Efeitos estruturais e cinéticos de micelas invertidas sobre uma amidase de pseudomonas aeruginosa

No presente trabalho foi executado o encapsulamento de células intactas, extracto celular e amidase purificada (E.C. 3.5.1.4) da estirpe L10 e AI3 de Pseudomonas aeruginosa num sistema de micelas invertidas composto pelo surfactante catiónico brometo de tetradeciltrimetilamónio (TTAB) em heptano/octanol 80/20 (v/v). O efeito do encapsulamento no sistema de micelas invertidas foi estudado avaliando a reacção de transamidação para síntese de ácido acetohidroxâmico, catalisada pela amidase expressa por ambas as estirpes. No sistema de micelas invertidas fez-se variar conteúdo de água (w0) e foi estudado o efeito na actividade enzimática e no rendimento de síntese de acetohidroxamato. Os resultados demonstraram um aumento considerável de actividade específica e do rendimento de síntese no sistema de micelas comparativamente ao meio convencional aquoso, sugerindo que a metodologia de encapsulamento do biocatalisador demonstrou potencialidades de utilização na síntese de hidroxamatos, compostos de elevada importância e aplicabilidade. Na variação do conteúdo de água no sistema micelar obteve-se uma curva em sino de actividade específica e de rendimento, com um pico de actividade para w0 = 10, quer em células intactas, extracto celular e amidase purificada de ambas as estirpes. No caso da Pseudomonas aeruginosa L10 alcançaram-se actividades específicas de 8, 11 e 103 UI/mg de proteína e rendimentos de 94, 99 e 40 % respectivamente para células intactas, extracto celular e amidase purificada. Quanto à Pseudomonas aeruginosa AI3 obtiveram-se, respectivamente, actividades específicas de 5, 9 e 163 UI/ mg de proteína e rendimentos de 66, 66 e 28 % para células intactas, extracto celular e amidase purificada. A estabilidade de armazenamento do biocatalisador no sistema de micelas invertidas e em solução aquosa a 24ºC foi avaliada. Este estudo revelou um aumento do t1/2 no sistema de micelas face ao armazenamento em solução aquosa convencional. No caso da Pseudomonas aeruginosa L10 os melhores resultados foram obtidos para a amidase purificada encapsulada revelando um t1/2 de 17 dias. Quanto ao extracto celular da Pseudomonas aeruginosa AI3 demonstrou um t1/2 de 26 dias quando encapsulado no sistema de micelas. O estudo das alterações estruturais na amidase, de ambas as estirpes, devidas ao encapsulamento em micelas invertidas foi realizado recorrendo à espectroscopia de FTIR. Esta análise permitiu verificar que a amidase AI3 não alterou significativamente a sua estrutura secundária em micelas invertidas para diferentes w0. No entanto, no encapsulamento a sua estrutura secundária sofreu alterações face à estrutura do enzima em solução aquosa. A amidase L10 exibe apenas alterações estruturais face à estrutura que exibe em solução aquosa quando confinada em micelas para w0 3,5 e 4.

O design do manual escolar

O manual escolar, pelas suas características, é um produto de design gráfico, disciplina que tardou a desenvolver-se em Portugal. Após o 25 de Abril, as editoras escolares expandiram-se, e a globalização do ensino teve como consequência o aumento do número de manuais escolares. O desenvolvimento do design gráfico está intimamente ligado ao desenvolvimento da tecnologia informática, contribuindo fortemente para a alteração das características do manual escolar, sendo a mais notória a importância dada à imagem como portadora de informação. Sem investigação que suporte o seu actual formato, nem formação dos professores que permita explorar as suas novas potencialidades, interrogamo-nos sobre a sua eficácia. O campo da teoria da imagem é vasto e a sua aplicação, quer na realização, quer na exploração pedagógica do manual escolar, exige alguma sistematização que procuramos apresentar.

Factores de pré-disposição para o ambiente

Vários estudos mostram que o impacto da Educação Ambiental(EA) na mudança de atitudes e comportamentos nos alunos não tem sido significativo, mesmo quando estes participam em projectos bem estruturados. Todavia, o sucesso desses projectos não pode ser desligado de uma multiplicidade de factores que determinam o desenvolvimento da consciência ambiental e a consequente vontade de agir na resolução de problemas do ambiente. Neste artigo apresentam-se os resultados de uma investigação que procurou indagar, junto de professores especialmente motivados para a causa ambiental, quais os factores que os mesmos assumem mais ter contribuído para esse comprometimento. Para tal foram inquiridos 60 docentes de escolas e jardins de infância dos distritos de Lisboa e Setúbal e que implementam regularmente projectos de EA, com proveniência dos seguintes ciclos: 15 educadores de infância (Pré-Escolar), 15 professores do 1º Ciclo, 15 professores do 2º Ciclo e 15 do 3º Ciclo e Secundário. A maioria dos inquiridos salientou a importância do contacto com a Natureza no decurso da infância e adolescência, o que confirmou os resultados de investigações similares efectuadas em outros países. Estes resultados obrigam a repensar a importância e os moldes de implementação das actividades de outdoor, tanto em contexto Escola como em contexto Família. E uma vez que o contacto com a Natureza parece contribuir para aumentar o interesse das pessoas pelas questões do ambiente, talvez constitua uma via importante para a sua adesão futura a projectos de EA desenvolvidos em contexto formal, aumentando assim a sua eficácia.

Hydroisomerization of n-decane over SAPO-11 catalysts synthesized with methylamine as co-template

The present work deals with preliminary studies concerning a new synthesis approach to prepare SAPO materials with AEL structure and evaluate their catalytic behavior in the hydroisomerization of long paraffins. The new SAPO-11 catalysts were synthesized with the help of a small amine (methylamine, MA) added during the preparation of the initial gel. As MA incorporates into the structure of the final materials, it contributes, together with DPA (dipropylamine), to an increase in Si incorporation as isolated species, which results in Bronsted acid sites. Thus, this new and original synthesis strategy allows to obtain materials with enhanced Bronsted acidity when compared with free MA materials. The catalysts were tested in n-decane hydroisomerization (n-decane was used as a model molecule) and confirmed the effect of MA on the acidic properties of the catalysts. The samples synthesized with MA present a higher number of acid sites that increase the catalytic conversion but have a negative effect in the isomerization selectivity, i.e. a more significant amount of cracking products is formed.

Preparação e avaliação das propriedades catalíticas de materiais do tipo SAPO-11 na hidroisomerização de n-decano

Neste trabalho efectuou-se o estudo do comportamento de catalisadores bifuncionais do tipo SAPO-11, contendo 0,5% em massa de platina, em que foram efectuadas alterações durante o processo de síntese, na reacção de hidroisomerização do n-decano. As modificações efectuadas nos catalisadores foram: quantidade de silício; utilização di-propilamina (DPA) como agente estruturante ou a mistura de di-proppilamina (DPA) e metilamina (MA), funcionando esta última como co-estruturante; diferentes tempos de cristalização (24 e 12h); e a introdução de nióbio (Nb). Os catalisadores preparados foram caracterizados recorrendo às técnicas de difracção de raio-X, microscopia electrónica de varrimento, adsorção de N2, adsorção de piridina acompanhada por espectroscopia de infravermelho, reacção de hidrogenação do tolueno e quimissorção de H2. A quantidade de Si afecta a acidez e, ligeiramente, a actividade hidrogenante, levando a uma diminuição da selectividade aos produtos mono-ramificados com o aumento de Si. A utilização de MA aumenta, significativamente, o tamanho dos cristais, reflectindo-se na menor selectividade aos isómeros mono-ramificados. Nos catalisadores preparados com menor tempo de cristalização o crescimento dos cristais não é completo, sendo o seu tamanho inferior aos preparados com 24h com consequente diminuição da cristalinidade dos materiais. A presença de Nb exerce um efeito na acidez dos catalisadores e na não uniformidade do tamanho dos cristais, provocando o aumento da selectividade aos produtos multi-ramificados e reacções de craking.

YouTubers as satirists: humour and remix in online video

This article aims to discuss the role humour plays in politics, particularly in a media environment overflowing with user-generated video. We start with a genealogy of political satire, from classical to Internet times, followed by a general description of “the Downfall meme,” a series of videos on YouTube featuring footage from the film Der Untergang and nonsensical subtitles. Amid video-games, celebrities, and the Internet itself, politicians and politics are the target of such twenty-first century caricatures. By analysing these videos we hope to elucidate how the manipulation of images is embedded in everyday practices and may be of political consequence, namely by deflating politicians' constructed media image. The realm of image, at the centre of the Internet's technological culture, is connected with decisive aspects of today's social structure of knowledge and play. It is timely to understand which part of “playing” is in fact an expressive practice with political significance.

Incorporation of niobium in SAPO-11 materials: Synthesis and characterization

The present work concerns a new synthesis approach to prepare niobium based SAPO materials with AEL structure and the characterization ofNb species incorporated within the inorganic matrixes. The SAPO-11 materials were synthesized with or without the help of a small amine, methylamine (MA) as co-template, while Nb was added directly during the preparation of the initial gel. Structural, textural and acidic properties of the different supports were evaluated by XRD, TPR, UV-Vis spectroscopy, pyridine adsorption followed by IR spectroscopy and thermal analyses. Pure and well crystalline Nb based SAPO-11 materials were obtained, either with or without MA, using in the initial gel a low Si content of about 0.6. Increasing the Si content of the gel up to 0.9 led to an important decrease of the samples crystallinity. Niobium was found to incorporate the AEL pores support as small Nb2O5 oxide particles and also as extra framework cationic species (Nb5+), compensating the negative charges from the matrix and generating new Lewis acid sites. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Performance of coastal sea-defense infrastructure at El Jadida (Morocco) against tsunami threat: lessons learned from the Japanese 11 March 2011 tsunami

This paper seeks to investigate the effectiveness of sea-defense structures in preventing/reducing the tsunami overtopping as well as evaluating the resulting tsunami impact at El Jadida, Morocco. Different tsunami wave conditions are generated by considering various earthquake scenarios of magnitudes ranging from M-w = 8.0 to M-w = 8.6. These scenarios represent the main active earthquake faults in the SW Iberia margin and are consistent with two past events that generated tsunamis along the Atlantic coast of Morocco. The behavior of incident tsunami waves when interacting with coastal infrastructures is analyzed on the basis of numerical simulations of near-shore tsunami waves' propagation. Tsunami impact at the affected site is assessed through computing inundation and current velocity using a high-resolution digital terrain model that incorporates bathymetric, topographic and coastal structures data. Results, in terms of near-shore tsunami propagation snapshots, waves' interaction with coastal barriers, and spatial distributions of flow depths and speeds, are presented and discussed in light of what was observed during the 2011 Tohoku-oki tsunami. Predicted results show different levels of impact that different tsunami wave conditions could generate in the region. Existing coastal barriers around the El Jadida harbour succeeded in reflecting relatively small waves generated by some scenarios, but failed in preventing the overtopping caused by waves from others. Considering the scenario highly impacting the El Jadida coast, significant inundations are computed at the sandy beach and unprotected areas. The modeled dramatic tsunami impact in the region shows the need for additional tsunami standards not only for sea-defense structures but also for the coastal dwellings and houses to provide potential in-place evacuation.

Competências em língua portuguesa à saída da licenciatura: o caso da licenciatura em Educação Básica da ESELx (2010-11)

O presente artigo tem como objetivo geral analisar o desempenho dos alunos da licenciatura em Educação Básica da Escola Superior de Educação de Lisboa na prova de língua portuguesa de acesso ao 2º Ciclo de estudos, no ano letivo de 2010-11. Em concreto, procurar-se-á: (i) caracterizar os candidatos; (ii) identificar as áreas de maior (in)sucesso no âmbito das competências em avaliação (leitura, escrita e conhecimento linguístico).

Strabismus, visual acuity, and uncorrected refractive error in Portuguese children aged 6 to 11 years

Introduction: Visual anomalies that affect school-age children represent an important public health problem. Data on the prevalence are lacking in Portugal but is needed for planning vision services. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of strabismus, decreased visual acuity, and uncorrected refractive error in Portuguese children aged 6 to 11 years. Methods and materials: A cross-sectional study was carried out on a sample of 672 school-age children (7.69 ± 1.19 years). Children received an orthoptic assessment (visual acuity, ocular alignment, and ocular movements) and non-cycloplegic autorefraction. Results: After orthoptic assessment, 13.8% of children were considered abnormal (n = 93). Manifest strabismus was found in 4% of the children. Rates of esotropia (2.1%) were slightly higher than exotropia (1.8%). Strabismus rates were not statistically significant different per sex (p = 0.681) and grade (p = 0.228). Decreased visual acuity at distance was present in 11.3% of children. Visual acuity ≤20/66 (0.5 logMAR) was found in 1.3% of the children. We also found that 10.3% of children had an uncorrected refractive error. Conclusions: Strabismus affects a small proportion of the Portuguese school-age children. Decreased visual acuity and uncorrected refractive error affected a significant proportion of school-age children. New policies need to be developed to address this public health problem.

Effects of oxidante acid treatments on carbon-templated hierarchical SAPO-11 materials: synthesis, characterization and catalytic evaluation in n-decane hydroiosomerization

Hierarchical SAPO-11 was synthesized using a commercial Merck carbon as template. Oxidant acid treatments were performed on the carbon matrix in order to investigate its influence on the properties of SAPO-11. Structural, textural and acidic properties of the different materials were evaluated by XRD, SEM, N-2 adsorption, pyridine adsorption followed by IR spectroscopy and thermal analyses. The catalytic behavior of the materials (with 0.5 wt.% Pt, introduced by mechanic mixture with Pt/Al2O3), were studied in the hydroisomerization of n-decane. The hierarchical samples showed higher yields in monobranched isomers than typical microporous SAPO-11, as a direct consequence of the modification on both porosity and acidity, the later one being the most predominant. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Scheduling of a hydro producer considering head-dependency, price scenarios and risk-aversion

In this paper, a mixed-integer quadratic programming approach is proposed for the short-term hydro scheduling problem, considering head-dependency, discontinuous operating regions and discharge ramping constraints. As new contributions to earlier studies, market uncertainty is introduced in the model via price scenarios, and risk aversion is also incorporated by limiting the volatility of the expected profit through the conditional value-at-risk. Our approach has been applied successfully to solve a case Study based on one of the main Portuguese cascaded hydro systems, requiring a negligible computational time.

Catalytic activity of a benzoyl hydrazone based dimeric dicopper(II) complex in catechol and alcohol oxidation reactions

The benzoyl hydrazone based dimeric dicopper(II) complex [Cu2(R)(CH3O)(NO3)]2(CH3O)2 (R-Cu2+), recently reported by us, catalyzes the aerobic oxidation of catechols (catechol (S1), 3,5- itertiarybutylcatechol (S2) and 3-nitrocatechol (S3)) to the corresponding quinones (catecholase like activity), as shown by UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy in methanol/HEPES buffer (pH 8.2) medium at 25 C. The highest activity is observed for the substituted catechol (S2) with the electron donor tertiary butyl group, resulting in a turnover frequency (TOF) value of 1.13 103 h1. The complex R-Cu2+ also exhibits a good catalytic activity in the oxidation (without added solvent) of 1-phenylethanol to acetophenone by But OOH under low power (10 W) microwave (MW) irradiation. 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Generation of high-affinity monoclonal antibodies of IgG class against native β-d-glucans from basidiomycete mushrooms

β-d-glucans from basidiomycete strains are powerful immunomodulatory agents in several clinical conditions. Therefore, their assay, purification and characterization are of great interest to understand their structure-function relationship. Hybridoma cell fusion was used to raise monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) against extracellular β-d-glucans (EBGs) from Pleurotus ostreatus. Two of the hybridoma clones (1E6-1E8-B5 and 3E8-3B4) secreting Mabs against EBGs were selected. This hybridoma cell line secreted Mabs of the IgG class which were then purified by hydroxyapatite chromatography to apparent homogeneity on native and SDS-PAGE. Mabs secreted by 1E6-1E8-B5 clone were found to recognize a common epitope on several β-d-glucans from different basidiomycete strains. This Mab exhibited high affinity constant (KA) for β-d-glucans from several mushroom strains in the range of 3.20 × 109 ± 3.32 × 103-1.51 × 1013 ± 3.58 × 107 L/mol. Moreover, they reacted to some heat-treated β-d-glucans in a different mode when compared with the native forms; these data suggest that this Mab binds to a conformational epitope on the β-d-glucan molecule. The epitope-binding studies of Mabs obtained from 1E6-1E8-B5 and 3E8-3B4 revealed that the Mabs bind to the same epitope on some β-d-glucans and to different epitopes in other antigen molecules. Therefore, these Mabs can be used to assay for β-d-glucan from basidiomycete mushrooms. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.