Appreciating interconnectivity between habitats is key to Blue Carbon management

We welcome the recent synthesis by Howard et al. (2017), which drew attention to the role of marine systems and natural carbon sequestration in the oceans as a fundamental aspect of climate-change mitigation. The importance of long-term carbon storage in marine habitats (ie “blue carbon”) is rapidly gaining recognition and is increasingly a focus of national and international attempts to mitigate rising atmospheric emissions of carbon dioxide. However, effectively managing blue carbon requires an appreciation of the inherent connectivity between marine populations and habitats. More so than their terrestrial counterparts, marine ecosystems are “open”, with high rates of transfer of energy, matter, genetic material, and species across regional seascapes (Kinlan and Gaines 2003). We suggest that policy frameworks, and the science underpinning them, should focus not only on carbon sink habitats but also on carbon source habitats, which play critical roles in marine carbon cycling and natural carbon sequestration in the oceans

Enhancing the kinetics of hydrazone exchange processes: an experimental and computational study

The capacity of hydrazone bonds to readily undergo component exchange processes sees their extensive utilization in dynamic combinatorial chemistry. The kinetics of hydrazone exchange are optimal at pH ∼4.5, which limits the use of hydrazone-based dynamic combinatorial libraries, particularly for biological targets which are only stable at near-neutral pH values. It would thus be advantageous if hydrazone exchange proceeded with faster rates at pH values closer to neutral. We experimentally and computationally evaluated the hypothesis that hydrazones possessing neighbouring acidic or basic functional groups within the carbonyl-derived moitety of the hydrazone would enhance exchange rates. Our work suggests that judiciously placed N- or O-hydrogen bond acceptors within the carbonyl-derived moiety of the hydrazone stabilize transition states via hydrogen bonding interactions, providing a valuable boost to exchange kinetics at near-neutral pH values. We anticipate these findings will be of interest in dynamic combinatorial chemistry, dynamic covalent polymers/materials, functionalized nanoparticles and interlocked molecules, all of which may benefit from hydrazone exchange processes able to operate at near-neutral pH values

O papel dos sistemas de informação do Hospital de Curry Cabral na gestão hospitalar : Estudo de caso num serviço de radiologia

Os sistemas de informação, enquanto ferramenta da gestão, podem contribuir para o desenvolvimento das organizações sendo atualmente visível esta preocupação nos órgãos de gestão dos serviços de saúde. No processo de implementação dos sistemas de informação a economia da informação assume um destaque pela sua componente de mais-valia. No presente trabalho, fizemos uma caracterização dos sistemas de informação utilizados no serviço de radiologia do hospital Curry Cabral e percebemos como os profissionais trabalhavam e atualizavam a informação nesses mesmos sistemas. Analisámos posteriormente a produtividade através de índices criados para o próprio serviço, antes e depois da implementação dos sistemas de informação, para entender até que ponto podemos falar da economia da informação. Através de uma abordagem quantitativa pretendeu-se a realização de um estudo descritivo com recurso à técnica de inquérito através de questionário aplicado a 55 profissionais do serviço, nomeadamente a 17 médicos de radiologia, a 6 administrativas e a 31 técnicos de radiologia. De uma forma geral, os dados obtidos nesta investigação permitem verificar que a atualização dos sistemas de informação por parte dos profissionais deste serviço ocorre de uma forma bem conduzida e cuidada, nomeadamente pelos técnicos de radiologia. Entendemos também que de uma forma geral todos os profissionais estão cientes que os sistemas de informação contribuem para o auxílio na gestão principalmente devido a uma melhor monitorização do trabalho efetuado. Relativamente aos índices de produtividade percebemos que são difíceis de quantificar, no entanto, e de um modo geral esta aumentou em valores pouco significativos, cerca de 2,3%. ABSTRACT: The information Technology as a management tool can contribute to the healthy development of the organization. This fact has become visible by the interest showed on IT by the management body of the Health Services. On the implementation process of the IT Services the economy of information assumes a major role as a powerful and altering force to the landscape. ln this thesis we studied the IT services used by the Radiology Service of the Hospital Curry Cabral, and tried to understand how the professionals work, by using and improving the information on those systems. We analyze the productivity using markers built for the specified service, before and after the implementation of the IT Services to understand how far into the "IT Economics" we have traveled. Thru a direct approach a study was conducted using a questionnaire, and a target audience of 55 local radiology professionals, namely 17 radiology doctors, 6 service secretaries and 31 radiology technicians. ln general, the data gathered by this investigation, allowed us to verify that the data collected and updated by the Radiology professionals, is carefully collected, especially by the Radiology Technicians. We have also found that generally all Hospital professionals see the IT Services as a major help for management mainly thru better monitoring of accomplished work. ln relation to the productivity indexes we have found that they are hard to quantify, because certain aspects are close to impossible to ascertain, but in gross it has grown but in less than expected, more or less 2,3%

Micro-paisagem : arquitetura como nicho ecológico : interpretação e aplicação do conceito de "edifício.vivo" no projeto de um mosteiro no Montado de Sobreiro

Dissertação de Mestrado Integrado em Arquitetura, com a especialização em Arquitetura, apresentada na Faculdade de Arquitetura da Universidade de Lisboa para obtenção do grau de Mestre.N/

The role of IT services on the management of the Hospital Curry Cabral

Mestrado em Intervenção Sócio-Organizacional na Saúde - Área de especialização: Políticas de Administração e Gestão de Serviços de SaúdeOs sistemas de informação, enquanto ferramenta da gestão, podem contribuir para o desenvolvimento das organizações sendo actualmente visível esta preocupação nos órgãos de gestão dos serviços de saúde. No processo de implementação dos sistemas de informação a economia da informação assume um destaque pela sua componente de mais-valia. No presente trabalho, fizemos uma caracterização dos sistemas de informação utilizados no serviço de radiologia do hospital Curry Cabral e percebemos como os profissionais trabalhavam e actualizavam a informação nesses mesmos sistemas. Analisámos posteriormente a produtividade através de índices criados para o próprio serviço, antes e depois da implementação dos sistemas de informação, para entender até que ponto podemos falar da economia da informação. Através de uma abordagem qualitativa pretendeu-se a realização de um estudo descritivo com recurso à técnica de inquérito através de questionário aplicado a 54 profissionais do serviço, nomeadamente a 17 médicos de radiologia, a 6 administrativas e a 31 técnicos de radiologia. De uma forma geral, os dados obtidos nesta investigação permitem verificar que a actualização dos sistemas de informação por parte dos profissionais deste serviço ocorre de uma forma bem conduzida e cuidada, nomeadamente pelos técnicos de radiologia. Entendemos também que de uma forma geral todos os profissionais estão cientes que os sistemas de informação contribuem para o auxilio na gestão, principalmente devido a uma melhor monitorização do trabalho efectuado. Relativamente aos índices de produtividade percebemos que são difíceis de quantificar, no entanto, e de um modo geral esta aumentou em valores pouco significativos, cerca de 2,3%.ABSTRACT - The Information Technology as a management tool can contribute to the healthy development of the organízation. This fact has become visible by the interest showed on IT by the management body of the Health Services. On the impiementation process of the IT Services the economy of information assumes a major role as a powerful and altering force to the landscape. In this thesis we studied the IT services used by the Radiology Service of the Hospital Curry Cabral, and tried to understand how the professionais work, by using and improving the information on those systems. We analyze the productivity using markers built for the specified service, before and after the implementation of the IT Services to understand how far into the “IT Economics” we have traveled. Thru a direct approach a study was conducted using a questionnaire, and a target audience of 54 local radiology professionals, namely 17 radiology doctors, 6 service secretaries and 31 radiology technicians. In general, the data gathered by this investigation, allowed us to verify that the data collected and updated by the Radiology professíonals, is carefully collected, especially by the Radiology Technicians. We have also found that generally all Hospital professionals see the IT Services as a major help for management mainly thru better monitoring of accomphished work. In relation to the productivity indexes we have found that they are hard to quantify, because certain aspects are dose to impossible to ascertain, but in gross it has grown but in less than expected, more or less 2.3%

Limited evolution of West Nile virus has occurred during its southwesterly spread in the United States

AbstractAnalysis of partial nucleotide sequences of nine West Nile virus strains isolated in southeast Texas during June–August 2002 revealed a maximum of 0.35% nucleotide variation from a New York 1999 strain. Two sequence subtypes were identified that differed from each other by approximately 0.5%, suggesting multiple introductions of virus to this area. Analysis of sequences from cloned PCR products for one strain revealed up to 0.6% divergence from the consensus sequence at the subpopulation level. The presence of unique patterns of small numbers of mutations in North American West Nile strains studied to date may suggest the absence of a strong selective pressure to drive the emergence of dominant variants

Reflections of physiotherapy students in the United Arab Emirates during their clinical placements: A qualitative study

BACKGROUND: Although Western models of education are being used to establish health professional programs in non-Western countries, little is known about how students in these countries perceive their learning experiences. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the reflections of physiotherapy students from a Middle East culture during their clinical placements and to compare them to reflections of physiotherapy students from a Western culture. METHODS: Subjects were six senior students (3 females, 3 males, mean age 22.6 years) and 15 junior, female students (mean age 20.1 years) in the baccalaureate physiotherapy program at a university in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). They wrote weekly entries in a journal while in their clinical placements. They described an event, their reaction to it, and how it might affect their future behavior. Two evaluators independently read and coded the content of all the journals, and then worked together to categorize the data and develop themes. A third evaluator, an UAE national, independently read the journals to validate the content analysis. A feedback session with students was used to further validate the data interpretation. The themes were compared to those derived from a similar study of Canadian physiotherapy students. RESULTS: The content of the students' reflections were grouped into 4 themes: professional behavior, awareness of learning, self-development and shift to a patient orientation, and identification and analysis of ethical issues. Although the events were different, students from the UAE considered many of the same issues reflected on by Canadian students. CONCLUSION: Physiotherapy students from a Middle East culture consider many of the same issues as students from a Western culture when asked to reflect on their clinical experience. They reflect on their personal growth, on how they learn in a clinical setting, and on the ethical and professional behaviors of themselves and others

Yellow Fever Virus Infectivity for Bolivian Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes

The absence of urban yellow fever virus (YFV) in Bolivian cities has been attributed to the lack of competent urban mosquito vectors. Experiments with Aedes aegypti from Santa Cruz, Bolivia, demonstrated infection (100%), dissemination (20%), and transmission of a Bolivian YFV strain (CENETROP-322)

Tyrosine Phosphorylation of the E3 Ubiquitin Ligase TRIM21 Positively Regulates Interaction with IRF3 and Hence TRIM21 Activity

Patients suffering from Systemic Lupus Erythematous (SLE) have elevated type I interferon (IFN) levels which correlate with disease activity and severity. TRIM21, an autoantigen associated with SLE, has been identified as an ubiquitin E3 ligase that targets the transcription factor IRF3 in order to turn off and limit type I IFN production following detection of viral and bacterial infection by Toll Like Receptors (TLRs). However, how the activity of TRIM21 is regulated downstream of TLRs is unknown. In this study we demonstrate that TRIM21 is tyrosine phosphorylated following TLR3 and TLR4 stimulation, suggesting that its activity is potentially regulated by tyrosine phosphorylation. Using Netphos, we have identified three key tyrosines that are strongly predicted to be phosphorylated, two of which are conserved between the human and murine forms of TRIM21, at residues 343, 388, and 393, all of which have been mutated from tyrosine to phenylalanine (Y343F, Y388F, and Y393F). We have observed that tyrosine phosphorylation of TRIM21 only occurs in the substrate binding PRY/SPRY domain, and that Y393, and to a lesser extent, Y388 are required for TRIM21 to function as a negative regulator of IFN-β promoter activity. Further studies revealed that mutating Y393 to phenylalanine inhibits the ability of TRIM21 to interact with its substrate, IRF3, thus providing a molecular explanation for the lack of activity of Y393 on the IFN-β promoter. Our data demonstrates a novel role for tyrosine phosphorylation in regulating the activity of TRIM21 downstream of TLR3 and TLR4. Given the pathogenic role of TRIM21 in systemic autoimmunity, these findings have important implications for the development of novel therapeutics