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Background: The Plan-do-check-act (PDCA) cycle methodology for a continuous improvement project implementation aims for the internal logistics upgrade, which is especially important in the industrial context of a component manufacturing company for the automotive sector. Objectives: The goal is to quantify the gains from waste reduction based on the usage of the PDCA cycle as a tool in the implementation and optimisation of a milk run in an assembly line of a company in the automotive sector by determining the optimal cycle time of supply and the standardisation of the logistic supply process and the materials’ flow. Methods/Approach: The research was conducted through observation and data collection in loco, involving two main phases: planning and implementation. According to the phases of the PDCA cycle, the process was analysed, and tools such as the SIPOC matrix, process stratification, 5S, and visual management were implemented. Results: Using Lean tools, it was possible to reduce waste by establishing concise flows and defining a supply pattern, which resulted in a reduction of movements. The transportation waste was reduced by fixing the position of more than half of the materials in the logistic trailers. The developed Excel simulator provided the logistic train’s optimal cycle time. Conclusions: The assembly line supplied by milk-run was fundamental to highlight a range of improvements in the process of internal supply, such as better integration of stock management systems, greater application of quality, or the adoption of better communication systems between the different areas and employees.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical, biochemical, and genetic features of both new and previously reported patients with congenital disorders of glycosylation (CDGs) diagnosed in Portugal over the last 20 years. STUDY DESIGN: The cohort includes patients with an unexplained multisystem or single organ involvement, with or without psychomotor disability. Serum sialotransferrin isoforms and, whenever necessary, apolipoprotein CIII isoforms and glycan structures were analyzed. Additional studies included measurement of phosphomannomutase (PMM) activity and analysis of lipid-linked oligosaccharides in fibroblasts. Sanger sequencing and massive parallel sequencing were used to identify causal variants or the affected gene, respectively. RESULTS: Sixty-three individuals were diagnosed covering 14 distinct CDGs; 43 patients diagnosed postnatally revealed a type 1, 14 a type 2, and 2 a normal pattern on serum transferrin isoelectrofocusing. The latter patients were identified by whole exome sequencing. Nine of them presented also a hypoglycosylation pattern on apolipoprotein CIII isoelectrofocusing, pointing to an associated O-glycosylation defect. Most of the patients (62%) are PMM2-CDG and the remaining carry pathogenic variants in ALG1, ATP6AP1, ATP6AP2, ATP6V0A2, CCDC115, COG1, COG4, DPAGT1, MAN1B1, SLC35A2, SRD5A3, RFT1, or PGM1. CONCLUSIONS: Portuguese patients with CDGs are presented in this report, some of them showing unique clinical phenotypes. Among the 14 genes mutated in Portuguese individuals, 8 are shared with a previously reported Spanish cohort. However, regarding the mutational spectrum of PMM2-CDG, the most frequent CDG, a striking similarity between the 2 populations was found, as only 1 mutated allele found in the Portuguese group has not been reported in Spain. ispartof: JOURNAL OF PEDIATRICS vol:231 pages:148-156 ispartof: location:United States status: published

Cerium-based bimetallic oxides of the type 3NiO·CeO2, Co3O4·CeO2, and 1.5Fe2O3·CeO2 were prepared by two sol–gel methods (epoxide addition and Pechini methods) and by the electrospinning technique,...

Dry reforming of methane (DRM) can be an efficient alternative to convert greenhouse gases and to produce valuable feedstock. In this work, nanostructured nickel - actinide bimetallic oxides (2NiO.ThO2 and NiO.UNiO4) were tested for the first time as DRM catalysts. They were very active and highly selective towards the production of syngas at low temperatures. Their catalytic performance is better than that of a commercial rhodium supported catalyst (5 wt % Rh/Al2O3) used as a reference. In particular, the thorium catalyst was more active and selective at 550 °C than the commercial catalyst, which is a significant “low” temperature for DRM. The nanostructured nickel - actinide bimetallic oxides long-term stability was also remarkable and an important improvement if we consider the behavior of others nickel-based catalysts that normally undergoing significant deactivations due to coke or sintering.

Objectives Pearson syndrome is a mitochondrial cytopathy with multisystemic involvement that typically presents in infancy and has poor prognosis. We aim to present a case that is distinct due to the timing of presentation and associated anomalies. Case presentation We report the case of preterm monochorionic twins with transfusion dependent fetal anemia that had post-natal multisystem dysfunction which led to the diagnosis of Pearson syndrome. Conclusions This case highlights the possibility of antenatal presentation of Pearson syndrome, which should be considered in cases of severe fetal anemia without an apparent cause.

The effect of ethanol on oil‐in‐water emulsions stabilized with low molecular weight surfactants was investigated. Oil‐in‐water emulsions were prepared containing varying percentages of ethanol and sunflower oil, and stabilized with different emulsifiers (Tween 20, Tween 80, and Lecithin). Droplet size, viscosity, density, and interfacial tension measurements were carried out. The droplet size of emulsions stabilized by each of the surfactants studied decreased with the addition of ethanol to the aqueous phase showing a minimum at a concentration of ethanol around 40%. The trend in droplet size is accompanied by a decrease in the interfacial tension between water and oil as the ethanol concentration increases. Viscosity measurements show that the change in viscosity of the final emulsion is the result of the change in viscosity of the continuous phase, as well as the change in solubility of the surfactants due to the addition of ethanol. The density of the continuous phase decreases with the addition of ethanol and it is possible to match the densities of the two phases in order to reduce the effect of creaming/sedimentation and improve stability. This study provides scientific evidence for the formulation of stable emulsions containing a range of ethanol form 0 to 40%. Practical Application Formation and stability of food‐grade emulsions in the presence of ethanol.

The characterization of blood flow patterns is an important task to establish links between hemodynamics and atherosclerosis development, one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Taking into account that the development of cardiovascular diseases and the disturbances in blood flow profiles are characteristic of each individual, the study of the effects of geometry and flow distribution is quite important. For this reason, in the present paper, a CFD numerical model for both simplified and real anatomic iliac bifurcation was developed, taking into account a steady velocity inlet profile. The results were analyzed, in terms of the recirculation zone length and location, but also in velocity and wall shear stress distribution. It was observed that the bifurcation angle does not affect significantly the recirculation properties. However, significant differences were achieved with different iliac diameters and bifurcation geometry. Moreover, outflow maldistribution in the iliac arteries leads to more complex flow patterns near the iliac bifurcation, intensifying reverse and asymmetric flow patterns. The results of the simulation using the realistic model geometry confirmed that the regions of the geometry prone to develop recirculation areas occur, preferentially, downstream the bifurcation at the outer walls of iliac branches. In brief, this study allowed a better understanding of the relationship between hemodynamics and vascular diseases, through assessing the distributions of blood velocity and biomechanical forces imposed on the arterial wall by the blood.

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies have been proposed as a first-line test for the diagnosis of inborn errors of metabolism (IEM), a group of genetically heterogeneous disorders with overlapping or nonspecific phenotypes. Over a 3-year period, we prospectively analyzed 311 pediatric patients with a suspected IEM using four targeted gene panels. The rate of positive diagnosis was 61.86% for intermediary metabolism defects, 32.84% for complex molecular defects, 19% for hypoglycemic/hyperglycemic events, and 17% for mitochondrial diseases, and a conclusive molecular diagnosis was established in 2-4 weeks. Forty-one patients for whom negative results were obtained with the mitochondrial diseases panel underwent subsequent analyses using the NeuroSeq panel, which groups all genes from the individual panels together with genes associated with neurological disorders (1870 genes in total). This achieved a diagnostic rate of 32%. We next evaluated the utility of a tool, Phenomizer, for differential diagnosis, and established a correlation between phenotype and molecular findings in 39.3% of patients. Finally, we evaluated the mutational architecture of the genes analyzed by determining z-scores, loss-of-function observed/expected upper bound fraction (LOEUF), and haploinsufficiency (HI) scores. In summary, targeted gene panels for specific groups of IEMs enabled rapid and effective diagnosis, which is critical for the therapeutic management of IEM patients. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Thoracic origin of a single renal artery with a normal position of the kidney is a very rare anatomical variant with just a dozen cases depicted in the medical literature. In this case report we describe an incidental finding of a main renal artery arising from the thoracic aorta at the 11th thoracic vertebral level in an asymptomatic 57 year-old man in a routine computed tomography (CT) on follow-up for chronic pancreatitis., Portuguese Journal of Cardiac Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Vol. 28 No. 2 (2021): April - June

Root extracts from Danube Delta Nymphaea alba were used to prepare gold nanoparticles (AuNPRn) by reducing HAuCl4 at different pHs (6.4–8.4) using ultrasonic irradiation: an easy, cheap, eco-friendly and green approach. Their antibacterial and anticancer activities were evaluated against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, and A2780 ovarian cancer cells, respectively. The AuNPRn were characterized concerning their phytoconstituents (polyphenols, flavonoids and condensed tannins) and gold content. All of the nanoparticles were negatively charged. AuNPRn exhibited a hydrodynamic size distribution ranging from 32 nm to 280 nm, with the larger nanoparticles being obtained with an Au/root extract ratio of 0.56, pH 7 and 10 min of sonication (AuNPR1), whereas the smallest were obtained with an Au/root extract ratio of 0.24, pH 7.8 and 40 min of sonication (AuNPR4). The TEM/SEM images showed that the AuNPRn had different shapes. The ATR-FTIR indicated that AuNPRn interact mainly with hydroxyl groups present in the polyphenol compounds, which also confirm their high antioxidant capacity, except for AuNPR2 obtained at pH 6.4. Among the AuNPRn, the smallest ones exhibited enhanced antimicrobial and anticancer activities.

Binary intermetallic compounds containing f-block elements (LaNi5, DyFe3 and SmCo5) were easily obtained via electrospinning and a two-step treatment where the first step, the oxidation step, is the key for the formation of bimetallic oxides and the second step, the reduction step, is fundamental for the formation of the binary intermetallic compounds. They were characterized by XRD and SEM/EDS that confirm the successful preparation of nanostructured bimetallic oxides and binary intermetallic compounds. The bimetallic oxides were also tested for the methanation of carbon dioxide and the results obtained show that the Ni La bimetallic oxide has a catalytic performance comparable to the best results reported in the literature. To the best knowledge, it is the first time that a simple and reproducible method was applied to the synthesis of binary intermetallic nanostructures containing f block elements and that their bimetallic oxides precursors were tested as catalysts for the methanation of carbon dioxide.

Nanostructure nickel-4f block element bimetallic oxides were prepared by electrospinning technique using a precursor sol-gel solution containing metal nitrates and a treatment of controlled oxidation under dry air. The heating rate of such treatment allows the control of the product morphology aiming the production of either nanoparticles or nanofibers. Catalytic hydrogenation studies of carbon dioxide were for the first time undertaken using this type of bimetallic oxides as catalysts and remarkably almost all of them present a catalytic activity superior to that of a commercial rhodium catalyst supported on alumina (5 wt % Rh/Al2O3) for the production of methane. Last but not the least, the nickel-4f block element bimetallic oxides present also a deactivation resistance for at least 50 h in the gaseous stream, which is an advantage for nickel-based catalysts.

Accepted manuscript, The process of generating new functional neurons in the adult mammalian brain occurs from the local neural stem and progenitor cells and requires tight control of the progenitor cell's activity. Several signaling pathways and intrinsic/extrinsic factors have been well studied over the last years, but recent attention has been given to the critical role of cellular metabolism in determining the functional properties of progenitor cells. Here, we review recent advances in the current understanding of when and how metabolism affects neural stem cell (NSC) behavior and subsequent neuronal differentiation and highlight the role of lipocalin-2 (LCN2), a protein involved in the control of oxidative stress, as a recently emerged regulator of NSC activity and neuronal differentiation., IF/00231/2013 of the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal). This work was supported by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and COMPETE through the project EXPL/NEU-OSD/2196/2013. The work has been developed under the scope of the project NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000013, which is supported by the Northern Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020) under the Portugal 2020 Partnership Agreement through the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) and is funded by FEDER funds through the Competitiveness Factors Operational Programme (COMPETE) and by National funds through the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007038, info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Background The impairment of the hepatic enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) causes elevation of phenylalanine levels in blood and other body fluids resulting in the most common inborn error of amino acid metabolism (phenylketonuria). Persistently high levels of phenylalanine lead to irreversible damage to the nervous system. Therefore, early diagnosis of the affected individuals is important, as it can prevent clinical manifestations of the disease. Methods In this report, the biochemical and genetic findings performed in 223 patients diagnosed through the Portuguese Neonatal Screening Program (PNSP) are presented. Results Overall, the results show that a high overlap exists between different types of variants and phenylalanine levels. Molecular analyses reveal a wide mutational spectrum in our population with a total of 56 previously reported variants, most of them found in compound heterozygosity (74% of the patients). Intragenic polymorphic markers were used to assess the haplotypic structure of mutated chromosomes for the most frequent variants found in homozygosity in our population (p.Ile65Thr, p.Arg158Gln, p.Leu249Phe, p.Arg261Gln, p.Val388Met, and c.1066‐11G>A). Conclusion Our data reveal high heterogeneity at the biochemical and molecular levels and are expected to provide a better understanding of the molecular basis of this disease and to provide clues to elucidate genotype–phenotype correlations., The present study identify and characterize the variants underlying PKU in affected individuals in the Portuguese PKU/HPA cohort. Biochemical data, haplotic analysis and genetic findings performed in 223 patients diagnosed through the Portuguese Neonatal Screening Program (PNSP) is presented. The information obtained will improve the diagnostic applicability of mutational analysis and the capacity to predict the evolution of the disease.

Nanostructured binary skutterudites represented by MX3 are potential thermoelectric materials for high efficiency thermoelectric. In this work, we synthesized for the first-time high purity nanofibers of CoSb3 and rare earth filled LaCo4Sb12 with external diameters

High surface area cobalt-lanthanide bimetallic aerogels were successfully synthesized by the epoxide addition method. The bimetallic aerogels were calcined at two different temperatures and either bimetallic oxides containing oxychlorides, Co3O4.3LnOCl (Ln = La, Sm, Gd, Dy and Yb) or perovskites, LnCoO3 (Ln = La, Sm, Gd and Dy) were obtained at 500 or 900 &deg, C, respectively. The exceptions are the aerogels of cerium and ytterbium, which after oxidation at 500 and 900 &deg, C, stabilize as sesquioxides: Co3O4.3CeO2 and 2Co3O4.3Yb2O3, the first at both temperatures and the second only at the highest temperature. The bimetallic cobalt-lanthanide oxychlorides or perovskites were tested as catalysts for the methanation of CO2. The cobalt catalytic activity is determined by the type and acid-base properties of the lanthanide oxide phase and by its pre-reduction under hydrogen. The best results were those obtained over the calcined aerogels pre-reduced under hydrogen. In particular, the highest values were those obtained over the Co-Ce aerogel calcined at 900 &deg, C that in the same conditions present an activity comparable to that measured over a 5 wt.% Rh catalyst supported on alumina, one of the literature references. The activity and the selectivity increase with the catalysts&rsquo, basicity, showing an inverse dependence of the reduction temperature that decreases along the lanthanide series either for the aerogels calcined at 500 or 900 &deg, C. In general, the basicity of the aerogels calcined at 900 &deg, C (perovskites) is higher and they are more active but less selective than those calcined at 500 &deg, C (oxychlorides), which to our knowledge is for the first time reported for the methanation of CO2.

Brucellosis is a common zoonotic disease in Egypt. However, there are limited data available on the genetic diversity of brucellae circulating in Egypt and other Mediterranean areas. One hundred and nine Brucella (B.) strains were isolated from different animal species in thirteen Egyptian governorates. Multi-locus variable number tandem repeats (VNTRs) analysis (MLVA-16) was employed to determine the geographical relatedness and the genetic diversity of a panel of selected Egyptian strains (n = 69), with strains originating from Italy (n = 49), Portugal (n = 52), Greece (n = 63), and Tunisia (n = 4). Egyptian B. melitensis strains clustered into two main clusters containing 21 genotypes. Egyptian B. abortus strains clustered into three main clusters containing nine genotypes. The genotypes were irregularly distributed over time and space in the study area. Egyptian strains of B. melitensis showed MLVA-16 patterns closer to that of Italian strains. Egyptian B. abortus strains isolated from cattle share the same genotype with strains from Portugal and similar to strains from Italy with low genetic diversity. Strains with similar MLVA patterns isolated from different governorates highlight the movement of the pathogen among governorates. Hence, it may also reflect the long endemicity of brucellosis in Egypt with earlier dispersal of types and great local genetic diversity. Open markets may contribute to cross-species transmission and dissemination of the new types nationwide. The presence of West Mediterranean lineages of B. melitensis and relatedness of B. abortus strains from the studied countries is a result of the socio-historical connections among the Mediterranean countries. Transnational eradication of brucellosis in the Mediterranean basin is highly demanded.

The preparation of nanoparticles and nanofibers of bimetallic oxides containing f block element perovskites of the type LaNiO 3 , SmCoO 3 and DyFeO 3 was undertaken. They were obtained by electrospinning and its formation simply tuneable in the subsequent oxidation step-heating rate. These bimetallic oxides were tested as catalysts in the partial oxidation of methane aiming the production of syngas. The best results were those obtained over the nickel-based catalysts, which have an activity and selectivity comparable to that of a commercial catalyst used as reference (5 wt% Pt / Al 2 O 3 ). The catalysts present also an unusual long catalytic stability in the gaseous stream. These perovskites type bimetallic oxides were characterized by different techniques (XRD, SEM/EDS, H 2 -TPR). To our knowledge, it is the first time that these results are reported in the literature.

Bimetallic calcium-lanthanide oxides (Ln = La, Ce, Sm, Gd, Yb) were tested for the first time as catalysts in the oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) using nitrous oxide as oxidant. The reaction main products were C2 hydrocarbons. The best results were those obtained with bimetallic calcium-lanthanum and calcium-samarium oxides that achieve hydrocarbons yields comparable to the best reported in the literature using O2 as oxidant. The catalytic performance is clearly dependent of an interaction between calcium and f block element due to calcium ions incorporation on the lanthanide oxide matrix (except for CeO2) that renders oxygen less labile and increases hydrocarbons production. The other main factor that correlate with the variation of the activity and selectivity along the lanthanide series is the catalysts basic properties that increases hydrocarbon production. The catalysts present also an unusual and long stability in the gaseous stream.

Background Swine brucellosis caused by B. suis biovar 2 is an emergent disease in domestic pigs in Europe. The emergence of this pathogen has been linked to the increase of extensive pig farms and the high density of infected wild boars (Sus scrofa). In Portugal and Spain, the majority of strains share specific molecular characteristics, which allowed establishing an Iberian clonal lineage. However, several strains isolated from wild boars in the North-East region of Spain are similar to strains isolated in different Central European countries. Results Comparative analysis of five newly fully sequenced B. suis biovar 2 strains belonging to the main circulating clones in Iberian Peninsula, with publicly available Brucella spp. genomes, revealed that strains from Iberian clonal lineage share 74% similarity with those reference genomes. Besides the 210 kb translocation event present in all biovar 2 strains, an inversion with 944 kb was presented in chromosome I of strains from the Iberian clone. At left and right crossover points, the inversion disrupted a TRAP dicarboxylate transporter, DctM subunit, and an integral membrane protein TerC. The gene dctM is well conserved in Brucella spp. except in strains from the Iberian clonal lineage. Intraspecies comparative analysis also exposed a number of biovar-, haplotype- and strain-specific insertion-deletion (INDELs) events and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that could explain differences in virulence and host specificities. Most discriminative mutations were associated to membrane related molecules (29%) and enzymes involved in catabolism processes (20%). Molecular identification of both B. suis biovar 2 clonal lineages could be easily achieved using the target-PCR procedures established in this work for the evaluated INDELs. Conclusion Whole-genome analyses supports that the B. suis biovar 2 Iberian clonal lineage evolved from the Central-European lineage and suggests that the genomic specialization of this pathogen in the Iberian Peninsula is independent of a specific genomic event(s), but instead driven by allopatric speciation, resulting in the establishment of a new ecovar. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12864-017-4113-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

In the adult mammalian brain, newborn granule cells are continuously integrated into hippocampal circuits, and the fine-tuning of this process is important for hippocampal function. Thus, the identification of factors that control adult neural stem cells (NSCs) maintenance, differentiation and integration is essential. Here we show that the deletion of the iron trafficking protein lipocalin-2 (LCN2) induces deficits in NSCs proliferation and commitment, with impact on the hippocampal-dependent contextual fear discriminative task. Mice deficient in LCN2 present an increase in the NSCs population, as a consequence of a G0/G1 cell cycle arrest induced by increased endogenous oxidative stress. Of notice, supplementation with the iron-chelating agent deferoxamine rescues NSCs oxidative stress, promotes cell cycle progression and improves contextual fear conditioning. LCN2 is, therefore, a novel key modulator of neurogenesis that, through iron, controls NSCs cell cycle progression and death, self-renewal, proliferation and differentiation and, ultimately, hippocampal function., AC Ferreira is a recipient of PhD fellowship and B Sampaio-Marques is a recipient of postdoctoral fellowship from the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal)/FEDER. F Marques is an assistant researcher IF/00231/2013 of the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal). This work was supported by Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and COMPETE through the project EXPL/NEU-OSD/2196/2013 (to F Marques) and by the Bial Foundation through Grant 217/12 (to JC Sousa). The work at ICVS/3B's has been developed under the scope of the project NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000013, supported by the Northern Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the Portugal 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER), and funded by FEDER funds through the Competitiveness Factors Operational Programme (COMPETE), and by National funds, through the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), under the scope of the project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007038. The work at CICS-UBI has the support of FEDER funds through the POCI - COMPETE 2020 - Operational Programme Competitiveness and Internationalisation in Axis I - Strengthening research, technological development and innovation (Project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007491) and National Funds by Foundation for Science and Technology (Project UID/Multi /00709/2013)., info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Introduction: Preschool education is the first phase of basic education responsible for the promotion of competences and the harmonious global development of children. By intervening in this stage, psychomotricity, considered as the education of thought through movement, has a fundamental role in motor development, affective and psychological, as well as in the prevention and identification of problems of learning, namely, reading and writing. Methodology: the purpose of our study was to relate psychomotor factors to reading and writing skills. It was an investigation quantitative and descriptive. We used tests related to the readiness to learn to read and write (Reading and Writing Skills Assessment Battery) and the psychomotor behavior was evaluated with the application of Vítor da Fonseca's Psychomotor Battery. Participating students attended the 1st year of the 1st Cycle of Basic Education in a public school. From a universe of 50 students, 21 students from two groups, of both sexes (11 females and 10 males), aged between 5 and 7 years, were randomly selected, being used as an exclusion criterion to the participation in some intensive program of psychomotor stimulation. Results: It was possible to verify that the learnings are favored by the psychomotor domain, namely, in the level of body development, laterality, spatial and temporal structuring. Conclusion: It is therefore important that parents, teachers and special education technicians, who deal with children in this phase of transition to the 1 st cycle, are aware, know and understand the importance of a maturation and consolidation of the prerequisites for school learnings.

Introduction: In the current social context, Man is understood as a whole, in interaction with the environment that surrounds him, in which the concept of emotional intelligence allows him to live and regulate all actions in the reach of personal well-being. Methodology: This study aims to know the characteristics of emotional intelligence that guide the action of the school director and what perspectives teachers and operational assistants have regarding the way leadership is carried out. A mixed methodology of qualitative and quantitative nature was used. In the method of quantitative data collection, the instrument used was a questionnaire with the socio-demographic characterization and Emotional Intelligence Scale constructed by Moreno (2012). In the qualitative method we opted for the semi-structured interview. The sample consists of 131 subjects, 3 school directors, 100 teachers and 28 operational assistants. Results: The results show the three directors with the perception that they have good emotional (personal and social) competences for the performance of the position. For the remaining groups, teachers and operational assistants, despite the recognition of innumerable characteristics of emotional intelligence, they consider that their directors do not always manifest it (apply). Conclusion: The conclusions of this study highlight the fact that the leader plays a decisive role in the dynamism of the groups, insofar as it promotes the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization. It is noticed that the need for investment in human resources management, at the personal, professional and social level, is a condition for the success of organizations.

The continuous generation of new neurons in the adult mammalian hippocampus is a form of neural plasticity that modulates learning and memory functions, and also emotion (anxiety and depression). Among the factors known to modulate adult hippocampal neurogenesis and brain function, lipocalin-2 (LCN2) was recently described as a key regulator of neural stem cells (NSCs) proliferation and commitment, with impact on several dimensions of behaviour. Herein, we evaluated whether voluntary running, a well-known regulator of cell genesis, rescue the deficient adult hippocampal neurogenesis observed in mice lacking LCN2. We observed that running, by counteracting oxidative stress in NSCs, reverses LCN2-null mice defective hippocampal neurogenesis, as it promotes NSCs cell cycle progression and maturation, resulting in a partial reduction in anxiety and improved contextual behaviour. Together, these findings demonstrate that running is a positive modulator of adult hippocampal neurogenesis and behaviour in mice lacking LCN2, by impacting on the antioxidant kinetics of NSCs., Ana Catarina Ferreira is recipient of PhD fellowship from the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal)/FEDER. Fernanda Marques is an assistant researcher IF/00231/2013 of the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal). Tis work was supported by Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and COMPETE through the project EXPL/NEU-OSD/2196/2013 (to Marques F) and by the Bial Foundation through Grant 217/12 (to Sousa JC). Te work at ICVS/3B’s has been developed under the scope of the project NORTE01-0145-FEDER-000013, supported by the Northern Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the Portugal 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER), and funded by FEDER funds through the Competitiveness Factors Operational Programme (COMPETE), and by National funds, through the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), under the scope of the project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007038.

LnCu 2 (Ln = La, Ce, Gd, Tm) binary copper- f block element intermetallic compounds were tested as catalysts for the production of methanol using greenhouse gases (CO 2 and CH 4 ) as feedstock. The best results were obtained with PrCu 2 and LaCu 2 , which are more active for the production of methanol than a commercial Cu based catalyst (Alfa Aesar, 45776-0500) using CO 2 + H 2 (1:3) or CH 4 + CO 2 + H 2 (1:1:3) in the feed composition. The selectivity is also very high (> 80%), but the incorporation of CH 4 to the feedstock has a negative effect on the catalyst's behavior. LnCu 2 also present a remarkable long term stability for at least 50 h on the gaseous stream. To our knowledge, the results herein described are among the best reported until now.

The study of methanol production using copper–f block element bimetallic oxides as catalysts was undertaken. Carbon dioxide and hydrogen were used as reagents, but the addition of methane to this mixture was also studied. Catalysts were obtained by two methods: (i) Controlled oxidation of binary copper–f block element intermetallic compounds (IC) to obtain IC bimetallic oxides and (ii) impregnation followed by controlled oxidation to obtain copper–f block element oxide catalysts supported on alumina. Both types of catalysts proved to be more active for the production of methanol than a commercial Cu based catalysts (Alfa Aesar, 45776-0500). The selectivity is also very high (>90%), but the incorporation of CH4 to the feedstock has a negative effect on the catalyst behavior. The best result was that obtained with copper-cerium IC bimetallic oxide, its intrinsic activity (≈900 mLCH3OH/m2Cu·h) is 2–9 times higher in comparison with the numbers reported in the literature. To our knowledge, copper–f block element bimetallic oxides were never tested for the synthesis of methanol and the results herein reported are new and among the best reported until now.

Agricultural landscapes deliver multiple, highly valued goods such as cultural amenities, biodiversity conservation and climate stability. These goods are often delivered as side-effects of farmers' production decisions driven by broad-scale, supranational changes in agricultural, trade or other policies. Human well-being is thus affected in ways not taken into account in these macro-policy decisions. To avoid this policy failure, there is a growing demand for the valuation of broad-scale changes in public goods by the general public. For this purpose, context-rich valuation scenarios at this broad scale need to be developed which are empirically-based, policy-relevant and understandable by the general public. In this way, respondents are focused on actual trade-offs rather than invited to give symbolic reactions. This paper presents and discusses a valuation framework developed to fulfil these criteria. The approach is based on a typology of Macro-Regional Agri-Environmental Problems (MRAEP). Each MRAEP is defined by: (1) prevailing farming systems and agricultural landscapes; (2) current levels of public-good delivery; (3) expected direction of land-use change; and (4) expected effects of such change on public-good provision in each macro-region. Multivariate analysis of EU-wide data on agricultural landscapes and farming-systems led to identify thirteen macro-regions in the EU. Current public-good provision was described using public-good indicators. Only those public goods that are expected to change or could be improved by available policy options (core public goods) were used to generate choice alternatives for survey respondents. The paper ends by discussing innovative elements in the proposed approach, achievements, shortcomings and possible policy uses.

Yb 2 O 3 nano- and submicron-materials were prepared via electrospinning an homogeneous solution obtained by mixing ytterbium acetylacetonate with cellulose acetate in 1:1 acetyl acetone (2,4-pentanodione) and glacial acetic acid, followed by heat treatments for 2 h in air atmosphere at temperatures from 550 °C to 850 °C. The electrospinning procedure was carried out at 15 kV, with a tip to collector distance of 10 cm. Thermogravimetric analysis of the electrospun materials indicates their complete decomposition and oxidation below 425 °C, with a total weight loss of ~92%. The Williamson–Hall and the Brunauer−Emmett−Teller methods, and scanning and transmission electron microscopy observations were used to characterize the grain size and morphology of the samples. An initial very small grain size (

The synthesis of Ni-Ln bimetallic oxides (Ln = La, Ce, Pr, Sm, Dy, and Yb; Ni/Ln = 5) supported on silica and their study as catalysts for the methanation of CO2 was for the first time undertaken. Silica was obtained by electrospinning and the supported catalysts prepared by the incipient wetness impregnation technique with the Ni-Ln bimetallic oxides were equally distributed on the silica surface. The addition of lanthanides increases the catalysts activity and such increment was associated with the existence of a synergism between nickel and the 4f block element (doping effect of the lanthanides) that influence their basicity, decreases the catalysts particle size and increases its stability on the gaseous stream. The best results were those obtained over nickel–praseodymium and nickel–cerium bimetallic oxides that presents an activity per active site (Ni) 4–10 times higher than that measured over two reference catalysts, NiO/CeO2 and 5 wt% Rh/Al2O3, respectively, tested in the same conditions. This is a remarkable result and this work shows that supported nickel - lanthanide bimetallic oxides could be a real alternative to noble metal catalysts for the methanation of CO2.

The brain generates natural oscillations from coordinated neuronal activity. Recent work exploring gamma oscillation entrainment raised the possibility that the phenomenon can be exploited to preserve neural function. In this issue of Neuron, Adaikkan et al. (2019) now show that chronic gamma entrainment using visual stimuli protects against several neurodegenerative phenotypes.

New bimetallic calcium–actinide (Th and U) oxides were synthesized and tested as catalysts for the oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) using nitrous oxide as oxidant. The reaction main products were primarily C2 hydrocarbons (C2H4 and C2H6), particularly over the bimetallic calcium–thorium oxide catalyst (CH4 conversion ≈ 28%; C2 selectivity ≈ 53%; C2 yield ≈ 15% at 800 °C). The selectivity to hydrocarbons is promoted when thorium replaces uranium on the bimetallic calcium–actinide oxides (at CH4 isoconversion = 15 ± 3%; C2 selectivity ≈ 32% and 64% over the bimetallic Ca–U–O and Ca–Th–O catalysts at 750 °C, respectively), which can be linked to the actinide oxide phase properties. The bimetallic calcium–actinide oxides catalytic performance correlates with their acid–base and conductivity properties (selectivity to hydrocarbons increases with the catalysts basicity and it is higher over p-type conductors, e.g. ThO2). The influence of the reaction temperature, gas phase CH4/N2O molar ratio and type of oxidant agent were also studied. In particular, the studies performed either under O2 or N2O confirm that the use of nitrous oxide improves the selectivity to hydrocarbons. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that an OCM study using N2O as oxidant agent is reported over bimetallic Ca–An (An = Th and U) oxides aiming the production of C2 hydrocarbons.

The production, accumulation and aggregation of amyloid beta (Aß) peptides in Alzheimer's disease (AD) are influenced by different modulators. Among these are iron and iron-related proteins, given their ability to modulate the expression of the amyloid precursor protein and to drive Aß aggregation. Herein, we describe that lipocalin 2 (LCN2), a mammalian acute-phase protein involved in iron homeostasis, is highly produced in response to Aß1-42 by choroid plexus epithelial cells and astrocytes, but not by microglia or neurons. Although Aß1-42 stimulation decreases the dehydrogenase activity and survival of wild-type astrocytes, astrocytes lacking the expression of Lcn2 are not affected. This protection results from a lower expression of the proapoptotic gene Bim and a decreased inflammatory response. Altogether, these findings show that Aß toxicity to astrocytes requires LCN2, which represents a novel mechanism to target when addressing AD.Cell Death and Differentiation advance online publication, 23 May 2014; doi:10.1038/cdd.2014.68., We thank Dr. Ioannis Sotiropoulos for reagents and comments. Sandro Da Mesquita and Ana Catarina Ferreira are recipients of PhD fellowships and Fernanda Marques is recipient of a postdoctoral fellowship by the Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal)/FEDER. This work was supported by a grant from FCT/FEDER (EXPL/NEUOSD/2196/2013).

Potassium-lanthanide chloride molten salts (KCl–LnCl3, Ln = La, Ce, Sm, Dy and Yb) were used as catalysts for the oxidation of methane with N2O. They proved to be active and selective for the production of C2 hydrocarbons (e.g. CH4 conversion ≈ 15% and C2 selectivity > 75% over the KCl–CeCl3 catalyst at 750 °C) and remarkably stable for long periods of time on the gaseous stream (> 48 h). It was also found that their catalytic performance depends on the f block element (increases when La is replaced by Ce, Sm or Dy). The factors that seem to contribute to the variation of the activity and selectivity are the catalysts acid–base properties (higher acidity implies high activity, but lower selectivity to C2 hydrocarbons) and the oxidative character of the rare earth trivalent ions in the potassium chloride molten melt (high oxidation-reduction potentials implies lower activity and higher selectivity to hydrocarbons). The effect of the type of oxidant was also studied. The potassium-lanthanide chloride molten salts were more selective to hydrocarbons under N2O than under O2, e.g. ≈ 75 vs. ≈ 40% over KCl–CeCl3, respectively, which is clearly an advantage taking into account that nitrous oxide is a major greenhouse agent. To our knowledge, this is the first time that molten metal chloride catalysts were used as catalysts for the catalytic conversion of methane into hydrocarbons using N2O as oxidant.

Swine brucellosis due to Brucella suis biovar 2 is an emerging disease in Europe, associated with increase of extensive swine farms and high density of infected wild boars. Since knowledge of predominant circulating strains is a prerequisite for any epidemiological study, accurate molecular typing procedures were applied to a collection of 176 B. suis isolates. By using suis-ladder multiplex PCR and PCR-RFLP analysis of omp2a, omp2b and omp31 genes, five haplotypes were identified among 160 biovar 2 isolates, with haplotypes 2d and 2e restricted to Portugal and Spain and haplotypes 2a, 2b and 2c widespread in Europe (except Portugal). MLVA based on 16 genetic markers (MLVA-16) revealed 126 genotypes, with 101 singletons, and grouped biovar 2 isolates in two clusters according to their geographic origins and haplotypes, defining the Iberian (Portugal and Spain) and the Central-European clonal lineages. In order to get insights on the evolutionary associations between B. suis lineages and their host species, an extended analysis was performed using a subset of 11 markers and publicly available data for 350 additional strains. This MLVA-11 analysis revealed a high genetic divergence amongst the 526 B. suis strains based on their hosts and highlighted the close relationship between strains from swine, wild boars and hares. Beyond corroborating the existence of Iberian and Central European biovar 2 clonal lineages and pointing to the evolution of biovar 2 Iberian clonal lineage from Central-European one by an allopatric speciation event, an ongoing colonization of Iberian Peninsula with specific MLVA-11 genotypes is also highlighted.

Optical mapping is a technology able to quickly generate high resolution ordered whole-genome restriction maps of bacteria, being a proven approach to search for diversity among bacterial isolates. In this work, optical whole-genome maps were used to compare closely-related Brucella suis biovar 2 strains. This biovar is the unique isolated in domestic pigs and wild boars in Portugal and Spain and most of the strains share specific molecular characteristics establishing an Iberian clonal lineage that can be differentiated from another lineage mainly isolated in several Central European countries. We performed the BamHI whole-genome optical maps of five B. suis biovar 2 field strains, isolated from wild boars in Portugal and Spain (three from the Iberian lineage and two from the Central European one) as well as of the reference strain B. suis biovar 2 ATCC 23445 (Central European lineage, Denmark). Each strain showed a distinct, highly individual configuration of 228–231 BamHI fragments. Nevertheless, a low divergence was globally observed in chromosome II (1.6%) relatively to chromosome I (2.4%). Optical mapping also disclosed genomic events associated with B. suis strains in chromosome I, namely one indel (3.5 kb) and one large inversion (944 kb). By using targeted-PCR in a set of 176 B. suis strains, including all biovars and haplotypes, the indel was found to be specific of the reference strain ATCC 23445 and the large inversion was shown to be an exclusive genomic marker of the Iberian clonal lineage of biovar 2.

For the first time, bimetallic copper–thorium (Cu–Th–O), nickel–thorium (Ni–Th–O), and nickel–uranium (Ni–U–O) oxides were tested for the conversion of methane using N2O as oxidant. The behavior of the uranium and thorium catalysts is very different: at 10% methane isoconversion (700 °C), the production of C2 hydrocarbons is high over the uranium catalyst (≈80%), but the formation of oxidation products (CO2, CO) prevails over the thorium-based catalysts (≈85 and ≈15% selectivity to COx and C2). At higher temperature (750 °C), the formation of C2 hydrocarbons remains high over the uranium catalysts (conversion CH4 ≈ 20%, selectivity to C2 ≈ 60%), but the production of syngas is now very high over the thorium-based catalysts (conversion CH4 ≈ 50%, selectivity to CO and H2 ≈ 90% at 750 °C over Ni–Th–O) without formation of C2). This distinct behavior could not be assigned to the catalytic behavior of pure metal oxides or mechanical mixtures of single metal oxides, which is very different from that of the bim...

The partial oxidation of methane (POM) was studied over eutectic potassium chloride molten salts of the type KCl-MCl x (M = Li, Mg, Co, Cu, Zn). The catalytic performance is clearly different and depends on the metal M. The reaction products were CO, CO 2 , C2 (C 2 H 4 , C 2 H 6 ), C3 (C 3 H 6 , C 3 H 8 ) and C4 (C 4 H 10 ). The formation of hydrogen was never detected. The best results for the formation of hydrocarbons were those obtained over the potassium–copper molten salt (KCl-CuCl 2 , Sel. ≥ 80%) whereas, on the contrary, over KCl-ZnCl 2 the formation of CO 2 is always dominant. The addition of CeCl 3 to KCl-CuCl 2 leads to higher conversion of methane and higher selectivity to hydrocarbons. To explain such results, the molten salts liquid phase specificities, namely ion mobility, melting point and redox properties were taken into account. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first time that high selectivities to hydrocarbons are reported over molten salt catalysts.