Communicating science: The making of a comics poster on biodeterioration

The History of Humanity can be traced by our Cultural Heritage. However, we are not the only ones who can appreciate our tangible legacies. Biodeterioration is well recognized in the field of cultural heritage conservation. Over the last few decades, it has been the object of both modest and ambitious studies, some aiming to identify one single agent, others trying to understand entire communities. Proper sampling and tools such as culture-dependent techniques, DNA analysis, protein and pigment identification studies, metabolomics and microscopy (in its various forms) are important allies and their combined results should be prized for the valuable data they provide. Coordinated efforts to implement standard practices and share relevant information and approved guidelines to better understand any cause-effect relationships are vital to address this issue. In an international symposium devoted to biodeterioration, the paragraph above is regarded as common sense and a poster on the topic would hardly deserve a second look. Comics have shown to deliver scientific information with accuracy and a higher impact as they are seen as lighter and more enjoyable to look at and read than the same amount of information delivered as a text form or even in graphics. Next is the detailed making of a comics poster intended to appeal to the attending public while also displaying accurate scientific context

Da compreensão à intervenção: necessidades e especificidades na formação dos(as) técnicos(as) e forças de segurança para a sinalização e intervenção na violência doméstica contra as pessoas idosas

Sendo transversal ao género, idade, orientação sexual, etnia e estatuto-socioeconómico, e com significativo impacto biopsicossocial nas suas vítimas, a violência doméstica, no geral, e a violência doméstica contra pessoas idosas, em particular, é um dos grandes flagelos na atualidade da sociedade portuguesa. Impulsionado por uma questão-problema, e contemplando as especificidades das pessoas idosas, as necessidades dos/as técnicos/as de primeira linha e Forças de Segurança, e a informação obtida através da literatura, dados estatísticos e quadros teóricos, legais e de intervenção na violência doméstica, foi criado o presente trabalho de projeto. Da triangulação destes dados, resultou a elaboração de um referencial de formação específico da violência doméstica contra pessoas idosas, adaptado ao Distrito de Bragança. Este referencial, aplicado em cinco ações de formação (Macedo de Cavaleiros, Mogadouro, Mirandela, Bragança e Comando Territorial da GNR de Bragança), abrangeu 83 técnicos/as / agentes da PSP e 42 militares da GNR que, posteriormente, o avaliaram através de um questionário de satisfação. A adesão e a motivação dos/as técnicos/as durante o desenvolvimento do projeto, bem como os resultados obtidos no questionário de satisfação, demonstram que os/as profissionais consideram as ações de formação úteis e pertinentes na sua prática profissional, enfatizando a mais-valia e implicação direta que a formação contínua e especializada tem no apoio e proteção às vítimas e consequentemente na prevenção e combate à violência doméstica contra pessoas idosas.Being transversal to gender, age, sexual orientation, ethnicity and socioeconomic status, and having a significant biopsychosocial impact in its victims, domestic violence in general, and domestic violence against the elderly in particularly, is one of the major issues affecting the portuguese society nowadays. The present work of project was driven by a query-issue while contemplating the specificity of the elderly, the needs of first line technicians and the Security Forces, and the information gathered through literature, data and theoretical, legal and interventional frameworks in domestic violence. From the triangulation of these data resulted the elaboration of a specific training referential about domestic violence against the elderly, adapted to the reality lived in the Bragança District. This referential was applied in 5 training actions (Macedo de Cavaleiros, Mogadouro, Mirandela, Bragança and GNR), embracing 83 technicians and 42 military from the GNR, who subsequently evaluated the referential through a satisfaction questionnaire. The adhesion and motivation of the participants throughout the development of the project, as well as the result of the satisfaction questionnaire, show that the professionals consider having training as relevant and useful in their daily and professional practice, emphasizing the vantage of continuous and specialized training, and the direct implication it has in the victim support, protection and consequently in preventing and fighting the domestic violence against the elderly

Estudo da evolução da ocupação do solo na paisagem de Ribeira de Pena entre 1970 e 2006. Possíveis causas e perspectivas futuras

Mestrado em Arquitectura Paisagista - Instituto Superior de AgronomiaThis thesis aims to study the landscape changes that occurred between 1970 and 2006 in the municipality of Ribeira de Pena, in northern Portugal. For such, it was resorted the comparison of fixed points in the Land Use Letter, the National Forest Inventory (IFN) of 1970 and the 5th IFN of 2006. Throughout the study period, the various land uses analyzed undergone some changes regarding their location according to hypsometric, slope, and exposure factors. Qualitatively, some uses have remained, others suffered a transition to other types of occupation, and others demonstrated a possible tendency of extinction. It was observed a decrease of Agriculture and Eucalyptus, and an increase of Shrubland and Social Areas. The rest of the uses showed no unique grow tendency. Maintaining the system conditions, the projection expected in the future is an increase in Social Areas, Bushes and Softwoods, while Eucalyptus, Other Hardwoods and Agriculture decrease. In the event of fire, Bushes and Social Areas will expand unlike other types of land use. In conclusion, the changes at the socio-economic level, the development of Bushes and Forest Area were the main causes responsible for the modifications in the studied landscape

Fire regimens and rural landscape dynamics in Central System : Estrela Massif and Ayllón Massif

Tesis inédita de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Facultad de Geografía e Historia, leída el 20-06-2020Los incendios rurales han sido históricamente uno de los principales factores de trasformación del paisaje en las regiones montañosas del interior de la Península Ibérica. Aunque la interacción del paisaje rural con los incendios a lo largo del siglo XX se haya estudiado abundantemente en la Península Ibérica, el conocimiento histórico a largo plazo es limitado, pero podría proporcionar un contexto valioso para comprender la resiliencia de los paisajes. El Sistema Central es una región natural que comienza en la Serra da Estrela, en Portugal, y termina en la Sierra de Ayllón, en España, sobrepasando las fronteras político-administrativas existentes. Asimismo, sus dos extremos presentan características semejantes por formar la misma región, pero sus contextos sociopolíticos son diferentes. El objetivo principal de esta tesis es incrementar el entendimiento de los regímenes del fuego a largo plazo y la dinámica del paisaje rural en los dos extremos del Sistema Central, profundizando en la hipótesis de que el paisaje y el fuego interactúan como componentes de un sistema socioecológico, y que, cuando ese sistema socioecológico se desestabiliza, la relación se altera y el riesgo de incendios se incrementa. Para ello, se ha recurrido a diversas técnicas metodológicas de geografía. En primer lugar, se ha procedido a un análisis comparativo entre los extremos oriental y occidental Sistema Central, en lo que se refiere a la interacción reciente entre los cambios en el paisaje y en el fuego, recurriendo sobre todo a métodos de análisis estadístico y espacial. Posteriormente, se ha reconstruido el registro histórico de incendios rurales y se ha analizado el uso del fuego en el marco del sistema rural tradicional previo a la institucionalización de la defensa contra incendios forestales y a las políticas de exclusión del fuego, comparando la Serra da Estrela y la Sierra de Ayllón y sus casos de estudio a nivel local .Para ello, se ha utilizado el método geohistórico, basado sobre todo en fuentes documentales y cartográficas. Por último, se ha profundizado a escala local de análisis en la Sierra de Ayllón, en lo que se refiere a la relación entre los cambios en el paisaje y la evolución del régimen de fuego, igualmente, con métodos de geografía histórica...Rural fires have historically been one of the main factors of landscape change in the inner mountain áreas of the Iberian Peninsula. Although the interaction of fire and rural landscape throughout the 20th century has been extensively studied in the Iberian Peninsula,long-term historical knowledge is limited and can provide a valuable context to understand landscape resilience.The Central Mountain System is a natural regional unit which go beyond the existing political-administrative boundaries. It begins in the Estrela massif, in Portugal, and it ends in the Ayllón massif, in Spain.These two massifs have similar landscape characteristics, although they are opposite located in the end of the Central Mountain System and with different socio-political contexts. The main objective of this thesis was to increase the understanding of long-term fire regimes and rural landscape dynamics at both ends of the Central Mountain System. We hypothesized that fire and landscape interact as components of a socio-ecological system, and once this socio-ecological system is disrupted that relationship is changed and the fire risk is maximized. Various methodologies of geography were used. First, a comparative analysis was carried out between the eastern and western ends of the Central Mountain System regarding the recent interaction between changes in the Landscape and fire, using mainly statistical and spatial analysis methods. Second, the Historical record of rural fires was reconstructed...Fac. de Geografía e HistoriaTRUEunpu

Fungi in archives, libraries, and museums: a review on paper conservation and human health

PTDC/EPH-PAT/0224/2014. POCI-01-0145-FEDER-PTDC/EPHPAT/3345/2014.The action of fungi on books, documents, maps, and works of art on paper can result in inestimable cultural losses. Plus, some of the fungi present in paper documents, surfaces and air from archives, libraries and museums are also a threat to human health. This work aims to review the literature on the most important and frequent microfungal populations found in paper-based collections all over the world, and correlate these data with human health risks. A total of 71 studies, dating between 1997 and 2018 were reviewed and organized. From 27 different countries, 207 fungal genera and 580 species were reported. Chaetomium sp. and Fusarium sp. were found to be special contaminants in the air of archives and have been associated with paper biodeterioration. The most common fungi reported (e.g. Penicillium, Aspergillus, and Alternaria species) have an impact on paper conservation but can also cause adverse human health effects. The most frequent fungal species retrieved from discoloured paper materials are discussed in greater detail. Considerations on methods of identification and quantification of fungal contamination are also presented. Finally, the authors acknowledge an urgent need for standardizing research in this area and further studies are proposed.publishersversionpublishe

Wildfire education: A review across the globe

Recent projections suggest that wildfires will occur more often and with higher intensity due to the changing climate. In this context, it is vital to educate the population to be ready and prepared to deal with these events. This book chapter reviews the state of the art of educational materials on wildfires worldwide that are available online. A total of 225 references on the matter were retrieved. The materials are from all five continents, involving 36 countries and written in 23 languages. Most of them are from regions with a Mediterranean climate with fire-prone ecosystems in which, for the last decades, wildfires have negatively affected the population. Regarding the target audience, most materials retrieved focused on the general public (about 48%), followed by students from various age groups (around 40%). Written documents, websites, and videos are the most frequent materials for the general public. As for students, a greater variability of pedagogical materials is available, ranging from mobile phone applications and digital and experimental activities to slides for classes and reading materials. The remaining materials focus on the rural population and firefighters’ training. Most references present the main concepts and ecological aspects of fire, along with safety and prevention measures. However, few discuss climate change, recovery, and socio-economic or health concerns. This gap should be addressed in the future wildfire educational materials to better prepare and inform society.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Study of rare familial monogenic dyslipidemias

A dislipidemia é um distúrbio do perfil lipídico, seja por elevação ou diminuição de partículas lipídicas. O objetivo deste trabalho é fazer uma revisão dos casos com dislipidemia rara em estudo no Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge, apresentando os dados clínicos e moleculares mais relevantes. O perfil lipídico foi determinado para cada caso índex e familiares e o estudo molecular dos genes envolvidos foi realizado por amplificação por PCR e sequenciação de Sanger. Foram estudados, ou está em curso o estudo, de 14 casos índex com os seguintes diagnósticos clínicos: Deficiência familiar em lipoproteína lípase (3), Lipodistrofia familiar parcial de Dunningan Tipo 2 (1), Deficiência em lípase ácida lisossomal (3), Abeta/hipobetalipoproteinemia (2), Deficiência em HDL (1), Hipertrigliceridemia autossómica recessiva (3), Sitosterolemia (1). O fenótipo clínico de cada caso índex é variável dependendo de cada condição. Foi encontrada a causa genética da doença em 8/14 doentes, estando os restantes ainda em estudo. Doentes com as várias dislipidemias raras apresentadas têm um risco acrescido de ter outras doenças graves como pancreatite, doença cardiovascular ou complicações neurológicas e devem, por esta razão, ser identificados o mais precocemente possível, de forma a minimizar ou prevenir os efeitos nefastos destas condições.Dyslipidemia is a disorder of lipid metabolism, characterized by either an increase or decrease in lipid particles. The aim of this study is to review all cases with rare dyslipidemia, studied in the National Health Institute of Portugal, presenting the most relevant clinical and molecular data. Lipid profile was determined for each index case and relatives, and molecular analysis of the genes involved was performed by PCR amplification and Sanger sequencing. This study includes 14 index cases, with the following clinical diagnoses: Familial lipoprotein lipase deficiency (3), Familial partial lipodystrophy, Dunningan Type 2 (1), Lysosomal acid lipase deficiency (3), Abeta / hypobetalipoproteinemia (2), HDL deficiency (1), Autosomal recessive hypertriglyceridemia (3), Sitosterolaemia (1). The clinical phenotype of each index case varies depending on each condition. It was possible to find the genetic cause of the disease in 8/14 patients, and the remaining are still under study. Patients with the rare dyslipidemias presented have an increased risk of having other serious disorders such as pancreatitis, cardiovascular disease or neurological complications and should, therefore, be identified as early as possible in order to minimize or prevent the adverse effects of these conditions

CD4+ and CD8+ cell populations in HIV-positive women with cervical squamous intra-epithelial lesions and squamous cell carcinoma

Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Ltd.INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to analyse cervix lymphocytic populations in HIV + and HIV- patients and correlate different cervical lesions with HIV viral load and presence of high-risk HPV types. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 132 histological specimens from 40 HIV + and 72 HIV- patients were evaluated for CD4+ and CD8+ T cell distribution, presence of high-risk HPV types, peripheral blood HIV viral load and CD4+/CD8+ ratio. RESULTS: High-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) from HIV + patients had lower CD4+ T cell scores compared with HIV- patients. In all lesion groups, HIV + patients presented higher epithelial and stromal CD8+ T cell scores. HIV viral load was more often detectable in patients with SCC than in those with low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL) (p = 0.0409). HSIL HIV + patients had lower circulating CD4+ T cell counts (p = 0.0434) and CD4+/CD8+ ratio (p = 0.0378) compared with LSIL HIV + patients. High-risk HPV types other than 16 and 18/45 were more prevalent in the HIV + group. DISCUSSION: These results support an imbalance between cervical CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes of HIV + patients with SIL and SCC, with increased CD8+ infiltrate density with lesion severity, even in patients with immune system recovery under cART.proofpublishe

Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cervical squamous cell carcinoma of HIV-infected and non-infected patients

Funding: Open access funding provided by FCT|FCCN (b-on).Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) is overexpressed in cervical carcinoma, hindering tumor destruction. The aim of this study was to assess PD-L1 expression by immunohistochemistry in cervical squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and squamous intraepithelial lesions (SILs) from human immunodeficiency virus–positive (HIV+) and human immunodeficiency virus-negative (HIV-) patients. A total of 166 SCC and SIL samples of HIV+ and HIV- patients were included and analyzed for PD-L1 expression through tumor proportion score (TPS), and results were stratified in five TPS groups using SP263 antibody and, combined positive score (CPS) using 22C3 antibody. In cohort 1 (SP263 clone), all HIV+ patients were negative for intraepithelial lesion or malignancy (NILM), and low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSILs) scored 1), which may be due to some samples being archival material, sample characteristics, or use of different methodologies, highlighting the need for standardization of PD-L1 assessment in SCC of the cervix. The fact that PD-L1 is overexpressed in SILs of HIV+ patients suggests potential additional applications for immunotherapy in this disease.publishersversionepub_ahead_of_prin