A formula for the trace of symmetric powers of matrices

We present a formula for the trace of any symmetric power of a $n\times n$ matrix (with coefficients in a field) in terms of the ordinary powers of the matrix, an arbitrarily chosen linear function which vanishes on the identity matrix, and $n-2$ polynomial functions defined recursively

La educación medioambiental a través del arte.

El Trabajo de Fin de Grado que se expone a continuación, propone un proyecto profesionalizador que transmite la importancia de la educación medioambiental en las aulas de infantil. Este concepto, se ha trabajado a través del arte pues, es una vía de expresión artística que posibilita la adquisición de conocimientos ambientales para favorecer la sensibilización con el medio natural. La importancia de educar y concienciar medioambientalmente, desde edades tempranas, facilita conocer nociones como la huella ecológica, favorece la adquisición de hábitos, rutinas y conductas adecuadas que contribuyen a la sostenibilidad del planeta, evitando así las acciones negativas que lo perjudican. Las actividades se han centrado en los conceptos de las 4 erres, tratando de transmitir los valores y conocimientos, de forma motivadora, dinámica y lúdica, mediante una enseñanza indirecta y el aprendizaje íntegro del niño. Trabajando a través de una participación cooperativa e individual de forma enriquecedora. De esta manera, se interioriza una empatía más cercana y directa con el medio próximo, desarrollándose en los menores, la conciencia y la capacidad para reconocer y actuar ante los problemas medioambientales que existen en la actualidad. No solo se pretende con este proyecto educativo, enseñar contenidos relacionados con el contexto, sino que, se han diseñado y planificado actuaciones que produzcan un cambio en la sociedad, para evitar un planeta donde no sea viable habitar y donde las generaciones futuras no puedan actuar ante esta situación en posible deterioro.The End of Grade Work that follows proposes a professional project that conveys the importance of environmental education in nursery classrooms. This concept has been worked through art because it is a way of artistic expression that enables the acquisition of environmental knowledge to promote awareness of the natural environment. The importance of educating and raising environmental awareness, from an early age, facilitates knowledge of notions such as the ecological footprint, favours the acquisition of habits, routines and appropriate behaviours that contribute to the sustainability of the planet, thus avoiding negative actions that harm it. The activities have focused on the concepts of the 4Rs, trying to transmit values and knowledge in a motivating, dynamic and playful way, through indirect teaching and full learning of the child. Working through cooperative and individual participation in an enriching way. In this way, a closer and direct empathy with the immediate environment is internalized, developing in the minors, the conscience and the capacity to recognize and act before the environmental problems that exist at present. This educational project not only aims to teach contents related to the context, but also to design and plan actions that produce a change in society, in order to avoid a planet where it is not viable to live and where future generations cannot act in the face of this situation in possible deterioration

Possessivos de terceira pessoa: usos em correspondências do século XIX, questões teóricas e prescrições gramaticais

Este artigo apresenta um estudo sobre a variação nos usos dos possessivos de terceira pessoa – seu e dele – e suas flexões, a partir de um corpus constituído de um conjunto de correspondências manuscritas por professores primários da Bahia, entre os anos 50 e 80 do século XIX. Apresenta-se o histórico desses possessivos de terceira pessoa, verifica-se qual tratamento é dado a esses pronomes por gramáticas do século XIX e demonstra-se o quadro desses possessivos de terceira pessoa no corpus, considerando-se algumas variáveis. Constata-se que os usos variáveis dos possessivos seu e dele não se registravam nas gramáticas da época, mas estavam presentes nas correspondências dos professores

Alfabetização e ludicidade: relato de uma experiência com crianças do primeiro ano

This experience report aimed to understand how playfulness is being experienced in the literacy process of a first-year elementary school class. With a qualitative approach, the research took place through observation of a Portuguese class, a semi-structured interview with the teacher and an informal dialogue with one of the school's psychopedagogues. As main findings, we highlight that the teacher recognizes the importance of playfulness in children's learning, but even so, in the class observed, she used traditional teaching practices. When using games and other playful strategies, children tend to engage and learn more, relating the school study of the language with their daily lives and social practices. Therefore, the importance of using playful activities in the literacy process, such as games and activities, is highlighted, as these enrich the student's learning and development.Este relato de experiência objetivou compreender de que maneira a ludicidade está sendo vivenciada no processo de alfabetização de uma turma de primeiro ano do Ensino Fundamental. De abordagem qualitativa, a pesquisa aconteceu através de observação de uma aula de Português, de uma entrevista semiestruturada com a professora e um diálogo informal com uma das psicopedagogas da escola. Como principais achados destacamos que a professora reconhece a importância da ludicidade na aprendizagem das crianças, mas ainda assim, na aula observada, fez uso de práticas tradicionais de ensino. Ao usar a brincadeira e outras estratégias lúdicas, as crianças tendem a se engajar e aprender mais, relacionando o estudo escolar da língua com o seu cotidiano e as práticas sociais. Ressalta-se, dessa forma, a importância do uso de atividades lúdicas no processo de alfabetização, como jogos e brincadeiras, sendo essas enriquecedoras na aprendizagem e desenvolvimento do aluno

Echinomycin mitigates ocular angiogenesis by transcriptional inhibition of the hypoxia-inducible factor-1

Background: Echinomycin (EKN), an inhibitor of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1 DNA-binding activity, has been implied as a possible therapeutic agent in ischemic diseases. Here, we assess EKN in hypoxia-driven responses in vitro using human primary adult retinal pigment epithelium cells (aRPE) and retinal endothelial cells (hREC), and in vivo using the laser-induced mouse choroidal neovascularization (CNV) model. Methods: Effects of EKN on hypoxia-mediated pathways in aRPE were analyzed by Western blotting for HIF-1α protein, quantitative PCR of HIF-target genes, and proteome array for soluble angiogenic factors. In vitro inhibition of angiogenesis by EKN was determined in hREC. In vivo inhibition of angiogenesis by EKN was determined in the mouse laser-induced CNV, as a model of HIF-associated ocular neovascularization. CNV lesion area was determined by fundus fluorescein angiography. Results: aRPE treated with EKN showed hypoxia-dependent significantly decreased cell recovery in the wound healing assay. These results were supported by lower levels of HIF-mediated transcripts detected in hypoxic aRPE cells treated with EKN compared with non-treated controls, and confirmed by proteome profiler for angiogenic factors. hREC exposed to aRPE EKN-conditioned medium displayed reduced sprouting angiogenesis. Mice with laser-induced CNV treated with intravitreally injected EKN showed significantly decreased vascular lesion area when compared with a mouse equivalent of aflibercept, or vehicle-treated controls. Conclusions: Our data proposes EKN as a potent inhibitor of HIF-mediated angiogenesis in retinal cells and in the mouse model of CNV, which could have future implications in the treatment of patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration.Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades de España. FPU17/0346

Persistent gating deficit and increased sensitivity to NMDA receptor antagonism after puberty in a new mouse model of the human 22q11.2 micro-deletion syndrome – a study in male mice

Background: The hemizygous 22q11.2 micro-deletion is a common copy number variant in humans. The deletion confers high risk of neurodevelopmental disorders including autism and schizophrenia. Up to 41% of deletion carriers experience psychotic symptoms. Methods: We present a new mouse model (Df(h22q11)/+) of the deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS) and report on the most comprehensive study undertaken in 22q11.2DS models. The study was conducted in male mice. Results: We found elevated post-pubertal NMDA receptor antagonist induced hyper-locomotion, age-independent prepulse inhibition (PPI) deficits and increased acoustic startle response (ASR). The PPI deficit and increased ASR was resistant to antipsychotic treatment. The PPI deficit was not a consequence of impaired hearing measured by auditory brain stem responses. The Df(h22q11)/+ mice also displayed increased amplitude of loudness-dependent auditory evoked potentials. Prefrontal cortex and dorsal striatal (DStr) elevations of the dopamine metabolite DOPAC and increased DStr expression of the AMPA receptor subunit GluR1 was found. The Df(h22q11)/+ mice did not deviate from wild-type mice in a wide range of other behavioural and biochemical assays. Limitations: The 22q11.2 micro-deletion has incomplete penetrance in humans and the severity of disease depends on the complete genetic makeup in concert with environmental factors. In order to obtain more marked phenotypes reflecting the severe conditions related to 22q11.2DS it is suggested to expose the Df(h22q11)/+ mice to environmental stressors which may unmask latent psychopathology. Conclusion: The Df(h22q11)/+ model will be a valuable tool for increasing our understanding of the aetiology of schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders associated with the 22q11DS.The research leading to these results was conducted as part of NEWMEDS and received support from the Innovative Medicine Initiative Joint Undertaking under grant agreement n° 115008 of which resources are composed of EFPIA in-kind contribution and financial contribution from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013). This work was further supported by grants from the Danish Advanced Technology Foundation (File no. 001-2009-2) and by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM)

Physical and dynamical characterization of hyperbolic comet C/2017 U7(PANSTARRS)

We present here a dynamical and observational study of the comet C/2017 U7 (PANSTARRS). This comet was discovered in 2017 and found to have a hyperbolic orbit. Our dynamical analysis shows that the object has probably originated in the Oort cloud, however an interstellar origin cannot be discarded. The observations were obtained in 2018 and 2019 using the Goodman High Throughput Spectrograph (GHTS) at the SOAR telescope. We obtained visible spectra covering the wavelength range of and also images in the SDSS filters system. Both the low-resolution reflectance spectrum and the reflectance spectra derived from the SDSS filters show an atypical band at . We conducted a comparative study of the colors and reflectance spectra of different small body populations (e.g., comets, Centaurs, and trans-Neptunian objects or TNOs) from the literature and concluded that the spectra and the colors of this comet are atypical, showing only some overlap with those of some known members of the TNOs and Centaurs, within the large uncertainties of the measurements of those populations. It is found that the feature and overall spectral shape can be reproduced by laboratory spectra of kerite, a template for aliphatic-rich hydrocarbons that has been previously identified in NIR cometary spectra absorptions. It is tentatively proposed that the unusual spectral shape is the result of a particle size distribution of dust grains in the coma or on the surface that has arisen due to a low grain ejection velocity from the surface and large nucleus size