Biofilm phenotype potentiates virulence transduction in Acinetobacter baumannii

Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding UID/BIO/04469/2013 unit, COMPETE 2020 (POCI-01-0145- FEDER-006684) and the Project PTDC/BBB-BSS/6471/2014 (POCI- 01-0145-FEDER-016678). This work was also supported by BioTecNorte operation (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000004) funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the scope of Norte2020 - Programa Operacional Regional do Norte. Ana Rita Costa acknowledges FCT for grant SFRH/BPD/94648/2013info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The role of prophages on virulence transduction in Acinetobacter baumannii biofilms

Recent years have observed an alarming increase on bacterial resistance to antibiotics. Many factors contribute to this, mainly antibiotics misuse but also an intrinsic capacity of bacteria to trade genetic material. These exchanges are emphasized in biofilms due to bacteria proximity, and involve several mechanisms including prophage-mediated transduction. Prophages are bacteriophages that incorporate into the bacterial genome, being able to excise and enter other bacteria. They are found in many bacterial species, being particularly frequent in Acinetobacter baumannii. This bacterial species is emerging as an important nosocomial pathogen worldwide especially due to a rapid acquisition of antibiotic resistance, in which prophage-mediated transduction may play a key role.The aim of this work was to evaluate the role of prophages on virulence transduction in A. baumannii biofilms. For this, an A. baumannii strain (ANC 4097) enclosing a prophage codifying a beta-lactam resistance gene and a receptor A. baumannii strain (NIPH 146) were selected based on biofilm-forming capacity. Strain susceptibility was tested for selecting a beta-lactam antibiotic to assess transduction. Both strains were genetically modified to follow transduction by fluorescence microscopy (mCherry inserted in the prophage and gfp in 146) and 146 was further modified to allow strain distinction on plate (lacZ). Levels of transduction were evaluated in mixed biofilms under different stress conditions (sub-MIC, light, and temperature).This work provides new insights into the importance of prophage transduction in virulence acquisition in mixed A. baumannii biofilms

Conhecimento, atitudes e crenças dos professores sobre a perturbação de hiperatividade com défice de atenção (PHDA)

A Perturbação de Hiperatividade com Défice de Atenção (PHDA) é um dos diagnósticos mais frequentes nas crianças em idade escolar. Frequentemente, estas crianças apresentam problemas relacionais e comportamentais que dificultam a adaptação no contexto escolar. Este estudo pretende aferir: i) o conhecimento, formação, atitudes, sentimentos e crenças dos professores relativamente à PHDA; ii) o tipo de estratégias a aplicar aos alunos com esta perturbação; iii) a existência de diferenças do nível de conhecimento da perturbação em função da formação realizada, do tempo de serviço prestado e do número de alunos com PHDA que os professores lecionaram; iv) e finalmente a influência da formação nas atitudes dos professores. Para tal, cinco questionários foram desenvolvidos e testados num universo de 225 professores, de forma a analisar o conhecimento e atitudes, mas também o percurso profissional e estratégias a aplicar. Os questionários foram estruturados da seguinte forma: i) recolha dos dados dos participantes (Questionário 1); ii) caracterização dos professores acerca da formação, lacunas sentidas na área da PHDA e reportes da sua experiência profissional no ensino destes alunos (Questionário 2); iii) desenvolvimento de um questionário para avaliar o conhecimento dos professores sobre a PHDA (Questionário 3); iv) desenvolvimento de um questionário de forma a analisar as estratégias mais utilizadas com alunos com PHDA, em ambiente de sala de aula (Questionário 4); e v) desenvolvimento do questionário de forma a analisar as atitudes, sentimentos e crenças dos professores acerca da PHDA (Questionário 5). Os resultados obtidos sugerem que: i) o conhecimento dos professores acerca da PHDA é médio baixo; ii) quanto mais formação os professores realizarem na área da PHDA, maiores conhecimentos apresentam acerca da perturbação; iii) não há diferenças significativas do nível de conhecimento dos professores em função dos anos de serviço e o número de alunos com PHDA; iv) as estratégias mais utilizadas pelos professores baseiam-se no Suporte Emocional, seguidas das Estratégias de Reforço; v) os professores aceitam o diagnóstico da PHDA como um problema educacional válido e legítimo; e vi) algumas atitudes e crenças dos professores são influenciadas pelo nível de conhecimentos/formação dos professores. Deste modo, quanto maior a formação em PHDA, maior o nível de conhecimento, maior a capacidade para lidar eficazmente com esse tipo de alunos e menor o efeito negativo provocado no ambiente de sala de aula

Metodologia value-at-risk: aplicação a uma carteira de obrigações de tesouro portuguesas

Dissertação apresentada como requisito parcial para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Estatística e Gestão de Informação, especialização em Análise e Gestão de RiscoO conhecimento prévio do risco a que um país está exposto sempre foi essencial. No entanto, e dada a situação financeira verificada na Zona Euro, esse conhecimento tornou-se crucial. Sendo o Value-at-Risk (VaR) uma medida de mensuração do risco financeiro, este trabalho tem como principal objetivo a aplicação de vários modelos VaR, considerando uma carteira constituída por quatro Obrigações do Tesouro Portuguesas, sendo posteriormente verificada a sua performance, de modo a verificar se são adequados ou não. Os modelos utilizados serão o modelo da Simulação Histórica, o modelo de Monte Carlo (modelos não paramétricos) e o modelo paramétrico das Variância-Covariâncias, sendo a matriz referida calculada através dos modelos Equal Weighted e Exponentially Weighted Moving Average (EWMA). No modelo de Monte Carlo e no modelo paramétrico foram efetuados cálculos considerando duas distribuições, a distribuição Normal e a distribuição t-Student. Relativamente aos resultados obtidos, os modelos não paramétricos são os que apresentam uma melhor performance, sendo o modelo de Monte Carlo, considerando tanto a distribuição Normal como a distribuição t-Student, aquele que apresentou uma performance superior.Prior knowledge of the risk that a country is exposed to has always been essential. However, in the present financial situation of the Euro Zone, this knowledge has become crucial. Value-at-Risk (VaR) is a measure of financial risk, and the aim of this work is to apply several VaR models to a portfolio composed of four Portuguese Treasury Bonds and then their performance is checked to ascertain their adequacy. The models used are the Historical Simulation, Monte Carlo (non-parametric models) and the Equal Weighted and Exponentially Weighted Moving Average (EWMA) models. In the Monte Carlo model and the parametric model the calculations were done by considering two distributions, the Normal and the T-Student distributions. The results were more favorable for the non parametric models and, in particular, the Monte Carlo model was the one with the best performance

Temperature responsiveness of gilthead sea bream bone; an in vitro and in vivo approach

This study aimed to characterize the molecules involved in osteogenesis in seabream and establish using in vitro/in vivo approaches the responsiveness of selected key genes to temperature. The impact of a temperature drop from 23 to 13 degrees C was evaluated in juvenile fish thermally imprinted during embryogenesis. Both, in vitro/in vivo, Fib1a, appeared important in the first stages of bone formation, and Col1A1, ON and OP, in regulating matrix production and mineralization. OCN mRNA levels were up-regulated in the final larval stages when mineralization was more intense. Moreover, temperature-dependent differential gene expression was observed, with lower transcript levels in the larvae at 18 degrees C relative to those at 22 degrees C, suggesting bone formation was enhanced in the latter group. Results revealed that thermal imprinting affected the long-term regulation of osteogenesis. Specifically, juveniles under the low and low-to-high-temperature regimes had reduced levels of OCN when challenged, indicative of impaired bone development. In contrast, gene expression in fish from the high and high-to-low-temperature treatments was unchanged, suggesting imprinting may have a protective effect. Overall, the present study revealed that thermal imprinting modulates bone development in seabream larvae, and demonstrated the utility of the in vitro MSC culture as a reliable tool to investigate fish osteogenesis."Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad" (MINECO) [BES-2015-074654]; Portuguese Science Foundation (FCT) [SFRH/BPD/111512/2015, SFRH/BD/81625/2011]; MINECO, Spain [AGL2010-17324, AGL2014-57974-R]; "Generalitat de Catalunya" (XRAq); Generalitat de Catalunya [2014SGR-01371]; FCT, Portugal [CCMAR/Multi/04326/2013]; European Union [LIFECYCLE EU-FP7 222719]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Banking in the portuguese colonial empire (1864-1975)

This paper provides a general view of the evolution of banking in the Portuguese Colonial Empire between the founding of the first Portuguese colonial bank in 1864 and the independence of most Portuguese colonies in 1975. The text summarizes the legal background, presents the banks existing during that period, examines their businesses and discusses their contribution to the economic evolution of the territories under consideration. As the paper's main conclusions, it may be said that: (i) Portuguese colonial banking followed the continental model of government initiative and tight control, not the British model of private initiative without much government control; (ii) the development of Portuguese colonial banking was always mainly a matter of profiting from the opportunities afforded by economic evolution rather than a matter of autonomously fostering the economic development of the territories

FACING URBAN PROBLEMS. THE TEACHING OF INTERDISCIPLINARITY THROUGH THE URBANISM DESIGN STUDIO

El artículo aborda la interdisciplinaridad en el Urbanismo, en la perspectiva de la enseñanza, cuestionando como pueden las asignaturas de proyecto poner en evidencia el encuentro de diferentes áreas del saber, simulando el enfrentar de cuestiones urbanas concretas. Para eso, recurre a tres casos de estudio de enseñanza del Urbanismo en Portugal, en la formación de arquitectos y de arquitectos de paisaje, en tres escuelas diferentes, en el primero y segundo ciclos de estudios del año lectivo de 2013-2014: (1) el proyecto del 5º año del Master Integrado en Arquitectura, con especialización en Urbanismo, de la Facultad de Arquitectura de la Universidad de Lisboa; (2) el curso de Urbanismo del 4º año del Master en Arquitectura Paisajista del Instituto Superior de Agronomía de la misma universidad, y; (3) el proyecto del 1º año del Master Integrado en Arquitectura de la Universidad de Beira Interior. Desarrollando un ejercicio práctico sobre territorios concretos, la enseñanza del Urbanismo obliga a enfrentar problemas urbanos con diferentes enfoques disciplinares, ciertamente desarrollando las potencialidades de la formación disciplinar del curso, como será el objetivo, pero también confrontando los estudiantes con la necesidad de buscar otros saberes para lidiar con las problemáticas no centrales a los contenidos disciplinares de su curso. En una realidad compleja e multifacética como es la ciudad contemporánea, en que los problemas urbanos no tienen disciplina en si mismo, el papel del profesor de proyecto es central para abrir horizontes interdisciplinarios, entre otros, coordinando el ejercicio con otros cursos del año, aportando contribuíos de invitados de otras áreas del saber, o reforzando la amplitud de las problemáticas en las clases y en la tutoría del desarrollo del ejercicio de proyecto.The article focuses on the interdisciplinarity in Urbanism, trough the perspective of teaching, addressing how the project design studios can reinforce the convergence of different areas of knowledge, by facing concrete urban problems. In this sense, it uses tree case studies of the teaching of Urbanism in Portugal, in the formation of architects and landscape architects, in three different faculties, both on the first and second cycles of studies of the 2013-2014 school year: (1) the 5th year project design studio on the Integrated Master in Architecture, with specialization in Urbanism, at the Faculty of Architecture, Lisbon University; (2) the Urbanism curricular unit of the 4th year of Landscape Architecture Master, in the Agronomy Higher Institute, at the same university, and; (3) the 1st year project design studio on the Integrated Master in Architecture, at the Beira Interior University. Developing a practical exercise on concrete territories, the teaching of Urbanism is obliged to face urban problems with different disciplinary approaches. It certainly allows for the development of the disciplinary potentialities, as it should be the objective; but it also confronts the students with the need to interact with other areas of knowledge, in order to find the necessary tools to address these urban questions, some not being central ones on the course plan. On a complex and multifaceted urban context, as it is the contemporary one, problems don’t have disciplines. In that sense, the role of the project design studio teacher becomes central to open interdisciplinary horizons, e.g.: (1) coordinating the practical exercise with other curricular units; (2) joining contributions by experts from other areas of knowledge, or; (3) reinforcing the amplitude of the problems students are addressing, both in classes and in the tutorial development of the exercise

Improving processes in a postgraduate office of a university through lean office tools

This paper reports the administrative processes improvement based on Lean Office tools in an office environment of a University department. Lean tools such as electronic standardization were applied on the six educational projects of the department. Also, some were used to organize the computer desktop and network drives to improve the supporting educational projects information. Additionally, due to the absence of Key Performance Indicators (KPI), some here defined and implemented on the department. The main results were the electronic standardization successful implementation, reorganization of the drives and the desktop. The impacts were a reduction of 84% on the files search time, improvements on the development of forms for student I registration and projects managing, a 69% reduction of time searching for student information or data, a reduction of the input times and information handling in an estimated total of 12 hours/year, identification of KPI and development of a dashboard for visual analysis and monitoring of these.The authors want to acknowledge the LeanOffice@DPS team to support this work and the Department of Production and System-University of Minho where it was developed. The authors also would like to express their acknowledgments to national funds by COMPETE: POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007043 and FCT - Fundação para a Ciencia e Tecnologia within the Project Scope: UID/CEC/00319/2013

Author Correction: Efficacy and safety assessment of two enterococci phages in an in vitro biofilm wound model

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.FCT -Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia(NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000004)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Exploiting the proteins encoded in the genome of the broad host range Salmonella phage PVP-SE1

Foodborne diseases are of major concern due to its worldwide impact. Salmonella has been constantly pointed as the second leading cause constituting thus a major public health burden with significant impact in the society costs. The increased resistance of bacteria toward antimicrobials and the recent legislation restricting the use of antibiotics as growth promoters in animal production requires alternatives to the use of antibiotics in the control of this zoonotic pathogen. Consequently, there is an urgent need to control this bacterial genus. To accomplish this, fast and accurate techniques for early detection are also required. Bacteriophages (phages) as natural predators of bacteria offer a great potential for pathogens detection and control due to their high specificity and killing ability. We have isolated and characterize a broad host range phage with great potential for Salmonella control. This phage encodes several proteins with great biotechnological potential which include the phage tail fibers with application in Salmonella detection, peptidoglycan hydrolases and holins that produce lysis of the bacterial cells and depolymerases which can decrease the ability of the cells to form biofilms and consequently decrease resistance of the cells to treatment. In this work we will identify these proteins and envisage their biotechnological