Se museu é para todos porque é que não o vejo? : pessoas com deficiência visual nos museus de arte portugueses

Questões como a Igualdade de Direitos, Reabilitação, Inclusão e Acessibilidade para pessoas com deficiência são referidas desde 1948 – Declaração Universal dos Direitos Humanos. No entanto, foi no ano de 2003 assinalado como o Ano Europeu das Pessoas Com Deficiência, que aconteceram os primeiros passos para uma Sociedade de Todos e para Todos, através da criação de um plano de ação europeu designado de Igualdade de Oportunidades para as Pessoas com Deficiência, que obrigava os países inseridos na comissão a melhorarem as políticas de integração económico-sociais das pessoas com deficiência (até 2010). Em Portugal ocorreram algumas mudanças, nomeadamente na eliminação de barreiras arquitetónicas em espaços públicos – Museus – e na mobilidade nos transportes públicos. Todavia, o foco principal dessas foram as pessoas com mobilidade reduzida, excluindo assim as restantes deficiências existentes. No que respeita à acessibilidade de pessoas com deficiência visual, sobretudo no campo cultural, ainda há um longo percurso a percorer, aspecto que motivou o tema da presente dissertação. Posto isto, a dissertação será dividida em duas partes. Na primeira pretende-se defenir o conceito de deficiência e de deficiência visual, em paralelo com a interpretação do panorama legal, nacional e internacional, sobre a acessibilidade sociocultural. Consequentemente, na segunda parte aborda-se os casos de estudo, onde se analisa a acessibilidade do espólio e espaço arquitetónico dos mesmos.Issues such as Equal Rights, Rehabilitation, Inclusion and Accessibility for people with disabilities are referred to since 1948 - Universal Declaration of Human Rights. However, it is in 2003, declared the European Year of People with Disabilities, that the first steps are being taken towards a Society of All and for All. By creating a European Action Plan entitled Equal Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities, which obliged the countries included in the committee, to improve the economic and social integration policies of people with disabilities (by 2010). In Portugal, there have been some changes in the elimination of architectural barriers in public spaces - Museums - and in mobility in public transport. However, these had as their main focus the people with reduced mobility, thus excluding the great role of existing deficiencies. Regarding the accessibility of visually impaired people, especially in the cultural field, there is still much to be done, and the theme of this dissertation has emerged. The dissertation will be divided into two parts. The first defines the concept of disability and visual impairment in parallel with the interpretation of the national and international legal panorama on socio-cultural accessibility. Consequently, the second part was devoted to case studies, which deal with the accessibility of the plunder and estabelicimento, what projects were carried out and what was necessary to reach the ends, as well as the future prospects

miRNAs mediate SnRK1-dependent energy signaling in Arabidopsis

The SnRK1 protein kinase, the plant ortholog of mammalian AMPK and yeast Snf1, is activated by the energy depletion caused by adverse environmental conditions. Upon activation, SnRK1 triggers extensive transcriptional changes to restore homeostasis and promote stress tolerance and survival partly through the inhibition of anabolism and the activation of catabolism. Despite the identification of a few bZIP transcription factors as downstream effectors, the mechanisms underlying gene regulation, and in particular gene repression by SnRK1, remain mostly unknown. microRNAs (miRNAs) are 20-24 nt RNAs that regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally by driving the cleavage and/or translation attenuation of complementary mRNA targets. In addition to their role in plant development, mounting evidence implicates miRNAs in the response to environmental stress. Given the involvement of miRNAs in stress responses and the fact that some of the SnRK1-regulated genes are miRNA targets, we postulated that miRNAs drive part of the transcriptional reprogramming triggered by SnRK1. By comparing the transcriptional response to energy deprivation between WT and dcl1-9, a mutant deficient in miRNA biogenesis, we identified 831 starvation genes misregulated in the dcl1-9 mutant, out of which 155 are validated or predicted miRNA targets. Functional clustering analysis revealed that the main cellular processes potentially co-regulated by SnRK1 and miRNAs are translation and organelle function and uncover TCP transcription factors as one of the most highly enriched functional clusters. TCP repression during energy deprivation was impaired in miR319 knockdown (MIM319) plants, demonstrating the involvement of miR319 in the stress-dependent regulation of TCPs. Altogether, our data indicates that miRNAs are components of the SnRK1 signaling cascade contributing to the regulation of specific mRNA targets and possibly tuning down particular cellular processes during the stress response.FCT fellowships: (SFRH/BPD/47280/2008, SFRH/BD/33563/2008), EMBOLong-Term Fellowship, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Award, Max Planck Society funds, Marie Curie IRG grant, EMBO Installation grant (FCT), Marie Curie Actions FP7-People-2010-ITN

HOS1 promotes plant tolerance to low-energy stress via the SnRK1 protein kinase

Funding Information: We thank Vera Nunes from the IGC Model Organism Unit/Plant Facility for excellent plant management and Filip Rolland for kindly providing the and lines. This work was supported by FCT ‐ Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P., through GREEN‐IT ‐ Bioresources for Sustainability R&D Unit (UIDB/04551/2020, UIDP/04551/2020), by the LS4FUTURE Associated Laboratory (LA/P/0087/2020, PTDC/BIA‐FBT/4942/2020, LISBOA‐01‐0145‐FEDER‐028128, PTDC/BIA‐BID/32347/2017, EXPL/ASP‐AGR/1329/2021, 2022.08339.PTDC, SFRH/BPD/116116/2016 [LM], PD/BD/114361/2016 [BP], and 2020.03177.CEECIND [EBG]), and by the European Union Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (Grant Agreement number: 867426 — ABA GrowthBalance — H2020‐WF‐2018‐2020/H2020‐WF‐01‐2018, awarded to BBP). NLS‐SnRK1α1 βMYR‐SnRK1α1 Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Authors. The Plant Journal published by Society for Experimental Biology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.Plants need to integrate internal and environmental signals to mount adequate stress responses. The NUCLEAR PORE COMPLEX (NPC) component HIGH EXPRESSION OF OSMOTICALLY RESPONSIVE GENES 1 (HOS1) is emerging as such an integrator, affecting responses to cold, heat, light, and salinity. Stress conditions often converge in a low-energy signal that activates SUCROSE NON-FERMENTING 1-RELATED KINASE 1 (SnRK1) to promote stress tolerance and survival. Here, we explored the role of HOS1 in the SnRK1-dependent response to low-energy stress in Arabidopsis thaliana, using darkness as a treatment and a combination of genetic, biochemical, and phenotypic assays. We show that the induction of starvation genes and plant tolerance to prolonged darkness are defective in the hos1 mutant. HOS1 interacts physically with the SnRK1α1 catalytic subunit in yeast two-hybrid assays and in planta, and the nuclear accumulation of SnRK1α1 is reduced in the hos1 mutant. Likewise, another NPC mutant, nup160, exhibits lower activation of starvation genes and decreased tolerance to prolonged darkness. Importantly, defects in low-energy responses in the hos1 background are rescued by fusing SnRK1α1 to a potent nuclear localization signal or by sugar supplementation during the dark treatment. Altogether, this work demonstrates the importance of HOS1 for the nuclear accumulation of SnRK1α1, which is key for plant tolerance to low-energy conditions.publishersversionpublishe

Dissection of miRNA Pathways Using Arabidopsis Mesophyll Protoplasts

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) control gene expression mostly post-transcriptionally by guiding transcript cleavage and/or translational repression of complementary mRNA targets, thereby regulating developmental processes and stress responses. Despite the remarkable expansion of the field, the mechanisms underlying miRNA activity are not fully understood. In this article, we describe a transient expression system in Arabidopsis mesophyll protoplasts, which is highly amenable for the dissection of miRNA pathways. We show that by transiently overexpressing primary miRNAs and target mimics, we can manipulate miRNA levels and consequently impact on their targets. Furthermore, we developed a set of luciferase-based sensors for quantifying miRNA activity that respond specifically to both endogenous and overexpressed miRNAs and target mimics. We demonstrate that these miRNA sensors can be used to test the impact of putative components of the miRNA pathway on miRNA activity, as well as the impact of specific mutations, by either overexpression or the use of protoplasts from the corresponding mutants. We further show that our miRNA sensors can be used for investigating the effect of chemicals on miRNA activity. Our cell-based transient expression system is fast and easy to set up, and generates quantitative results, being a powerful tool for assaying miRNA activity in vivo.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia fellowships: (SFRH/BD/33563/2008, SFRH/BPD/47280/2008, SFRH/BPD/79255/2011) and grant: (PTCD/BIA-BCM/107924/2008); EMBO fellowship & EMBO Installation program; Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft grant: (SPP1530); Max Planck Society grant

Temporal Control of Leaf Complexity by miRNA-Regulated Licensing of Protein Complexes

The tremendous diversity of leaf shapes has caught the attention of naturalists for centuries. In addition to interspecific and intraspecific differences, leaf morphologies may differ in single plants according to age, a phenomenon known as heteroblasty. In Arabidopsis thaliana, the progression from the juvenile to the adult phase is characterized by increased leaf serration. A similar trend is seen in species with more complex leaves, such as the A. thaliana relative Cardamine hirsuta, in which the number of leaflets per leaf increases with age. Although the genetic changes that led to the overall simpler leaf architecture in A. thaliana are increasingly well understood, less is known about the events underlying age-dependent changes within single plants, in either A. thaliana or C. hirsuta. Here, we describe a conserved miRNA transcription factor regulon responsible for an age-dependent increase in leaf complexity. In early leaves, miR319-targeted TCP transcription factors interfere with the function of miR164-dependent and miR164-independent CUC proteins, preventing the formation of serrations in A. thaliana and of leaflets in C. hirsuta. As plants age, accumulation of miR156-regulated SPLs acts as a timing cue that destabilizes TCP-CUC interactions. The destabilization licenses activation of CUC protein complexes and thereby the gradual increase of leaf complexity in the newly formed organs. These findings point to posttranslational interaction between unrelated miRNA-targeted transcription factors as a core feature of these regulatory circuits.European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) fellowship; Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia fellowships; EMBO Installation Grant; National Natural Science Foundation of China grants: (31222029, 912173023); State Key Basic Research Program of China grant: (2013CB127000); Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft grants: (SPP1530 and a Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Award); Max Planck Society

Auxin Influx Carriers Control Vascular Patterning and Xylem Differentiation in Arabidopsis thaliana

Auxin is an essential hormone for plant growth and development. Auxin influx carriers AUX1/LAX transport auxin into the cell, while auxin efflux carriers PIN pump it out of the cell. It is well established that efflux carriers play an important role in the shoot vascular patterning, yet the contribution of influx carriers to the shoot vasculature remains unknown. Here, we combined theoretical and experimental approaches to decipher the role of auxin influx carriers in the patterning and differentiation of vascular tissues in the Arabidopsis inflorescence stem. Our theoretical analysis predicts that influx carriers facilitate periodic patterning and modulate the periodicity of auxin maxima. In agreement, we observed fewer and more spaced vascular bundles in quadruple mutants plants of the auxin influx carriers aux1lax1lax2lax3. Furthermore, we show AUX1/LAX carriers promote xylem differentiation in both the shoot and the root tissues. Influx carriers increase cytoplasmic auxin signaling, and thereby differentiation. In addition to this cytoplasmic role of auxin, our computational simulations propose a role for extracellular auxin as an inhibitor of xylem differentiation. Altogether, our study shows that auxin influx carriers AUX1/LAX regulate vascular patterning and differentiation in plants.Peer reviewe

A dependência petrolífera da Nigéria e o conflito do Delta do Níger

Dissertação de mestrado em Relações Internacionais (Estudos da Paz e da Segurança), apresentada à Faculdade de Economia da Universidade de Coimbra , sob a orientação de Carmen Amado Mendes.O conflito na região do Delta do Níger na Nigéria mantém-se desde a independência do país em 1960. A descoberta de enormes jazidas de petróleo na região veio intensificar o conflito, tornando-o cada vez mais violento, mas também bastante lucrativo para o Estado e para as multinacionais petrolíferas que o exploram. A ideia que emerge de toda a literatura sobre o assunto sugere que a Nigéria é extremamente dependente das receitas provenientes do petróleo, é um país assolado pela corrupção e pelas práticas de clientelismo. Através da análise de fatos relatados por organizações internacionais e por organizações não-governamentais, foi possível observar que em relação às reivindicações da população do Delta do Níger, a posição do Estado durante todo os anos em que o país viveu sob um regime militar foi de repressão, tendo-se esta prática mantido depois de 1999, quando a Nigéria passou a ser regido por um regime civil. Apesar de terem sido registadas algumas alterações na posição do Estado em relação ao conflito no Delta do Níger, e nas medidas tomadas pelas multinacionais petrolíferas para tentar resolver o conflito, estas não se têm mostrado capazes. Como parte de um corpo de análise relativamente à importância do petróleo para a Nigéria e o seu papel no conflito do Delta do Níger, este estudo pretende ser uma análise mais profunda da situação do país. As conclusões do estudo indicam que a perpetuação do conflito se deve sobretudo à centralização de recursos e ao domínio de uma elite extremamente corrupta que governa e que controla a riqueza e o poder no país

SnRK1 and TOR: modulators of growth-defense trade-offs in plant stress responses.

The evolutionarily conserved protein kinase complexes SnRK1 and TOR are central metabolic regulators essential for plant growth, development, and stress responses. They are activated by opposite signals, and the outcome of their activation is, in global terms, antagonistic. Similarly to their yeast and animal counterparts, SnRK1 is activated by the energy deficit often associated with stress to restore homeostasis, while TOR is activated in nutrient-rich conditions to promote growth. Recent evidence suggests that SnRK1 represses TOR in plants, revealing evolutionary conservation also in their crosstalk. Given their importance for integrating environmental information into growth and developmental programs, these signaling pathways hold great promise for reducing the growth penalties caused by stress. Here we review the literature connecting SnRK1 and TOR to plant stress responses. Although SnRK1 and TOR emerge mostly as positive regulators of defense and growth, respectively, the outcome of their activities in plant growth and performance is not always straightforward. Manipulation of both pathways under similar experimental setups, as well as further biochemical and genetic analyses of their molecular and functional interaction, is essential to fully understand the mechanisms through which these two metabolic pathways contribute to stress responses, growth, and development.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Communicating shared value: a communication plan Knorr Portugal

This paper proposes an approach to communicating shared value for Knorr Portugal. By introducing the concept of Creating Shared Value and the benefits for a brand to embrace this philosophy, the importance and challenges of communicating this practice will be evident and addressed. The case of Unilever will be explored creating the framework to perform a brand analysis of Knorr. The respective issues will be outlined, converging into a communication plan which encloses six initiatives to be developed throughout the year. Ultimately, a set of recommendations are presented in order to fulfill the goal of changing consumers’ perception regarding the brand’s naturalness

miR160 Interacts in vivo With Pinus pinaster AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR 18 Target Site and Negatively Regulates Its Expression During Conifer Somatic Embryo Development

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are key regulators of several plant developmental processes including embryogenesis. Most miRNA families are conserved across major groups of plant species, but their regulatory roles have been studied mainly in model species like Arabidopsis and other angiosperms. In gymnosperms, miRNA-dependent regulation has been less studied since functional approaches in these species are often difficult to establish. Given the fundamental roles of auxin signaling in somatic embryogenesis (SE) induction and embryo development, we investigated a previously predicted interaction between miR160 and a putative target encoding AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR 18 in Pinus pinaster (PpARF18) embryonic tissues. Phylogenetic analysis of AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR 18 (ARF18) from Pinus pinaster and Picea abies, used here as a model system of conifer embryogenesis, showed their close relatedness to AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR (ARF) genes known to be targeted by miR160 in other species, including Arabidopsis ARF10 and ARF16. By using a luciferase (LUC) reporter system for miRNA activity in Arabidopsis protoplasts, we have confirmed that P. pinaster miR160 (ppi-miR160) interacts in vivo with PpARF18 target site. When the primary miR160 from P. pinaster was overexpressed in protoplasts under non-limiting levels of ARGONAUTE1, a significant increase of miR160 target cleavage activity was observed. In contrast, co-expression of the primary miRNA and the target mimic MIM160 led to a decrease of miR160 activity. Our results further support that this interaction is functional during consecutive stages of SE in the conifer model P. abies. Expression analyses conducted in five stages of development, from proembryogenic masses (PEMs) to the mature embryo, show that conifer ARF18 is negatively regulated by miR160 toward the fully developed mature embryo when miR160 reached its highest expression level. This study reports the first in vivo validation of a predicted target site of a conifer miRNA supporting the conservation of miR160 interaction with ARF targets in gymnosperms. The approach used here should be useful for future characterization of miRNA functions in conifer embryogenesis