an area that has only recently been more thoroughly explored for appropriate use at higher levels of education, has been one of the research areas identified by the Association of Language Centers in Higher Education in Portugal (ReCLes.pt). ReCLes.pt members – administration and research professors are striving to make a difference in the paucity of scientific publications in this area with the creation of their national program for training content teachers in Portuguese higher education. To best learn from each other in a collaborative network and apply well-informed teaching and learning methodology to English-taught classrooms, the underlying concepts range from classroom management and scaffolding to learner autonomy and from Web 2.0 tools to terminology-based learning. As an update of the current state of the art as interpreted in this project, the outreach and reception will be described in full with attention to some detailed examples of the more successful aspects as well as others where we have found room for improvement. Recommendations will be made for other networks and individual schools aiming to effectively prepare their students for the market by using an integrated approach to content and language learning. This paper reports on the current state of the ongoing ReCLes.pt CLIL Training Project, financed in part by the FCT (the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology), with project members from a number of universities and polytechnics across Portugal.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Indigenous school education as contested spaces: the Brazilian experience in São Paulo and Mato Grosso do Sul

Indigenous schools are spaces for the convergence of different worldviews and to demonstrate how the creativity of each ethnic group challenges exogenous and established concepts and methodologies. This article examines main trends and pending gaps related to indigenous education in Brazil between the years 2007 and 2019. Issues such as the characterisation of indigenous schools, teachers and students are analysed, with a focus on the evolution of the number of students enrolled, infrastructure, language and pedagogic approaches. The analysis is focused on the states of Mato Grosso do Sul, which has a large indigenous population and an economy based on export-oriented agribusiness, and São Paulo, the main economic, demographic and political centre of Brazil with a much smaller indigenous population. The results demonstrate concrete improvements, especially the expansion of the number of schools and the student population. A growing number of schools are now dedicated to serve indigenous populations and make use of specific teaching material (although this material is of uneven quality). However, many problems remain unresolved, including threats to funding and uncertain administrative support from public authorities, a situation that has been aggravated in recent years with the growing adoption of elitist, anti-indigenous government policies

Comportamento do consumidor em resposta aos efeitos da pandemia da covid-19: um estudo sobre a relação entre a intenção de autoisolamento e compras incomuns

Purpose: The aim of this study is to investigate consumer behavior in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil to assess the relationship between the intention of self-isolation and to make unusual purchases. Methodology /Approach: Through an online survey with a sample of 181 individuals in Brazil, the proposed model and hypotheses were tested using Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM.) Findings: The results demonstrate a link between perceived severity in the two behavioral responses measured, the intention to make unusual purchases and, more strongly, the intention to voluntary self-isolation. Originality/Value: The study discusses consumer behavior for unusual purchases (cyberchondria) in risky situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil. Contributions and implications: We demonstrate how information overload leads to cyberchondria. In addition, the perceived severity leads the individual to make unusual purchases and self-isolation. In turn, exposure to online information sources leads to cyberchondria, which leads to behavior that increases the intention to make unusual purchases, and to self-isolation, which further increases exposure to online information. Furthermore, this study extends existing research (Laato et al., 2020) that suggests that research be carried out in different contexts.Objetivo: o propósito deste estudo é investigar o comportamento dos consumidores no contexto da pandemia de COVID-19 no Brasil para avaliar a relação entre a intenção de auto isolamento e eventuais compras incomuns. Método: Por meio de uma pesquisa on-line com uma amostra 181 indivíduos, o modelo proposto e as hipóteses foram testadas a partir da Modelagem de Equações Estruturais (PLS-SEM.)  Principais resultados: Os resultados demonstram ligação entre gravidade percebida nas duas respostas comportamentais medidas, a intenção de fazer comprar incomuns e, mais fortemente, a intenção de autoisolamento voluntário. Relevância/originalidade: O estudo traz para discussão o comportamento do consumidor para compras incomuns (cibercondria) em situações de risco como a pandemia da COVID-19 no Brasil. Contribuições e implicações: Demonstramos como a sobrecarga de informação leva à cibercondria. Além disso, que a gravidade percebida leva o indivíduo a fazer compras incomuns e ao autoisolamento. Por sua vez, a exposição a fontes de informação on-line leva à cibercondria, que leva a um comportamento que aumenta a intenção de fazer compras incomuns e ao autoisolamento o que aumenta ainda mais a exposição a informações on-line. Além disso, este estudo estende a pesquisa existente (Laato et al., 2020) que sugere que pesquisas sejam realizadas em contextos diferentes

Demanda de potência do ventilador para aeração de material em compostagem

Neste trabalho, objetivou-se ajustar curvas de perda na pressão estática do ar, quando forçado em camadas de material orgânico, com diferentes espessuras, e dois estádios de degradação bioquímica, para possibilitar o cálculo da demanda de potência do sistema de ventilação. Os resíduos utilizados para a medição da perda de pressão do ar foram cama de frango misturada com casca dos frutos do cafeeiro, razão entre massas de 2,5:1, de forma a se obter relação C/N inicial de 30:1. Foi verificado que a perda na pressão estática do ar aumentou linearmente com a espessura da camada de composto orgânico e que houve aumento na perda de pressão estática com o aumento na vazão específica do ar, o que praticamente não foi alterado pelo estádio de degradação bioquímica do material em compostagem. Todos os modelos testados (potencial, logarítmico e quadrático) ajustaram-se bem aos dados experimentais, na faixa de vazão específica de ar entre 0,045 e 0,159 m3 s-1 m-2, podendo ser usado para predizer os gradientes de pressão estática no composto orgânico. A potência demandada pelo sistema de ventilação foi de 1,16 W t-1 no material, antes da compostagem, e de 2,38 W t-1, após 60 dias de compostagem, em camada com 1 m de espessura. Em camada de 2 m de espessura, a demanda foi de 17,70 e 21,65 W t-1, respectivamente.This study aimed to adjust loss curves in static air pressure when forced into layers of organic material, with different thicknesses and two stages of biochemical degradation, to enable the calculation of the power demand of the ventilation system. The residues used to evaluate air pressure loss were poultry litter mixed with coffee cherry husk, mass ratio of 2.5:1, to obtain an initial C/N relation of 30:1. It was found that the loss in static pressure increased linearly with the thickness of the organic compound, and that there was an increase in static pressure loss with increased specific flow rate of air, which practically did not change by the biochemical degradation stage of the composting material. All models used (potential, logarithmic and quadratic) fit the experimental data in the range of specific air flow between 0.045 and 0.159 m3 s-1 m-2, and they may be used to predict the static pressure gradients in the organic compost. The power demanded by the ventilation system in layers of 1 m thickness was 1.16 W t-1 in the material before composting, and 2.38 W t-1, after 60 days of composting. In layers of 2 m thickness, the demand was 17.70 and 21.65 W t -1, respectively