Nas asas de um sonho: fragmentos da construção da nação: estudo de caso: o jornal «Mais Alto» (1959 – 1974)

A presente dissertação é um estudo de caso sobre o jornal «Mais Alto», órgão de divulgação da Força Aérea Portuguesa, no período de 1959 a 1974. A leitura atenta a este «lugar da memória», como ousamos chamar-lhe, permitiu-nos efetuar «um voo através dos tempos» ao encontro daquele que é seguramente o período mais difícil e controverso da história recente de Portugal, o do Estado Novo, e especialmente, daquela que ficaria conhecida por Guerra de África (do Ultramar / Colonial), de que o jornal «Mais Alto» é do primeiro, inevitavelmente fruto, dado o cariz institucional onde nasceu, e da segunda, testemunho, dada a data em que começou a ser publicado e dos acontecimentos que presenciou, e de que deu pública notícia. Tendo como universo analítico um jornal a metodologia utilizada passou necessariamente pela análise do discurso difundido, mas como numa publicação tudo é suposto comunicar, estivemos também atentos à foto-ilustração, à iconografia utilizada e, a toda a retórica e imaginário coletivo envolvidos. De tudo isto damos conta nesta «arqueologia» do periódico, não sem, cumulativamente, discorrer acerca da sua difusão, analisar a predominância entre divulgação e propaganda, e sobretudo, para fruto da leitura «situada» que fizemos, darmos voz aos articulistas do jornal e à «hipérbole nacionalista» que estes construíam e difundiram.This dissertation is a case study of a journal, «Mais Alto», the organ of the Portuguese Air Force from 1959 to 1974. A careful reading of this «site of memory» – as we call it – allowed us «to fly over times» in order to grasp what is certainly the most difficult as well as most controversial moment of Portuguese recent history, the Colonial Wars in Africa. This journal is undoubtedly the result of this institutional context and at the same time a testimony of the political events occurred. By focusing on the study of this journal, the methodology used implied necessarily the analysis of the discourse as well as the examination of the iconography in order to point out the rhetorical and collective imaginary underlying this enterprise. Our aim is to provide «an archaeology» of a periodical along with an analysis of its dissemination and the tension between divulgation and propaganda. The privileged accorded to the main actors / reviewers of this journal and to their discourse helps to explain our «located» or situated analysis

Regulation of Nociceptive Glutamatergic Signaling by Presynaptic Kv3.4 Channels in the Rat Spinal Dorsal Horn

Presynaptic voltage-gated K+ (Kv) channels in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons are thought to regulate nociceptive synaptic transmission in the spinal dorsal horn. However, the Kv channel subtypes responsible for this critical role have not been identified. The Kv3.4 channel is particularly important because it is robustly expressed in DRG nociceptors, where it regulates action potential (AP) duration. Furthermore, Kv3.4 dysfunction is implicated in the pathophysiology of neuropathic pain in multiple pain models. We hypothesized that, through their ability to modulate AP repolarization, Kv3.4 channels in DRG nociceptors help to regulate nociceptive synaptic transmission. To test this hypothesis, we investigated Kv3.4 immunoreactivity (IR) in the rat cervical superficial dorsal horn (sDH) in both sexes and implemented an intact spinal cord preparation to investigate glutamatergic synaptic currents from second order neurons in the sDH under conditions that selectively inhibit the Kv3.4 current. We found presynaptic Kv3.4 IR in peptidergic and nonpeptidergic nociceptive fibers of the sDH. The Kv3.4 channel is hypersensitive to 4-aminopyridine and tetraethylammonium (TEA). Accordingly, 50 μm 4-aminopyridine and 500 μm TEA significantly prolong the AP, slow the maximum rate of repolarization in small-diameter DRG neurons, and potentiate monosynaptic excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) in dorsal horn laminae I and II through a presynaptic mechanism. In contrast, highly specific inhibitors of BK, Kv7, and Kv1 channels are less effective modulators of the AP and have little to no effect on EPSCs. The results strongly suggest that presynaptic Kv3.4 channels are major regulators of nociceptive synaptic transmission in the spinal cord.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Intractable neuropathic pain can result from disease or traumatic injury and many studies have been conducted to determine the underlying pathophysiological changes. Voltage-gated ion channels, including the K+ channel Kv3.4, are dysregulated in multiple pain models. Kv3.4 channels are ubiquitously expressed in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG), where they are major regulators of DRG excitability. However, little is known about the ionic mechanisms that regulate nociceptive synaptic transmission at the level of the first synapse in the spinal cord, which is critical to pain transmission in both intact and pathological states. Here, we show that Kv3.4 channels have a significant impact on glutamatergic synaptic transmission in the dorsal horn, further illuminating its potential as a molecular pain therapeutic target.This work was supported by the Vickie and Jack Farber Foundation (M.C.), the Dean's Transformational Science Award (M.C.), the National Institutes of Health (Grant NS079855 to M.C. and Grant NS079702 to A.C.L.), the Dubbs Fellowship Fund (T.M.), Sigma Xi (GIAR Grant G20141015648241 to T.M.), Autifony Therapeutics, Ltd. (M.C.), and the Luso-American Development Foundation (V.P.). We thank Drs. Matthew Dalva, Melanie Elliott, Ethan Goldberg, David Ritter, and Benjamin Zemel, and members of the Covarrubias laboratory for helpful comments and feedback on previous versions of this manuscript; members of the Dalva laboratory for sharing reagents; and Dr. Bruce Bean for providing helpful tips regarding the effects of Kv channel inhibitors on the AP in the DRG.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Preprocessing of Magnetic Resonance Images with Multiple Sclerosis Lesions

According to the World Health Organization, it is estimated that multiple sclerosis (MS) affects around 2.5 million people worldwide and more than 5000 in Portugal. Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory, demyelinating, idiopathic, and often disabling central nervous system disease that affects the white matter diagnosed in young adults and predominantly affects womens. Multiple sclerosis is the most common neurological disorder with unexplained causes and major repercussions in the lives of patients, causing the active search for answers by the researchers. Although the disease cannot be cured or prevented at this time, the available treatments only reduce its severity and delay its progression. In recent years, there has been a major development of image processing and analysis techniques in order to facilitate early diagnosis and suitable treatment. In general, images acquired by imaging devices and specialized techniques require transformations and enhancements to make them more suitable in order to extract as much information as desired with greater efficiency. Several authors, have described techniques of image preprocessing and segmentation of MS lesions, making evident the advantages of such computational tools. In this work, different preprocessing algorithms were applied in order to perform the brain extraction from resonance magnetic (RM) images for their easier further analysis.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Absence of Tau triggers age-dependent sciatic nerve morphofunctional deficits and motor impairment

Dementia is the cardinal feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD), yet the clinical symptoms of this disorder also include a marked loss of motor function. Tau abnormal hyperphosphorylation and malfunction are well-established key events in AD neuropathology but the impact of the loss of normal Tau function in neuronal degeneration and subsequent behavioral deficits is still debated. While Tau reduction has been increasingly suggested as therapeutic strategy against neurodegeneration, particularly in AD, there is controversial evidence about whether loss of Tau progressively impacts on motor function arguing about damage of CNS motor components. Using a variety of motor-related tests, we herein provide evidence of an age-dependent motor impairment in Tau-/- animals that is accompanied by ultrastructural and functional impairments of the efferent fibers that convey motor-related information. Specifically, we show that the sciatic nerve of old (17-22-months) Tau-/- mice displays increased degenerating myelinated fibers and diminished conduction properties, as compared to age-matched wild-type (Tau+/+) littermates and younger (4-6months) Tau-/- and Tau+/+ mice. In addition, the sciatic nerves of Tau-/- mice exhibit a progressive hypomyelination (assessed by g-ratio) specifically affecting large-diameter, motor-related axons in old animals. These findings suggest that loss of Tau protein may progressively impact on peripheral motor system.The work was supported by grants 'PTDC/SAU-NMC/113934/2009,' 'PTDC/SAU-NSC/118194/2010,' 'SFRH/BPD/97281/2013,' PTDC/SAU-NSC/118194/2010,' 'SFRH/BPD/80118/2011,' 'SFRH/BD/89714/2012' funded by FCT-Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology and project DoIT-Desenvolvimento e Operacionalizacao da Investigacao de Translacao (No do projeto 13853), funded by Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER) throughout the Programa Operacional Fatores de Competitividade (POFC). In addition, this work was also co-financed by European Union FP7 project SwitchBox (NS) and the Portuguese North Regional Operational Program (ON.2 - O Novo Norte) under the National Strategic Reference Framework (QREN), through the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Photography-based taxonomy is inadequate, unnecessary, and potentially harmful for biological sciences

The question whether taxonomic descriptions naming new animal species without type specimen(s) deposited in collections should be accepted for publication by scientific journals and allowed by the Code has already been discussed in Zootaxa (Dubois & Nemésio 2007; Donegan 2008, 2009; Nemésio 2009a–b; Dubois 2009; Gentile & Snell 2009; Minelli 2009; Cianferoni & Bartolozzi 2016; Amorim et al. 2016). This question was again raised in a letter supported by 35 signatories published in the journal Nature (Pape et al. 2016) on 15 September 2016. On 25 September 2016, the following rebuttal (strictly limited to 300 words as per the editorial rules of Nature) was submitted to Nature, which on 18 October 2016 refused to publish it. As we think this problem is a very important one for zoological taxonomy, this text is published here exactly as submitted to Nature, followed by the list of the 493 taxonomists and collection-based researchers who signed it in the short time span from 20 September to 6 October 2016

Projeto arqueológico de longos vales. Um impulso para a investigação no concelho de monção (viana do castelo, norte de portugal)

The Projeto Arqueológico de Longos Vales resulted from a initiative promoted by the Associação Desportiva e Cultural dos Jovens de Longos Vales, the Longos Vales parish council and the municipal council. The work that is being devoleped refers only to the parish of Longos Vales, country of Monção and district of Viana do Castelo. This research consists on the fulfi ll of three tasks: the archaeological chart; archaeological excavations of the São Caetano hillfort and create new dynamics on the São Caetano interpretative center. The archaeological chart aims to inventory the cultural heritage of this parish, making it an important documentary tool. The need of archaeological intervention at the São Caetano hillfort is justifi ed by the lack of investigation concerning this locus. We intend to understand the occupational phases and it´s urban organization. To highlight, this archaeological site is one of the most distinguished proto-historic settlements of the county, having a proto-urban structure similar to other hill forts in the northwestern Iberia. Furthermore, this project has an educational and social component by developing didactic activities mostly at the interpretive center. Generically, this work will increase the regional knowledge and aware the community for the preservation and appreciation of the local heritage, as well as promoting future research on the country.Projeto Arqueológico de Longos Vales corresponde a uma iniciativa da Associação Desportiva e Cultural dos Jovens de Longos Vales em colaboração com a Junta de Freguesia de Longos Vales e a Câmara Municipal de Monção. O trabalho que se encontra em estudo circunscrita a freguesia de Longos Vales, concelho de Monção, distrito de Viana de Castelo, Norte de Portugal. Esta investigação consiste na execução de três trabalhos: a elaboração da carta arqueológica, as escavações arqueológicas no Castro de São Caetano e a dinamização do Centro Interpretativo do mesmo povoado. A carta arqueológica compõe-se pela inventariação do património cultural da freguesia, tornando-se numa fundamental ferramenta documental e de consulta. A necessidade dos trabalhos arqueológicos no Castro de São Caetano justifi ca-se pela exiguidade de trabalhos executados neste locus. Há uma necessidade de um melhor entendimento das suas fases ocupacionais e da organização urbanística do povoado. De destacar, que este sítio arqueológico constitui um dos mais distintos povoados proto-históricos no concelho, possuindo uma estrutura proto-urbana semelhante a outros povoados existentes no Noroeste da Ibéria. Por outro lado, este projeto abraça uma componente educacional e social através de atividades ludo-didáticas a realizar no Centro Interpretativo. Em suma, este trabalho proporcionará o fomento dos conhecimentos regionais e a sensibilização da comunidade para a preservação e valorização do património local, assim como, um verdadeiro impulso para futuros estudos de investigação no concelho

CD4+, CD8+ AND CD19+ Cells at Individuals with Dyslipidemia

Introdução: Os mecanismos imunológicos e inflamatórios têm um papel crucial no desenvolvimento da aterosclerose e na sua tradução clínica. São inúmeros os estudos que procuraram relacionar os mais diversos marcadores inflamatórios – leucócitos, proteína C reactiva, interleucinas, quimiocinas, moléculas de adesão, metaloproteinases, etc – com os factores de risco clássicos da aterosclerose, a formação da placa e os fenómenos clínicos. Não são tantos, que tenhamos conhecimento, os trabalhos que analisaram o comportamento das diversas células mononucleares na fisiopatologia da aterosclerose. Sendo os monócitos/macrófagos e os linfócitos células fundamentais no desencadear e posterior evolução desta doença vascular, procurámos determinar as percentagens das diversas populações celulares periféricas em indivíduos dislipidémicos e em normolipidémicos. Material e Métodos: Por citometria de fluxo, determinámos em indivíduos com dislipidemia e num grupo controlo, as concentrações no sangue periférico dos CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD19+, CD56+, CD56CD8+, DN, CD25+, CD26+, CD25CD3+, CD26CD3+, CD25CD26CD3+, CCR5+, CCR5CD3+, CCR5CD4+, HLADR+, HLADRCD4+, HLADRCD8h+, HLADRCD8low+, HLADRCD8+, CD95+, CD95CD95L+, CD3CD95+, CD3CD95L+, CD62L+, CD3CD62L+, CD69+, CD69CD3+ e CD69CD4+. Resultados: Embora na sua grande maioria não tenham sido encontradas diferenças significativas entre os dois grupos de participantes, verificaram-se em algumas populações celulares, resultados que nos mereceram alguns comentários. Neste artigo debruçámo-nos apenas sobre as populações positivas para os CD4, CD8 e CD19. Discussão: A menor concentração das células CD4+ na nossa população de dislipidémicos foi aparentemente inesperada devido ao relacionamento existente entre este tipo celular, os factores de risco e a aterosclerose. Não foram determinados os subtipos Th1 e Th2, nem a população de células reguladoras CD4+CD25+, que poderiam explicar a menor percentagem de células CD4+ nos nossos dislipidémicos. Relativamente às células CD8+ e CD19+, apresentaram percentagens sobreponíveis nos dois grupos de participantes. Conclusões: Apesar das limitações evidenciadas em resultado da reduzida dimensão das populações, foi possível demonstrar uma redução em algumas moléculas após aplicação de ácido acetilsalicílico.Introduction: The past decade has witnessed an increasing recognition that inflammatory mechanisms play a central role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and its complications. Recently, attention was focused on the potential role of plasma markers of inflammation as risk predictors among those at risk for cardiovascular events. Of these potential markers, C-reactive protein (CRP), IL6, metalloproteinases, ICAM, VCAM and other molecules, have been extensively studied. On the other hand, to our knowledge, there are only a few studies on the role of inflammatory cells, like T and B lymphocytes in the atherosclerosis. Material and Methods: By Flow Cytrometry analysis we have determined on dyslipidemic people and on a control group, the percentage of some peripheral inflammatory cells, like CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD19+, CD56+, CD56CD8+, DN, CD25+, CD26+, CD25CD3+, CD26CD3+, CD25CD26CD3+, CCR5+, CCR5CD3+, CCR5CD4+, HLADR+, HLADRCD4+, HLADRCD8h+, HLADRCD8low+, HLADRCD8+, CD95+, CD95CD95L+, CD3CD95+, CD3CD95L+, CD62L+, CD3CD62L+, CD69+, CD69CD3+ e CD69CD4+. Results: In the present study we have particularly studied the percentage of CD4+, CD8+ and CD19+ cells. The CD4+ cells have been significantly reduced in the people with dyslipidemia. Discussion: We do not know the peripheral numbers of the subtype Th1 and Th2, neither the percentage of CD4+CD25+ cells (regulatory T cells). We have not find any differences on the percentage from the CD8+ and CD19+ cells. Conclusions: In spite of the identified limitations resulting from the small-sized samples, it was possible to show a reduction of some molecules after application of acetylsalicylic acid

Necrose isquémica do cólon esquerdo – apresentação atípica no pós-operatório de correcção de aneurisma da aorta abdominal

.Introdução: A colite isquémica é uma complicação rara mas bem documentada na correcção de aneurisma da aorta abdominal (AAA). Apresenta incidência de 3-30%, sendo que a mortalidade alcança 50-90% nos casos que cursam com necrose cólica. São factores predisponentes as co-morbilidades, clampagem prolongada da aorta, hipotensão/choque, lesões de reperfusão, trauma cirúrgico do cólon, síndrome do compartimento abdominal e ausência de patência mesentérica inferior e hipogástrica. O tratamento cirúrgico é preconizado para os casos mais graves, e consiste na ressecção do cólon necrosado e colostomia terminal. Material e Métodos: Homem, 74 anos, hipertenso, dislipidémico e fumador, cujo AngioTC revelou AAA justa-renal (5,6cm). Submetido a aneurismectomia parcial com bypass aortobifemoral por colocação de prótese, com hipotensão intra-operatória e fibrilhação auricular. Admitido na Unidade de Cuidados Intensivos, apresentando, em D16, dor abdominal, diarreia, febre e avulsão de fita cólica pelo ânus. Solicitada colaboração de Cirurgia: laparotomia exploradora com ressecção segmentar do cólon descendente restante – ângulo esplénico (cólon esquerdo e recto superior previamente avulsos) com encerramento do coto rectal e colostomia terminal do transverso. O exame anatomo-patológico revelou fita cólica (100cm) e segmento ressecado (50cm), representativos de necrose isquémica transmural. Evolução favorável até ao momento actual. Discussão: O caso prima pela raridade e apresentação atípica, com avulsão de fita cólica pelo ânus, e por superar a mortalidade estimada para estes casos (50-90%). Palavras-chave: necrose isquémica cólon, correcção de aneurisma da aorta abdominal, fita cólica.