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ABSTRACT This paper analyzes the expansion of social policies in South Korea during the context of globalization, by linking two theoretical approaches: social investment and the New Developmental State. Applying the case study method, I endorse the hypothesis of complementarily between the welfare state and the developmental state. The article shows that between the 1990s and the 2010s, South Korea expanded all sectors of social policies analyzed. Beyond the expansion of passive policies, active policies (including education) were reshaped in an integrated manner with the industrial policy to promote innovation, pursuing the transition to the knowledge-based society; also the family policy became one of the most generous among OECD countries.

Background Hypersexuality (HS) accompanying neurological conditions remains poorly characterized despite profound psychosocial impacts.ObjectiveWe aimed to systematically review the literature on HS in patients with neurological disorders.Study selection and analysisWe conducted a systematic review to identify studies that reported HS in neurological disorders. HS was defined as a condition characterized by excessive and persistent preoccupation with sexual thoughts, urges, and behaviors that cause significant distress or impairment in personal, social, or occupational functioning. Data on demographics, assessment techniques, associated elements, phenotypic manifestations, and management strategies were also extracted.FindingsThe final analysis included 79 studies on HS, encompassing 32 662 patients across 81 cohorts with neurological disorders. Parkinson's disease was the most frequently studied condition (55.6%), followed by various types of dementia (12.7%). Questionnaires were the most common assessment approach for evaluating HS, although the techniques varied substantially. Alterations in the dopaminergic pathways have emerged as contributing mechanisms based on the effects of medication cessation. However, standardized treatment protocols still need to be improved, with significant heterogeneity in documented approaches. Critical deficiencies include risks of selection bias in participant sampling, uncontrolled residual confounding factors, and lack of blinded evaluations of reported outcomes.Conclusions and clinical implicationsDespite growth in the last decade, research on HS remains limited across neurological conditions, with lingering quality and methodological standardization deficits. Key priorities include advancing assessment tools, elucidating the underlying neurobiology, and formulating management guidelines.PROSPERO registration number CRD42017036478.

Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) play a crucial role in understanding the impact of tuberculosis (TB) on both individuals and communities. Despite advances in TB treatment, conventional outcome definitions often overlook essential components of people with TB's experiences, leading to disparities in treatment understanding. The incorporation of PROs in TB scientific research can help bridge the gap between the health system and people's needs and expectations. PROs can offer valuable insights into non-observable constructs like health literacy, self-efficacy and overall wellbeing, contributing to the comprehensive assessment of diagnosis, treatment and research end-points. Participatory community approaches, such as Community-Based Participatory, emphasise the engagement and involvement of relevant stakeholders in designing interventions tailored to their needs. Key stakeholders, including healthcare professionals, researchers, clinical trial investigators, public health officials, and community health workers, TB survivors and people with TB, can play a vital role in promoting patient-centred care and engaging directly with the TB-affected community. An increased and cross-collaborative effort for the inclusion of PROs in TB research can entail their potential role in developing effective treatment regimens and promoting adherence, while maximising community engagement and improving outcomes for those affected by TB.

Responding to a surge in new tuberculosis (TB) cases among migrants from high-incidence countries, low-incidence European nations have heeded World Health Organization recommendations by implementing TB screening in this population. This review aims to synthesise evidence on current screening strategies for active TB and latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in European high-income countries, and their main barriers and interventions. PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus were searched from March to April 2023, including articles in English, published in the last decade, pertaining to screening strategies for active TB or LTBI in Europe focused on migrants, excluding those exclusively composed of refugees, asylum seekers or other migrant populations. 32 studies fit the criteria. Screening in migrants varies between countries regarding timing, population, screening location and diagnosis. Furthermore, some barriers prevent migrants from benefiting from screening, namely physical, cultural and professional barriers. Additional research is needed to determine the patterns through which regular migrants adhere to current screening strategies in European countries.

Traditional pesticides are based on toxic compounds that can reduce biodiversity, degrade the environment, and contribute to less healthy living. Plant allelochemicals can provide more environmentally friendly and sustainable alternatives. Essential oils (EOs) are complex mixtures of plant secondary metabolites that show strong biological activities. In the present study, the EOs of Cymbopogon citratus were screened for activity against the pinewood nematode (PWN), the causal agent of pine wilt disease. To understand their nematicidal properties, EOs were fractioned into hydrocarbon molecules and oxygen-containing compounds, and their main compounds were acquired and tested separately against the PWN. The EO oxygen-containing molecules fraction was highly active against the PWN (EC50 = 0.279 µL/mL), with citral and geraniol showing higher activities (EC50 = 0.266 and 0.341 µL/mL, respectively) than emamectin benzoate (EC50 = 0.364 µL/mL), a traditional nematicide used against the PWN. These compounds were additionally reported to be less toxic to non-target organisms (fish, invertebrates, and algae) and safer to human health (with higher reported toxicity thresholds) and predicted to exert fewer environmental impacts than traditional nematicides. Resorting to approved natural compounds can quickly leverage the development of sustainable alternatives to traditional nematicides.

Language plays a crucial role in shaping discourses and responses related to disease, particularly tuberculosis (TB). Stigmatising language and attitudes surrounding TB can lead to discrimination and marginalisation of affected individuals, creating barriers to seeking proper diagnosis and treatment. The terminology used to describe TB-affected individuals can be disempowering and criminalising, reinforcing an “othering” of those affected. To combat this, engaging with TB-affected communities is essential to co-construct a neutral and inclusive vocabulary that respects the dignity of individuals and fosters empathy and support. Thus, an inclusive language approach empowers affected individuals as active participants in their health management, encouraging open communication and the development of support networks. By adopting a neutral and inclusive language system, healthcare providers and communities can work together to remove unnoticed hurdles and align with the World Health Organization's TB care and prevention goals.

Plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs) are highly damaging pests responsible for heavy losses in worldwide productivity in a significant number of important plant crops. Common pest management strategies rely on the use of synthetic chemical nematicides, which have led to serious concerns regarding their impacts on human health and the environment. Plant natural products, or phytochemicals, can provide a good source of agents for sustainable control of PPNs, due to their intrinsic characteristics such as higher biodegradability, generally low toxicity for mammals, and lower bioaccumulation in the environment. In this work, the nematicidal activity of 39 phytochemicals was determined against the root-lesion nematode (RLN) Pratylenchus penetrans using standard direct and indirect contact methodologies. Overall, the RLN was tolerant to the tested phytochemicals at the highest concentration, 2 mg/mL, seldom reaching full mortality. However, high activities were obtained for benzaldehyde, carvacrol, 3-octanol, and thymol, in comparison to other phytochemicals or the synthetic nematicide oxamyl. These phytochemicals were seen to damage nematode internal tissues but not its cuticle shape. Also, the environmental and (eco)toxicological parameters reported for these compounds suggest lower toxicity and higher safety of use than oxamyl. These compounds appear to be good candidates for the development of biopesticides for a more sustainable pest management strategy.

People with or affected by tuberculosis (TB) experience complex social and cultural constraints that may affect treatment outcomes by impeding access to proper care or by hindering treatment adherence. Low levels of health literacy which leads to inadequate disease information; stigma, discrimination and other forms of prejudice that may result in marginalisation and ostracisation; and socioeconomic vulnerabilities that hamper one's capacity to access essential goods or increase the risk of exposure to the disease are some of the barriers highlighted. These complex hurdles are also disproportionately felt by people with or affected by TB due to gender-related inequalities that need to be properly addressed. Additionally, TB prevention and care should encompass interventions aimed at improving and promoting mental health, given that mental unhealth may further thwart treatment adherence and success. A multifaceted and multidisciplinary approach to TB is required to answer these complex barriers.

Neste artigo, pretende-se refletir sobre a importância do espectador na construção de um processo dialógico com um filme. Para isso, parte-se da aparente necessidade de desconstrução dessa relação que, se inicialmente, pode ser vista como duas esferas interseccionadas, aos poucos tende a fundir-se em apenas uma, a ser rompida. Para a realização dessa análise, foi levada em consideração o ponto de partida da arte ou, em outra medida, a visão do artista, para que tais esferas sejam o reflexo de entendimentos subjetivos, mas claros, e para torná-las, de facto, visuais a partir de tanto. Nesse sentido, encontrou-se em Rancière (2008/2010) uma das perspetivas que considera um novo lugar para o espectador, o de “ativo cocriador”, com o poder de subverter as hierarquias estabelecidas e transformar a relação de poder entre a obra e o público. Simultaneamente, Bazin (1958/2014) pensa que o cinema é uma forma de representação da realidade que permite ao espectador experimentar a sensação de estar presente no mundo retratado na tela. Ora, a questão parece encorpa-se, ainda, ao explicitar-se a importância da sensação, do prazer estético, algo defendido por Sontag (1966/2020). Por tudo isso, parece necessário conceitualizar imageticamente as individualidades e como estas podem ser, minimamente e em caráter subversivo às proposições dos autores citados, direcionadas, para que o espectador se torne, de todo, parte do filme e possa sentir-se importante ao se dar conta de que faz parte do resultado: é quando se rompe a esfera final de dentro para fora, possibilitando uma experiência única de liberdade.

Glucose, fructose, and galactose are widely used in the food industry as sweeteners and food additives. The over-consumption of these carbohydrates has been identified as a possible trigger of non-communicable diseases. These include insulin resistance, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. These sugars induce an energy overload with consequent adipose tissue (AT) expansion, contributing to the development of obesity. Furthermore, a common feature of these non-communicable diseases is the detrimental, chronic, low-grade inflammation contributing to their onset. In the present review, we identify the most widely used dietary free sugars and their direct impacts on AT metabolism and inflammation, as well as their involvement in systemic inflammation and effects on the immune cell phenotype and function. Additionally, we discuss the capacity of the free sugars to induce immune modulation, enhancing inflammation, an underlying hallmark of insulin resistance, obesity, and T2DM. Dietary sugars have an important and deleterious metabolic impact on AT and also on immune cells. More research is needed to effectively understand the impact of chronic exposure to high levels of individual or combined sugars on metabolism, with the impact on immunomodulation being especially important.

Abstract Sensing passersby and detecting crowded locations is a growing area of research and development in the last decades. The COVID-19 pandemic compelled authorities and public and private institutions to monitor access and occupancy of crowded spaces. This work addresses the detection of crowds in points of interest (POI) by using a territory grid analysis categorizing POIs by the services available in each location and comparing data gathered from a community passive Wi-Fi infrastructure against mobile cellular tower association data from telecom companies. In Madeira islands (Portugal), we used data from the telecom provider NOS for the timespan of 4 months as ground truth and found a strong correlation with sparse passive Wi-Fi. An official regional mobile application shows the occupancy data to end-users based on the territory categorization and the passive Wi-Fi infrastructure in POIs. Occupancy data shows historical hourly trends of each location, and the real-time occupation, helping visitors and locals plan their commutes better to avoid crowded spaces.

Low-grade inflammation is closely linked to obesity and obesity-related comorbidities; therefore, immune cells have become an important topic in obesity research. Here, we performed a deep phenotypic characterization of circulating T cells in people with obesity, using flow cytometry. Forty-one individuals with obesity (OB) and clinical criteria for bariatric surgery were enrolled in this study. We identified and quantified 44 different circulating T cell subsets and assessed their activation status and the expression of immune-checkpoint molecules, immediately before (T1) and 7–18 months after (T2) the bariatric surgery. Twelve age- and sex-matched healthy individuals (nOB) were also recruited. The OB participants showed higher leukocyte counts and a higher percentage of neutrophils. The percentage of circulating Th1 cells were negatively correlated to HbA1c and insulin levels. OB Th1 cells displayed a higher activation status and lower PD-1 expression. The percentage of Th17 and Th1/17 cells were increased in OB, whereas the CD4+ Tregs’ percentage was decreased. Interestingly, a higher proportion of OB CD4+ Tregs were polarized toward Th1- and Th1/17-like cells and expressed higher levels of CCR5. Bariatric surgery induced the recovery of CD4+ Treg cell levels and the expansion and activation of Tfh and B cells. Our results show alterations in the distribution and phenotype of circulating T cells from OB people, including activation markers and immune-checkpoint proteins, demonstrating that different metabolic profiles are associated to distinct immune profiles, and both are modulated by bariatric surgery.

The present work aims to present the economic and trade relationship between Mexico and the United States in the period 2010-2020 and to elucidate how an approximation between Mexico and Brazil, through South-South Cooperation, could occur. Due to the dynamics of Mexico's relations with the United States, where most imports and exports have their origin and destination to and from US soil, a rapprochement between Mexico and Brazil is important since it can end this relationship of dependence, given that the relations of the two Latin American countries are not close. Thus, the methodology will be hypothetical-deductive since the work will be developed from a possible dependence of Mexico with the United States to answer if there is, in fact, a relationship of economic dependence between them and how it occurs, and how an approximation in economic relations between Mexico and countries of the global South, especially Brazil, can benefit both and help to end such dependence.

Abstract Epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation, regulate gene expression and play a role in the development of insulin resistance. This study evaluates how the BMI z-score (BMIz) and the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), alone or in combination, relate to clinical outcomes and DNA methylation patterns in prepubertal children. DNA methylation in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and clinical outcomes were measured in a cohort of 41 prepubertal children. Children with higher HOMA-IR had higher blood pressure and plasma lactate levels while children with higher BMIz had higher triglycerides levels. Moreover, the DNA methylation analysis demonstrated that a 1 unit increase in the BMIz was associated with a 0.41 (95% CI: 0.29, 0.53) increase in methylation of a CpG near the PPP6R2 gene. This gene is important in the regulation of NF-kB expression. However, there was no strong evidence that the BMIz and the HOMA-IR were synergistically related to any clinical or DNA methylation outcomes. In summary, the results suggest that obesity and insulin resistance may impact metabolic health both independently in prepubertal children. In addition, obesity also has an impact on the DNA methylation of the PPP6R2 gene. This may be a novel underlying starting point for the systemic inflammation associated with obesity and insulin resistance, in this population.

Control of the pinewood nematode (PWN), the causal agent of pine wilt disease, can be achieved through the trunk injection of nematicides; however, many pesticides have been linked to environmental and human health concerns. Essential oils (EOs) are suitable alternatives due to their biodegradability and low toxicity to mammals. These complex mixtures of plant volatiles often display multiple biological activities and synergistic interactions between their compounds. The present work profiled the toxicity of eight EOs against the PWN in comparison to their 1:1 mixtures, to screen for successful synergistic interactions. Additionally, the main compounds of the most synergistic mixtures were characterized for their predicted environmental fate and toxicity to mammals in comparison to emamectin benzoate, a commercial nematicide used against PWN. The mixtures of Cymbopogon citratus with Mentha piperita and of Foeniculum vulgare with Satureja montana EOs showed the highest activities, with half-maximal effective concentrations (EC50) of 0.09 and 0.05 µL/mL, respectively. For these, complete PWN mortality was reached after only ca. 15 min or 2 h of direct contact, respectively. Their major compounds had a higher predicted affinity to air and water environmental compartments and are reported to have very low toxicity to mammals, with low acute oral and dermal toxicities. In comparison, emamectin benzoate showed lower nematicidal activity, a higher affinity to the soil and sediments environmental compartments and higher reported oral and dermal toxicity to mammals. Overall, uncovering synergistic activities in combinations of EOs from plants of different families may prove to be a source of biopesticides with optimized toxicity against PWNs.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a common heart disease associated with sudden cardiac death. Early diagnosis is critical to identify patients who may benefit from implantable cardioverter defibrillator therapy. Although genetic testing is an integral part of the clinical evaluation and management of patients with HCM and their families, in many cases the genetic analysis fails to identify a disease-causing mutation. This is in part due to difficulties in classifying newly detected rare genetic variants as well as variants-of-unknown-significance (VUS). Multiple computational algorithms have been developed to predict the potential pathogenicity of genetic variants, but their relative performance in HCM has not been comprehensively assessed. Here, we compared the performance of 39 currently available prediction tools in distinguishing between high-confidence HCM-causing missense variants and benign variants, and we developed an easy-to-use-tool to perform variant prediction benchmarks based on annotated VCF files (VETA). Our results show that tool performance increases after HCM-specific calibration of thresholds. After excluding potential biases due to circularity type I issues, we identified ClinPred, MISTIC, FATHMM, MPC and MetaLR as the five best performer tools in discriminating HCM-associated variants. We propose combining these tools in order to prioritize unknown HCM missense variants that should be closely followed-up in the clinic.

It is aimed, in this text, to analyze how politics enter the form and the content of the short stories included in A medida de todas as coisas, written by Peruvian author Pedro Llosa Vélez. Through several structural expedients, the narratives represent intellectuals inserted in subjective-ideological crisis. The subjective tone of the tales eliminates – or makes it tied to the protagonists’ psych – the politics inflexion of the stories, composing, despite of the explicit social, economic and cultural motives, narratives in which the propagandistic is dissipated by the discovering of the self, by the irony and the pathetic of the represented situations. Regarding politics, we based our studies on Wolfgang Leo Maar’s (1982) reflections; associated with the relations between politics and literature, Irving Howe’s thoughts are used.

Procuramos evidenciar, neste artigo, a construção psicológica ambivalente do protagonista José Célio no romance De mim já nem se lembra, de Luiz Ruffato. A percepção de José Célio, relativa à sua migração para a Grande São Paulo e às suas relações ali, inscreve-se no sentido de uma dualidade pulsional, negando, assim, uma visão maniqueísta do mundo. Nas cartas para a mãe, que são o núcleo da narrativa, manifestam-se as ambiguidades afetivas do protagonista e a associação conflitiva com o que o rodeia: por exemplo, ao mesmo tempo que sente saudade da família, edifica outros vínculos; ao mesmo tempo que o trabalho lhe retira as horas de gozo, o próprio labor dá margem para a sua educação política no meio do regime ditatorial. O desamparo, a perda do lugar estável, suscita, também, por meio da parcial porosidade de José Célio, a sua autonomia individual. Baseados nas ideias de Sigmund Freud (1986) acerca do desamparo, de Enrico Testa (2019) sobre a permeabilidade da personagem, de Franco Moretti (2020) a respeito do romance de formação e textos da fortuna crítica desse romance, mostramos como coexistem, no registro da psicologia do protagonista, através das cartas à mãe, a nostalgia e a potente vontade de edificar o futuro, rompida por uma morte prematura e também ambígua.

ABSTRACT Background: Impulsive compulsive behaviors (ICBs) can affect a significant number of Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients. Objective: We have studied brain samples from a brain bank of PD patients who received apomorphine via continuous infusion in life to assess the prevalence and outcome of ICBs. Methods: A search on the Queen Square Brain Bank (QSBB) database for cases donated from 2005 to 2016 with a pathological diagnosis of idiopathic PD was conducted. Notes of all donors who used apomorphine via continuous infusion for at least three months were reviewed. Clinical and demographic data were collected, as well as detailed information on treatment, prevalence and outcomes of ICBs. Results: 193 PD cases, 124 males and 69 females, with an average age at disease onset of 60.2 years and average disease duration of 17.2 years were reviewed. Dementia occurred in nearly half of the sample, depression in one quarter, and dyskinesias in a little over 40%. The prevalence of ICBs was 14.5%. Twenty-four individuals used apomorphine infusion for more than three months. Patients on apomorphine had younger age at disease onset, longer disease duration, and higher prevalence of dyskinesias. The prevalence of de novo ICB cases among patients on apomorphine was 8.3%. Apomorphine infusion was used for an average of 63.1 months on an average maximum dose of 79.5 mg per day. Ten patients remained on apomorphine until death. Conclusions: Apomorphine can be used as an alternative treatment for patients with previous ICBs as it has low risk of triggering recurrence of ICBs.

Objetivamos, nesta resenha crítica, interpretar O romance luminoso, de Mario Levrero, por meio, principalmente, das dualidades pulsionais entre a melancolia e a vontade de viver do protagonista. Dentro dos ciclos de profunda tristeza de Mario, movimentados ao sabor da fragmentária escrita diarística, encontramos processos de proteção do eu, sobretudo em uma espécie de mania-sublimatória, integrada ao veio fantasioso do escritor, que o anima a enxergar o porvir. Para isso, fizemos uso de reflexões teóricas de Marcello Duarte Mathias (1997) acerca do gênero diário e nos embasamos em noções, advindas da psicanálise, de Sigmund Freud (2019) e Joel Birman (2008) sobre a melancolia e a sublimação.

We aim to identify the modification of the value systems that the narratives of the 1930s have undergone along the studies dedicated to them. Broadening Antonio Candido’s (2010) idea, found in Formação da literatura brasileira, this study stems from the assumption that not only our literature, but also our criticism is eminently interested in the process of producing the sense of our culture and country, generating symbolical forms frequently associated with social tensions. We verified the existence of four value perspectives on the 1930s novels: the political perspective of early studies, in which the critics tried to connect the author’s visions of the world to the ones that are animated by the narrative; the documentary one, in which value stance was contiguous to social and mimetic aspects; the permanence one, in which the work’s quality is associated with the prolongation of tensions; and the qualitative notion, which is related to the construction of novels that differ from the reappearance of neonaturalistic aesthetics.

Abstract Background Gene activity is largely controlled by transcriptional regulation through the action of transcription factors and other regulators. QsMYB1 is a member of the R2R3-MYB transcription factor family related to secondary growth, and in particular, with the cork development process. In order to identify the putative gene targets of QsMYB1 across the cork oak genome we developed a ChIP-Seq strategy. Results Results provide direct evidence that QsMY1B targets genes encoding for enzymes involved in the lignin and suberin pathways as well as gene encoding for ABCG transporters and LTPs implicated in the transport of monomeric suberin units across the cellular membrane. These results highlight the role of QsMYB1 as a regulator of lignin and suberin biosynthesis, transport and assembly. Conclusion To our knowledge, this work constitutes the first ChIP-Seq experiment performed in cork oak, a non-model plant species with a long-life cycle, and these results will contribute to deepen the knowledge about the molecular mechanisms of cork formation and differentiation.

O presente artigo propõe demonstrar que existe uma correlação entre a imaginação ricoeuriana, presente na filosofia hermenêutica de Paul Ricoeur e a mistagogia dos Exercícios Espirituais de Santo Inácio de Loyola (EE) que se dá mediante um método próprio de leitura e contemplação dos textos bíblicos. Desta forma, o leitor (no sentido ricoeuriano) e o exercitante (no sentido inaciano) estariam realizando uma atividade interpretativa através da leitura, porém, por óticas díspares, a saber, uma filosófica e a outra espiritual. Se é durante a leitura que se realiza a hermenêutica, é, igualmente na linguagem narrativa em que se faz uma leitura de si. E se interpretação é hermenêutica, é justamente aqui que empregamos a imaginação ricoeuriana numa aproximação dialógica com a contemplação inaciana.

Abstract The use of cloud computing has become common due to advantages such as low cost and sizing of computing resources according to demand. However, it also raises security and privacy concerns, because critical data – for example, in IoT applications – are stored and processed in the cloud. This paper proposes a software architecture that supports multiple approaches to secure data aggregation. For validation purposes, this software architecture was used in the development of applications for smart grids, computing instantaneous consumption of a region and the monthly bill of an individual consumer. The consumption data can be collected by smart meters, enabling consumers to reduce electricity costs through close monitoring. However, such data may reveal sensitive information if no privacy techniques are applied. Therefore, the proposed software architecture proved to be viable from experiments with techniques such as homomorphic encryption and hardware security extensions (Intel SGX).

The pinewood nematode (PWN), Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, has become one of the most damaging pests to forest health in Asia and Europe. In the screening for sustainable biopesticides, research has focused on highly active secondary metabolites. In the present work, 25 linear and cyclic pure compounds, commonly found in essential oils (EOs) and extracts, were preliminarily tested in direct contact bioassays against the PWN to understand how distinct chemical structures can be related to a stronger nematicidal activity. Their activity appeared to be strongly related to specific functional groups, isomerism, or the length of the linear carbon chain. Uncovering the variation in the structure–activity relationships of anti-PWN compounds contributes to the identification of the nematicidal mechanisms of action as a basis for improving sustainable pest management in forest ecosystems.

The impacts of a rapidly changing environment together with the growth in global trade activities has promoted new plant pest pandemic events in forest ecosystems. The pinewood nematode (PWN), Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, causes strong worldwide economic and ecological impacts. Direct control is performed through trunk injection of powerful nematicides, however many of these (hemi)synthetic compounds have raised ecological and human health concerns for affecting non-target species and accumulating in food products. As sustainable alternatives, essential oils (EOs) have shown very promising results. In this work, available literature on the direct activity of EOs against PWN is reviewed, as a contribution to advance the search for safer and greener biopesticides to be used in sustainable PWD pest management strategies. For the first time, important parameters concerning the bioassays performed, the PWNs bioassayed, and the EOs used are summarized and comparatively analyzed. Ultimately, an overview of the chemical composition of the most active EOs allowed to uncover preliminary guidelines for anti-PWN EO efficiency. The analysis of important information on the volatile phytochemicals composing nematicidal EOs provides a solid basis to engineer sustainable biopesticides capable of controlling the PWN under an integrated pest management framework and contributes to improved forest health.

Inhibition of 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase is associated with an increased risk of new-onset type 2 diabetes. We studied the association of genetic or pharmacological HMG-CoA reductase inhibition with plasma and adipose tissue (AT) metabolome and AT metabolic pathways. We also investigated the effects of statin-mediated pharmacological inhibition of HMG-CoA reductase on systemic insulin sensitivity by measuring the HOMA-IR index in subjects with or without statin therapy. The direct effects of simvastatin (20–250 nM) or its active metabolite simvastatin hydroxy acid (SA) (8–30 nM) were investigated on human adipocyte glucose uptake, lipolysis, and differentiation and pancreatic insulin secretion. We observed that the LDL-lowering HMGCR rs12916-T allele was negatively associated with plasma phosphatidylcholines and sphingomyelins, and HMGCR expression in AT was correlated with various metabolic and mitochondrial pathways. Clinical data showed that statin treatment was associated with HOMA-IR index after adjustment for age, sex, BMI, HbA1c, LDL-c levels, and diabetes status in the subjects. Supra-therapeutic concentrations of simvastatin reduced glucose uptake in adipocytes and normalized fatty acid-induced insulin hypersecretion from β-cells. Our data suggest that inhibition of HMG-CoA reductase is associated with insulin resistance. However, statins have a very mild direct effect on AT and pancreas, hence, other tissues as the liver or muscle appear to be of greater importance.

Propomos, nesta resenha, investigar a profusão de associações animadas pelo breve romance Anatomia da melancolia, do escritor argentino Carlos Daniel Aletto, avaliando os efeitos estéticos do livro. Lançado em 2017 pela editora Iluminuras, a narrativa é construída a partir de dois eixos que se retroalimentam, mediando as ligações extratexto. E por texto, aqui, entende-se a iconografia que perpassa o livro, os dados pré-narrativos e a narrativa em si, que é retroalimentada pelos dados anteriores. Dentro do embaralhamento dos sinais reais e dos ficcionais e da imbricação entre os dois eixos narrativos, há a feliz tentativa de mimetização dos movimentos da consciência melancólica de Túndalo, narrador-protagonista.

O desenho de cursos online tem sido olhado de acordo com diferentes teorias, como os nove níveis de Gagne, a Comunidade de Inquirição de Garrison, Anderson e Archer ou mesmo o Conectivismo de Siemens. Em 2003, Terry Anderson avançou com um conjunto de princípios relacionados com a equivalência de interação estudante-estudante, estudante-conteúdo e estudante-professor, para que se alcance uma aprendizagem significativa e profunda, ao qual apelidou de Teorema da Equivalência da Interação. Desde então que vários estudos têm sido feitos para a validação dos seus princípios. Neste artigo procura-se, a partir de uma revisão da literatura, analisar os vários resultados obtidos sobre o Teorema da Equivalência da Interação e entender as suas contribuições no momento de decisão sobre o desenho de um curso online, nomeadamente a questão do custo-benefício de se ter desenhos com mais ou menos intensidade de interação.

No presente artigo, procuro dar uma contribuição a mais como parte do debate sobre o preconceito, racismo, discriminação racial, xenofobia, intolerância correlata e a violência contra a população negra brasileira, principalmente a juventude negra. Neste contexto, a reflexão sobre violência e (in)tolerância na sociedade brasileira leva-me a manifestar como militante/acadêmico, sair de uma totalidade universal e concentrar numa questão específica de um único segmento social. A população denominada “afro-brasileira” (pretos e pardos) ou população negra pobre (tratamento que darei nesse texto).

Aim: To test the hypothesis that shading of the fruiting zone of the plants might reduce yield losses caused by excessive exposure to sun while avoiding the most damaging effects associated with reduced radiation. Methods and results: A number of grapevine rows were shaded with a double layered white plastic netting on their south-facing side, from the ground to about 20 cm above the cluster zone. Data on meteorological conditions, plant growth, plant water availability, yield components and must characteristics were recorded during three growing seasons. Shading significantly increased yield but did not alter significantly the must characteristics. Conclusion: Partial shading of the grapevine canopy reduced yield losses attributable to excessive radiation. The must obtained from shaded berries had a lower concentration of anthocyanins, and the wines made from these musts had a lighter colour which may be detrimental to their quality. Significance and impact of the study: The study highlights the effects of solar radiation on the composition of grape musts and suggests a potentially cost-effective method to control excessive radiation in vineyards.

Um dos desafios a serem superados nos próximos anos, buscando ampliar a utilização de biodiesel no mercado brasileiro, trata da sua estabilidade à oxidação. Pela sua composição química, o biodiesel oxida-se quando em contato com o ar ou submetido à ação do calor, provocando variação de parâmetros como viscosidade cinemática, índice de acidez e índice de peróxidos. Desta forma, o presente trabalhou buscou atender à esta demanda a partir da aplicação de butil-hidroxianizol como agente antioxidante em biodiesel produzido a partir de óleos e gorduras residuais. Durante quatro semanas, foram avaliadas quatro concentrações deste antioxidante no biodiesel: 250, 500, 750 e 1000 ppm. Para acompanhar a evolução da oxidação do combustível, foi monitorado o seu índice de peróxido. Os resultados mostraram que a concentração de 1000 ppm se mostrou mais eficaz que as demais no controle da formação de peróxidos durante os ensaios, indicando maior capacidade de controlar a oxidação do combustível. Por fim, foi determinada a estabilidade à oxidação do biodiesel sem adição de butil-hidroxianizol e com a adição deste produto na concentração de 1000 ppm. Os resultados mostraram um aumento superior à 700 % na estabilidade à oxidação do biodiesel pelo uso deste antioxidante nesta concentração, corroborando os resultados obtidos a partir do monitoramento do índice de peróxido.

Acetone was investigated and found to be an appropriate alternative to Triton X-100 as a solvent of essential oils in bioassays aimed to investigate their effects on pinewood nematode (Bursaphelenchus xylophilus) mortality. Therefore it was used as dilution agent to screen the effectiveness of fifty two essential oils against this pest. Thirteen essential oils were highly effective, resulting in more than 90% pinewood nematode mortality at 2 mg/mL, with six of them resulting in 100% mortality. LC100 values ranged between 0.50 mg/mL and 0.83 mg/mL for the essential oils of Origanum vulgare and Satureja montana, respectively. Essential oils were submitted to gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis and their chemical composition established. Data from essential oils with 100% mortality at 2 mg/mL and other essential oils previously found to have LC100 ≤ 2 mg/mL was combined, their chemical profiles investigated by correspondences analysis plus automatic classification.

Alguns pressupostos epistemológicos da teoria quântica na sua abordagem do mundo natural virtualidade/actualidade, interacção observador/observado, imprevisibilidade e causalidade estatística, dualidade unitária das partículas, noção de informação, etc.) aproximam se surpreendentemente das propriedades manifestas pelas novas textualidades digitais, nascidas com a era do computador, e aqui designadas genericamente como “cibertexto”. É propósito deste artigo ensaiar uma aproximação entre o modelo quântico e o modelo semiótico, não tanto para revelar uma simples homologia, mas antes para sugerir uma visão unitária subjacente à abordagem dos vários níveis de realidade (matérica, biológica, mental, cultural e espiritual). Essa aproximação entre a visão quântica da matéria e o cibertexto centraliza-se terminalmente na unificação triádica dos conceitos matéria/energia/informação com os conceitos fulcrais do triângulo semiótico: significante/significado/sentido.

Cork oaks show a high capacity of bud sprouting as a response to injury, which is important for species survival when dealing with external factors, such as drought or fires. The characterization of the cork oak transcriptome involved in the different stages of bud sprouting is essential to understanding the mechanisms involved in these processes. In this study, the transcriptional profile of different stages of bud sprouting, namely (1) dormant bud and (2) bud swollen, vs. (3) red bud and (4) open bud, was analyzed in trees growing under natural conditions. The transcriptome analysis indicated the involvement of genes related with energy production (linking the TCA (tricarboxylic acid) cycle and the electron transport system), hormonal regulation, water status, and synthesis of polysaccharides. These results pinpoint the different mechanisms involved in the early and later stages of bud sprouting. Furthermore, some genes, which are involved in bud development and conserved between species, were also identified at the transcriptional level. This study provides the first set of results that will be useful for the discovery of genes related with the mechanisms regulating bud sprouting in cork oak.

Apresentação e discussão do projecto hipermediático «Alletsator/Rotastella» como pretexto para a discussão das novas textualidades digitais na era da informática – sua repercussão na redefinição do conceito de Literatura e suas margens. Tendo em conta que este projecto, hoje um projecto colaborativo entre dois centros de pesquisa em Portugal e no Brasil (CETIC e NUPh), arrancou de um projecto de literatura generativa exclusivamente verbal (materializado no Sintext de 1995 e depois em «O Motor Textual», 2001), tendo posteriormente migrado para o palco teatral em 2001 com a ópera electrónica «Alletsator- XPTO.kosmos.2001» (aquando da Porto Capital Europeia da Cultura), e estando numa terceira fase a ser recriado em ambientes 3D virtuais integrados numa estrutura hipermédia, a reflexão que se propõe tentará dar uma ideia desta migração discursiva nas suas 3 etapas: literária, teatral, hipermedia.

O presente artigo apresenta duas possíveis interpretações para um prognóstico mencionado por Sérgio Buarque de Holanda sobre o protestantismo no Brasil, afirmando que essa religião nunca floresceria no país, ecoando as palavras do viajante Thomas Ewbank. Procuramos interpretações para esse prognóstico tanto na referência ao pensamento weberiano, presente em boa parte da obra “Raízes do Brasil”, quanto na própria experiência protestante no Brasil durante o século XIX.

DNA replication in higher eukaryotes initiates at thousands of origins according to a spatio-temporal program. The ATR/Chk1 dependent replication checkpoint inhibits the activation of later firing origins. In the Xenopus in vitro system initiations are not sequence dependent and 2-5 origins are grouped in clusters that fire at different times despite a very short S phase. We have shown that the temporal program is stochastic at the level of single origins and replication clusters. It is unclear how the replication checkpoint inhibits late origins but permits origin activation in early clusters. Here, we analyze the role of Chk1 in the replication program in sperm nuclei replicating in Xenopus egg extracts by a combination of experimental and modelling approaches. After Chk1 inhibition or immunodepletion, we observed an increase of the replication extent and fork density in the presence or absence of external stress. However, overexpression of Chk1 in the absence of external replication stress inhibited DNA replication by decreasing fork densities due to lower Cdk2 kinase activity. Thus, Chk1 levels need to be tightly controlled in order to properly regulate the replication program even during normal S phase. DNA combing experiments showed that Chk1 inhibits origins outside, but not inside, already active clusters. Numerical simulations of initiation frequencies in the absence and presence of Chk1 activity are consistent with a global inhibition of origins by Chk1 at the level of clusters but need to be combined with a local repression of Chk1 action close to activated origins to fit our data.

Forests are essential resources on a global scale, not only for the ecological benefits, but also for economical and landscape purposes. However, in recent years, a large number of forest species have suffered a serious decline, with maritime pine being one of the most affected. In Portugal, the maritime pine forest has been devastated by the pine wood nematode (PWN), the causal agent of pine wilt disease. In this study, RNA-Seq data was used to characterize the maritime pine response to infection with PWN, by determining the differentially expressed genes and identifying the regulatory networks and pathways associated. The analyses showed clear differences between an early response that occurs immediately after inoculation and a late response that is observed seven days after inoculation. Moreover, differentially expressed genes related to secondary metabolism, oxidative stress and defense against pathogen infection were identified over different time points. These results provide new insights about the molecular mechanisms and metabolic pathways involved in the response of Pinus pinaster against PWN infection, which will be a useful resource in follow-up studies and for future breeding programs to select plants with lower susceptibility to this disease.

Alguns pressupostos epistemológicos da teoria quântica na sua abordagem do mundo natural (virtualidade/atualidade, interação observador/observado, imprevisibilidade e causalidade estatística, dualidade onda-partícula, noção de informação, etc.) aproximam-se surpreendentemente das propriedades manifestas pelas novas textualidades digitais, nascidas com a era do computador, e aqui designadas genericamente como «cibertexto». É propósito deste artigo ensaiar uma aproximação entre o modelo quântico e o modelo semiótico, não tanto para revelar uma simples homologia, mas antes para sugerir uma visão unitária subjacente à abordagem dos vários níveis de realidade (matérica, biológica, mental, cultural e espiritual). Essa aproximação entre a visão quântica da matéria e o cibertexto centraliza-se terminalmente na unificação triádica dos conceitos matéria/ energia/ informação com os conceitos fulcrais do triângulo semiótico significante/ significado/ sentido (ou, no domínio da estética, TAC: tecnologia/ arte/ consciência).

Pine Wilt Disease (PWD) is a complex disease integrating three major agents: the pathogenic agent, the pinewood nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus; the insect-vector Monochamus spp.; and the host pine tree, Pinus sp. Since the early 80's, the notion that another pathogenic agent, namely bacteria, may play a role in PWD has been gaining traction, however the role of bacteria in PWD is still unknown. The present work supports the possibility that some B. xylophilus-associated bacteria may play a significant role in the development of this disease. This is inferred as a consequence of: (i) the phenotypic characterization of a collection of 35 isolates of B. xylophilus-associated bacteria, in different tests broadly used to test plant pathogenic and plant growth promoting bacteria, and (ii) greenhouse experiments that infer the pathogenicity of these bacteria in maritime pine, Pinus pinaster. The results illustrate the presence of a heterogeneous microbial community associated with B. xylophilus and the traits exhibited by at least, some of these bacteria, appear to be related to PWD symptoms. The inoculation of four specific B. xylophilus-associated bacteria isolates in P. pinaster seedlings resulted in the development of some PWD symptoms suggesting that these bacteria likely play an active role with B. xylophilus in PWD.

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