Evidence that the degree of band 3 phosphorylation modulates human erythrocytes nitric oxide efflux – in vitro model of hyperfibrinogenemia

© 2011 – IOS Press and the authors. All rights reservedRecent evidence has shown that plasma fibrinogen, a major cardiovascular risk factor, interacts with the erythrocyte membrane and acts to influence blood flow via erythrocyte nitric oxide (NO) modulation. In the present pioneer in-vitro study, whole blood samples were harvested from healthy subjects and aliquots were incubated in the absence (control aliquots) and presence of fibrinogen at different degrees of band 3 phosphorylation, and the levels of NO, nitrite, nitrate and S-nitroglutathione (GSNO) were determined. Hyperfibrinogenemia interferes with erythrocyte NO mobilization without changing its efflux in a way that seems to be dependent of the degree of band 3 phosphorylation. In presence of higher fibrinogen concentrations the NO efflux is reinforced when band 3 is phosphorylated (p < 0.001). Higher levels of nitrite, nitrate and GSNO were documented (p < 0.05). However, the mechanisms by which fibrinogen signalling modulates erythrocyte function remain to be clarified and are currently under study. These conditions may be considered an approach to be followed in blood storage for transfusions.This study was supported by grants from the FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (project reference PTDC/SAU-OSM/73449/2006

The rise and fall of adult community education in Portugal

In this article, we intend to reflect on community education in Portugal. We analyse the background of the emergence of community education in the aftermath of the revolution of 1974, examine the main reasons that contributed to its dissemination, and identify its characteristics. We present a case study that illustrates both the rise and the fall of community education. The original investigation was a multiple case study. To gather information, we used non-structured interviews, informal conversations, observation, and document analysis. To continue the original investigation, we used biographical research, which allowed us to obtain more data on some of the key individuals and, at the same time, to improve our knowledge of the communities. Our results show that the period between 1985 and 2005 (roughly) constituted a very important period for community education. National phenomena, European funding programmes, and a notion of adult education that was very close to popular education aided civil society organisations to work with communities with interesting results in terms of social change. After 2005, changes in European social policy, neoliberalism affecting the power of civil society, and a new version of adult education (influenced by lifelong learning) partially caused the fall of community education.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Simulação de dados meteorológicos para avaliação de impactos de mudanças climáticas na agricultura.

Neste trabalho foi utilizado o simulador climático LARS-WG. Esse simulador é baseado em um modelo semiempírico, ou seja, para o processo há a utilização de parâmetros estatísticos em sua formulação e também a necessidade de calibrações para as devidas aplicações

Desenvolvimento de um protótipo de pulverizador eletrohidrodinâmico. 2- Avaliação do seu comportamento no controle de trips (Enneothrips flavens) (Moulton, 1941) do amendoim (Arachis hypogaea L.).

Um prototipo de pulverizador eletrohidrodinamico foi comparado com um pulverizador com disco rotativo e com um pulverizador convencional, no controle de trips (Enneotrhips flavens, Moulton), atraves da aplicacao de deltamethrin em dois ensaios de campo. Os tres pulverizadores tiveram comportamento semelhante no controle do inseto, sendo que a producao de vagens do segundo nao mostrou diferencas estatisticas ao nivel de 5% de probabilidade entre os tres pulverizadores testados. O pulverizador eletrohidrodinamico mostrou vantagens logisticas devido ao menor volume de pulverizacao

Environmental comfort indicators for school buildings in sustainability assessment tools

Decades ago, the only requirement to construct a building was to give men the right conditions for the execution of their work or leisure activities. With the development of knowledge about the internal and external environments of buildings, other requirements have been added such as the issue of user comfort. New construction techniques have been incorporated and new products have been created to improve internal environment comfort. This research addressed the importance of using indicators related to environmental comfort in sustainability assessment tools applied to school buildings. It also considered the importance of environmental issues for the good performance of human beings, and the harmonious coexistence of the comfort indicators indoor air quality, thermal comfort, visual comfort, acoustic comfort and ergonomic comfort based on data gathered in research carried out with users of high schools (only students). This research was carried out in two different cities of different countries, Guimarães (Portugal) and Juiz de Fora (Brazil), that have similar characteristics of teaching standards and climate conditions (temperature and air humidity). In this study, interviews were made through questionnaires and, later, the information collected was analyzed. This study demonstrates the need to include an ergonomic indicator for school buildings in sustainability assessment tools.The corresponding author wants to thank: the teacher and Administrative Director of Francisco de Holanda High School, Abílio Ferreira, for showing me the school and giving all the necessary information, always with great attention; Parque Escolar Company (EPE) for supplying the necessary material for the execution of the work; and Mrs. Catarina Araujo for helping me in the conception of this article. This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio