Melhoramento das plantas e da qualidade dos produtos de Arbutus unedo L. para o sector agro-florestal

Comunicação oral da qual só está disponível o resumo.Melhoramento das plantas e da qualidade dos produtos de Arbutus unedo L. para o sector agro-florestal

Ploidy stability in embryogenic cultures and regenerated plantlets of tamarillo

Ploidy levels of short-term (1 and 2 years) and long-term (7 and 10 years) embryogenic cultures as well as of regenerated plantlets of tamarillo were analyzed by flow cytometry and chromosome counts. Embryogenic cultures were induced from expanding leaves cultured in the presence of Picloram or 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and monthly subcultured on the same media. Embryo development and plantlets were obtained following subculture of the embryogenic tissue in auxin free medium containing gibberellic acid (GA3). Seedlings and rooted shoots from axillary shoot proliferation were used as controls. The results showed that in long-term embryogenic cultures the ability to develop somatic embryos and plantlets was reduced. Embryogenic tissues maintained for 10 years were mostly aneuploids of the tetraploid (2n = 4x = 48) level whereas those kept in culture for 7 years or less were also mostly aneuploids but of the diploid (2n = 2x = 24) level. The results obtained by flow cytometry were, in general, consistent with those obtained by chromosome counts. The chromosome alteration observed in the embryogenic tissues was already present after 1 year of culture and increased with culture age, hence impairing the maintenance of these tissues for long periods without affecting chromosome stability of the regenerated plantlets. However, the occurrence of triploids and tetraploids as well as aneuploids can be useful for breeding purposes. A value around 23 pg/2C was found for the genome size of tamarillo largely exceeding the value previously published (15.50 pg/2C).This work was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT)

Stochastic petri-net models to predict the degradation of ceramic claddings

A stochastic Petri-net formalism is proposed to predict the degradation of ceramic claddings over time in order to understand how different environmental exposure conditions contribute to the overall degradation of these claddings. For that purpose, the degradation condition of 195 ceramic claddings located in Lisbon, Portugal, is evaluated through in situ visual inspections. In the first part of the study, a stochastic deterioration Petri-net model is proposed for the entire sample. In the second part, the original sample is divided according to the environmental exposure conditions, evaluating the influence of these conditions on the deterioration process of ceramic claddings. Four main degradation agents are analyzed: exposure to moisture; distance from the sea; orientation; and wind–rain action. The results reveal that Petri nets can accurately describe the deterioration process of ceramic claddings, providing relevant information regarding the performance of these claddings through their life cycle and according to the environmental exposure conditions to which they are subject. These results are extremely relevant for different practitioners: the approach allows the adoption of more sustainable and durable solutions at the design stage, as well as improving the durability of the ceramic claddings by performing optimized maintenance plans and strategies

Massachusetts Innovative Action to Support those Aging with an Intellectual or Developmental Disability (IDD)

People with an Intellectual or Developmental Disability (IDD) may experience complex age-related issues, including dementia-related disorders, at earlier ages than the general population. To address changing needs, the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services (DDS) formed a multidisciplinary workgroup of disability and aging-related public and private agency partners. The workgroup explored key areas of age-related needs, including end of life care and services; screenings for onset of age-associated changes and conditions; and innovative models and resources to support aging in community settings

The Arena: An indoor mixed reality space

ln this paper, we introduce the Arena, an indoor space for mobile mixed reality interaction. The Arena includes a new user tracking system appropriate for AR/MR applications and a new Too/kit oriented to the augmented and mixed reality applications developer, the MX Too/kit. This too/kit is defined at a somewhat higher abstraction levei, by hiding from the programmer low-level implementation details and facilitating ARJMR object-oriented programming. The system handles, uniformly, video input, video output (for headsets and monitors), sound aurelisation and Multimodal Human-Computer Interaction in ARJMR, including, tangible interfaces, speech recognition and gesture recognition.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Um Caso Único de Hemorragia Digestiva Alta Recorrente Causada por Duas Lesões de Dieulafoy Metácronas: a Importância da Avaliação por Ecoendoscopia

Introduction: Dieulafoy's lesion (DL) is a rare but important cause of acute, severe, life-threatening, and recurrent upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB). It is frequently difficult to diagnose DL with upper GI endoscopy (UGIE), and endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) may be valuable. There are only 2 reported bleeding cases caused by two synchronous DL but no reported cases of two metachronous DL. Case report: A 28-year-old healthy male presented with acute severe UGIB. UGIE was inconclusive. Systematic EUS mapping identified a gastric DL. After several attempts of EUS-guided hemostasis, DL was marked using a through-the-scope clip and the patient underwent successful transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE). Three years later, a new severe UGIB episode was caused by a second gastric DL in a different location, which was identified and marked by EUS and further successfully treated through TAE. The patient maintained follow-up without evidence of further bleeding. Discussion/conclusion: The authors report a unique case of severe, recurrent UGIB caused by two metachronous gastric DL lesions. The importance of systematic EUS scanning for diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of DL is emphasized, as well as the potential influence in the outcome of other techniques like angiographic embolization.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Psicopatologia e encefalopatia hepática

Desde Hipócrates que as alterações psiquiátricas causadas por doença hepática têm fascinado os médicos, mas só em finais do século XIX é que Marcel Nencki e Ivan Pavlov sugeriram a relação entre o aumento de concentração de amónia e a Encefalopatia Hepática (EH). O fruto da reacção entre a amónia e o glutamato (a glutamina, verdadeiro “Cavalo de Tróia da neurotoxidade da amónia”) continua sendo considerado o principal responsável pelas lesões neurológicas, confirmadas recentemente através de estudos de neuroquímica e de neuroimagiologia. A glutamina espoleta processos inflamatórios a nível do sistema nervoso central para os quais parecem também contribuir o manganésio, e os sistemas neurotransmissores gabaérgico e endocanabinóides. Actualmente consideram-se três grandes grupos etiológicos, qualitativos, de EH: tipo A associada a falência hepática aguda; tipo B associada a bypass porto-sistémico; e tipo C associada a insuficiência hepática crónica por cirrose. Quanto ao estadiamento clínico, este ainda se baseia no sistema West Haven, mas com a novidade da introdução de um Grau 0 pré-clínico (a chamada EH Mínima); à medida que agrava a EH pode ser quantificada entre o Grau 1 (com alterações subtis ao exame médico), e o Grau 4 (onde se instala o estado comatoso). Neste trabalho pretende-se fazer uma revisão bibliográfica de 30 artigos recentes, que focam os vários aspectos psicopatológicos, fisiopatológicos, etiológicos e de estadiamento nesta entidade clínica transversal à Psiquiatria e à Gastrenterologia. São descritas a nível da vigilidade e consciência: a desorientação no tempo, espaço e pessoa. Ao nível da atenção, concentração e memória há alteração dos testes neuropsicológicos logo na fase pré-clínica. O humor pode oscilar entre o eufórico e o depressivo. As alterações da personalidade podem instalar-se de forma óbvia e abrupta ou de forma subtil e insidiosa. Na percepção há alucinações visuais mas também acústico-verbais. O pensamento pode ser delirante paranóide, sistematizado ou não. O discurso poderá estar acelerado, lentificado ou imperceptível. O insight surge prejudicado na EH Mínima, nomeadamente para a capacidade de condução de veículos. Na vida instintiva, várias perturbações de sono atingem metade dos doentes com EH; o apetite surge diminuído mas foi descrito pelo menos um caso de pica; enquanto que a libido poderá parecer aumentada em contexto de uma desinibição semelhante à verificada nas lesões do lobo pré-frontal

Design of a high power production target for the Beam Dump Facility at CERN

The Beam Dump Facility (BDF) project is a proposed general-purpose facility at CERN, dedicated to beam dump and fixed target experiments. In its initial phase, the facility is foreseen to be exploited by the Search for Hidden Particles (SHiP) experiment. Physics requirements call for a pulsed 400 GeV/c proton beam as well as the highest possible number of protons on target (POT) each year of operation, in order to search for feebly interacting particles. The target/dump assembly lies at the heart of the facility, with the aim of safely absorbing the full high intensity Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS) beam, while maximizing the production of charmed and beauty mesons. High-Z materials are required for the target/dump, in order to have the shortest possible absorber and reduce muon background for the downstream experiment. The high average power deposited on target (305 kW) creates a challenge for heat removal. During the BDF facility Comprehensive Design Study (CDS), launched by CERN in 2016, extensive studies have been carried out in order to define and assess the target assembly design. These studies are described in the present contribution, which details the proposed design of the BDF production target, as well as the material selection process and the optimization of the target configuration and beam dilution. One of the specific challenges and novelty of this work is the need to consider new target materials, such as a molybdenum alloy (TZM) as core absorbing material and Ta2.5W as cladding. Thermo-structural and fluid dynamics calculations have been performed to evaluate the reliability of the target and its cooling system under beam operation. In the framework of the target comprehensive design, a preliminary mechanical design of the full target assembly has also been carried out, assessing the feasibility of the whole target system.Comment: 17 pages, 18 figure

Stochastic petri net-based modeling of the durability of renderings

In this study, a methodology to model and predict the life-cycle performance of building façades based on Stochastic Petri Nets is proposed. The proposed model evaluates the performance of rendered façades over time, evaluating the uncertainty of the future performance of these coatings. The performance of rendered façades is evaluated based on a discrete qualitative scale composed of five condition levels, established according to the physical and visual degradation of these elements. In this study, the deterioration is modelled considering that the transition times between these condition states can be modelled as a random variable with different distributions. For that purpose, a Stochastic Petri Nets model is used, as a formal framework to describe this problem. The model’s validation is based on probabilistic indicators of performance, computed using Monte- Carlo simulation and the probability distribution parameters leading to better fit are defined as those maximizing the likelihood, computed using Genetic Algorithm. In this study, a sample of 99 rendered façades, located in Portugal, is analysed, and the degradation condition of each case study is evaluated through in-situ visual inspections. The model proposed allows evaluating: i) the transition rate between degradation conditions; ii) the probability of belonging to a given degradation condition over time; and iii) the mean time of permanence in each degradation condition. The use of Petri Nets shows to be more accurate than a more traditional approach based on Markov Chains, but also allows developing future research to consider different environmental conditions, maintenance actions or inspections, amongst other aspects of life-cycle analysis of existing assets

Reciprocal stream-riparian fluxes: effects of distinct exposure patterns on litter decomposition

Resource fluxes at the stream–riparian interface are a vital contributor to both systems’ energy budgets. The effect of distinct litter exposure patterns—direction of the riparia–stream movement and duration of exposure at each habitat—however, remains to be elucidated. In this field experiment, oak leaves in fine and coarse mesh bags were either exposed to a stream-to-riparia or riparia-to-stream movement sequence for distinct periods (2:6, 4:4, or 6:2 weeks). After 8 weeks, ash-free mass loss, microbial activity, and fungal biomass were compared in leaves undergoing inverse movement sequences (e.g., 2-week exposure to the riparian area at the beginning vs. end of the colonization period). Mass loss in coarse mesh bags was negatively affected when leaves were previously exposed to a short (2 weeks) terrestrial pre-conditioning period, despite higher microbial activity and fungal biomass, when compared to the inverse movement. This effect on mass loss was neutralized by longer terrestrial exposures that likely allowed for a more thorough conditioning of the leaves, through extended leaching and terrestrial microbial colonization. Our results suggest that terrestrial pre-conditioning periods of < 2 weeks lead to litter-quality legacy effects in tough leaves, to which aquatic communities respond through lower substrate degradation efficiency, hindering stream decomposition. Contrastingly, oak aquatic pre-conditioning, regardless of duration, provides riparian communities with a high-quality resource, promoting litter processing through grazing behavior. As climate-induced hydrological shifts may result in altered provision/quality of detritus subsidies at the stream–riparia interface, we suggest that assessments of decomposition dynamics should consider the entire litter conditioning history