Improving the learning experience and learning environment of adults in Higher Education – Project LIHE: the Portuguese case

Project LIHE: the Portuguese Case. ESREA Fourth Access Network Conference – “Equity, Access and Participation: Research, Policy and Practice”. Edinburgh (Scotland), 11 – 13 December, 2003.The promotion of a knowledge-based society needs, on one hand, technological infrastructure and, on the other hand, a workforce with the necessary skills, knowledge and competences, supported by a well-structured initial education and by a continuous learning program. In the last years, Universities have opened their doors to all citizens, regardless of their status or origin, if they have the capacity to benefit from the educational services on offer. This strategy has allowed mature students to enter (or re-enter) the formal higher education system. Although these students may possess a richness of experience, they can also have difficulty in adapting to the pedagogical approaches of learning and teaching and their attitudes and problems are not necessarily the same as those of traditional students. It is in this context that the project LIHE – Learning in Higher Education emerges. In this paper, the background of the project and the most relevant literature for the subject are briefly described. It is followed by a presentation of the project aims, objectives and methodological approaches. The Portuguese case is introduced, together with the results of questionnaires and interviews. Some preliminary conclusions are outlined. Finally, avenues of future research are discusse

Extensão de recomendação da cultivar de arroz de terras altas "BRS Soberana" para Goiás.

A BRS Soberana originou-se de um cruzamento triplo realizado pela Embrapa Arroz e Feijão, em 1990, envolvendo os genitores Cuiabana, CNAx 1235-8-3 e CNA 6673. A fim de compensar a redução da disponibilidade de sementes da BRS Primavera, a Embrapa Arroz e Feijão lançou uma nova cultivar de padrão próximo ao dela, a BRS Soberana, que se mostrara, inicialmente, melhor adaptada ao Estado do Mato Grosso.bitstream/CNPAF/21541/1/comt_73.pd

New sulphated flavonoids from Wissadula periplocifolia (L.) C. Presl (Malvaceae)

Wissadula periplocifolia (L.) C. Presl (Malvaceae) is commonly used in Brazil to treat bee stings and as an antiseptic. The antioxidant properties of its extracts have been previously demonstrated, thus justifying a phytochemical investigation for its bioactive phenolic constituents. This has yielded five new sulphated flavonoids: 8-O-sulphate isoscutellarein (yannin) (1a); 4'-O-methyl-7-O-sulphate isoscutellarein (beltraonin) (1b); 7-O-sulphate acacetin (wissadulin) (2a); 4'-O-methyl-8-O-sulphate isoscutellarein (caicoine) (2b) and 3'-O-methyl-8-O-sulphate hypolaetin (pedroin) (3b) along with the known flavonoids 7,4'-di-O-methyl-8-O-sulphate isoscutellarein (4), acacetin, apigenin, isoscutellarein, 4´-O-methyl isoscutellarein, 7,4'-di-O-methylisoscutellarein, astragalin and tiliroside. The compounds were isolated by column chromatography and identified by NMR (¹H, (13)C, HMQC, HMBC and COSY) and LC-HRMS. A cell based assay was carried out to evaluate the preliminary cytotoxic properties of the flavonoids against UVW glioma and PC-3M prostate cancer cells as well as non-tumour cell lines. The obtained results showed that acacetin, tiliroside, a mixture of acacetin + apigenin and the sulphated flavonoids 2a + 2b exhibited inhibitory activity against at least one of the cell lines tested. Among the tested flavonoids acacetin and tiliroside showed lower IC50 values, presenting promising antitumor effects

The Importance of Biodiversity E-infrastructures for Megadiverse Countries

Addressing the challenges of biodiversity conservation and sustainable development requires global cooperation, support structures, and new governance models to integrate diverse initiatives and achieve massive, open exchange of data, tools, and technology. The traditional paradigm of sharing scientific knowledge through publications is not sufficient to meet contemporary demands that require not only the results but also data, knowledge, and skills to analyze the data. E-infrastructures are key in facilitating access to data and providing the framework for collaboration. Here we discuss the importance of e-infrastructures of public interest and the lack of long-term funding policies. We present the example of Brazil’s speciesLink network, an e-infrastructure that provides free and open access to biodiversity primary data and associated tools. SpeciesLink currently integrates 382 datasets from 135 national institutions and 13 institutions from abroad, openly sharing ~7.4 million records, 94% of which are associated to voucher specimens. Just as important as the data is the network of data providers and users. In 2014, more than 95% of its users were from Brazil, demonstrating the importance of local e-infrastructures in enabling and promoting local use of biodiversity data and knowledge. From the outset, speciesLink has been sustained through project-based funding, normally public grants for 2–4-year periods. In between projects, there are short-term crises in trying to keep the system operational, a fact that has also been observed in global biodiversity portals, as well as in social and physical sciences platforms and even in computing services portals. In the last decade, the open access movement propelled the development of many web platforms for sharing data. Adequate policies unfortunately did not follow the same tempo, and now many initiatives may perish

Estudo de acessibilidade em habitação econômica na cidade de João Pessoa/PB / Study of accessibility in economic housing in the city of João Pessoa/PB

Este artigo apesenta uma possível abordagem sobre a acessibilidade na arquitetura, análise e avaliação, como desdobramento do projeto de extensão: “Readequação Habitacional à Pessoas com Deficiência na Cidade de João Pessoa-PB”. O projeto, que vem sendo desenvolvido no Centro Universitário de João Pessoa- UNIPÊ, avalia os limites e possibilidades do espaço construído no que se refere à adaptação de uma habitação a um usuário específico que adquiriu deficiência motora. Os procedimentos metodológicos aplicados no desenvolvimento do trabalho consistem em selecionar o paciente que tenha adquirido deficiência e que utilize os recursos terapêuticos oferecidos pela Clínica Escola de Fisioterapia do UNIPÊ, buscando compreender as limitações desses pacientes, aplicando as normas técnicas específicas ao caso e fornecendo ajuda técnica para uma possível adequação do ambiente residencial. O trabalho desenvolvido foi auxiliado pelos levantamentos espaciais e fotográficos, e da observação entre os dados antropométricos e sua relação com a habitação. Ao final, ressaltamos as dificuldades em tratar de ambientes construídos tão limitados – espaços diminutos de habitação econômica – além da importância de um diagnóstico de interação espaço e usuário

Cellular and tissue effects induced by Photogem® and red LED in photodynamic therapy

In order to consider the photodynamic therapy (PDT) as a clinical treatment for candidosis, it is necessary to know its cytotoxic effect on normal cells and tissues. Therefore, this study evaluated the toxicity of PDT with Photogem® associated with red light-emitting diode (LED) on L929 and MDPC-23 cell cultures and healthy rat palatal mucosa. In the in vitro experiment, the cells (30000 cells/cm2) were seeded in 24-well plates for 48 h, incubated with Photogem® (50, 100, or 150 mg/l) and either irradiated or not with a red LED source (630 ± 3 nm; 75 or 100 J/cm2; 22 mW/cm2). Cell metabolism was evaluated by the MTT assay (ANOVA and Dunnet’s post hoc tests; p < 0.05) and cell morphology was examined by scanning electron microscopy. In the in vivo evaluation, Photogem® (500 mg/l) was applied to the palatal mucosa of Wistar rats during 30 min and exposed to red LED (630 nm) during 20 min (306 J/cm2). The palatal mucosa was photographed for macroscopic analysis at 0, 1, 3, and 7 days posttreatment and subjected to histological analysis after sacrifice of the rats. For both cell lines, there was a statistically significant decrease of the mitochondrial activity (90-97%) for all Photogem® concentrations associated with red LED regardless of the energy density. However, in the in vivo evaluation, the PDT-treated groups presented intact mucosa with normal characteristics both macroscopically and histologically. From these results, it may be concluded that the association of Photogem® and red LED caused severe toxic effects on normal cell cultures, characterized by the reduction of mitochondrial activity and morphological alterations, but did not cause damage to the rat palatal mucosa in vivo.FAPESP (07/04376-4

Nutritional stress enhances cell viability of odontoblast-like cells subjected to low level laser irradiation

In spite of knowing that cells under stress are biostimulated by low level laser (LLL) irradiation, the ideal condition of stress to different cell lines has not yet been established. Consequently, the aim of the present in vitro study was to evaluate the effects of a defined parameter of LLL irradiation applied on stressed odontoblast-like pulp cells (MDPC-23). The cells were seeded (12500 cells/cm2) in wells of 24-well plates using complete culture medium (DMEM) and incubated for 24 hours. Then, the DMEM was replaced by a new medium with low concentrations (nutritional stress condition) of fetal bovine serum (FBS) giving rise to the following experimental groups: G1: 2% FBS; G2: 5% FBS; and G3: 10% FBS. The cells were irradiated three times with LLL in specific parameters (808±3 nm, 100 mW, 1.5 J/cm2) every 24 hours. No irradiation was carried out in groups G4 (2% FBS-Control), G5 (5% FBS-Control), and G6 (10% FBS-Control). For all groups, the cell metabolism (MTT assay) and morphology (SEM) was evaluated. The experimental groups showed enhanced cell metabolism and normal cell morphology regardless of FBS concentration. A slight increase in the cell metabolism was observed only in group G2. It was concluded that cell nutritional stress caused by reducing the concentration of FBS to 5% is the most suitable method to assess the biostimulation of LLL irradiated MDPC-23 cells.FAPESP (07/50646-3, 08/08424-6, and 08/54785-0)CNPq (476137/2006, 301029/2007-5

BRS Aroma: cultivar de arroz de terras altas de grãos aromáticos.

A BRS Aroma originou-se de um cruzamento múltiplo que envolveu a combinação de dois híbridos simples. Em um deles foi envolvida uma fonte de resistência à brusone, a "Basmati 370", conhecida também pelas suas características aromáticas e, no outro, a Leboneet, cultivar de arroz irrigado americana, de reconhecida qualidade culinária.bitstream/CNPAF/21534/1/comt_71.pd

Ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological study of medicinal plants used by a traditional community in Brazil's northeastern.

The aim of this research is to make a survey of the socio-environmental characteristics and the ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used in a traditional community in the Brazilian Northeast, Alagoas. The study was made based on visits with the application of a questionnaire with questions related to the socio-economic element and on the diversity of plants used in herbal medicine. The research was made from March/2019 to February/2020, where families and interviewed plant exhibitors were interviewed for botanical identification. The studied community, which were 24 interviewees, was compiled by residents of the Quilombola community from Pau D?arco in Arapiraca city - Alagoas. Residents interviewed, 15 (62.5%) attended between 56 to 80 years, 11 interviewees about 46% were born in the community and 13 (54%) had a fundamentally incomplete nature. At the end, there were mentioned 30 plant species used for phytotherapeutic purposes, from which presents bigger usage as plants against arterial hypertension (Salvia rosmarinus Schleid), diabetes Mellitos (Croton heliotropiifolius Kunth), pain and inflammation (Alternanthera tenella Colla), present the biggest number of species in the community. The species cited are related to numerous medicinal uses, among which there will be predominant associations associated with cardiovascular and inflammatory processes. The tea is the main way of preparing plants. It is perceived that medicinal plants are only widely used by this Quilombola community of and growth of the crops in the backyard are considered a tradition. Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo realizar um levantamento das características socioambientais e estudo etnobotânico de plantas medicinais utilizadas por uma comunidade tradicional do nordeste brasileiro, Alagoas, Brasil. O estudo se deu por meio de visitas com aplicação de um questionário contendo perguntas relacionadas aos fatores socio-econômicos e sobre a diversidade das plantas utilizadas como medicinais. O trabalho foi realizado no período de março/2019 a fevereiro/2020, onde foram entrevistadas famílias e catalogadas amostras de plantas para identificação botânica. A população estudada, com 24 entrevistados, foi composta por moradores da comunidade Quilombola Pau Darco da cidade de Arapiraca - Alagoas. Dos moradores entrevistados, 15 (62,5%) apresentavam idade entre 56 e 80 anos, 11 dos entrevistados cerca de 46%, são naturais da comunidade e 13 (54%) possuíam ensino fundamental incompleto. Ao todo, foram citadas 30 espécies de plantas utilizadas para fins terapêuticos, das quais apresentam maior utilização as plantas contra a hipertensão arterial (Salvia rosmarinus Schleid), diabetes Mellitos (Croton heliotropiifolius Kunth), dor e inflamação (Alternanthera tenella Colla). As espécies citadas estão relacionadas a inúmeras utilizações medicinais, entre os quais predominaram as doenças associadas ao aparelho cardiovascular e processos inflamatórios. O chá é principal forma de preparo das plantas. Percebe-se que as plantas medicinais são amplamente utilizadas por essa comunidade quilombola e o cultivo no quintal é considerado uma tradição