Evolution and biogenesis of microtubule-derived structures

Dissertação apresentada para obtenção do grau de Doutor em Biologia Celular pelo Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica da Universidade Nova de Lisboa

A brief review of mass spectrometry in cultural heritage

Proceedings of the Chemistry and Conservation Science

Glass in Cultural Heritage – An Introduction

Proceedings of the Chemistry and Conservation Science

A componente cultural no ensino de línguas estrangeiras

Relatório de Estágio apresentado para cumprimento dos requisitos necessários à obtenção do grau de Mestre em Ensino de Inglês e de Língua Estrangeira (Alemão) no 3º Ciclo do Ensino Básico e no Ensino Secundário.

Moinhos de Vento da Ilha do Faial: Projecto de Recuperação Patrimonial e Dinamização Cultural

Trabalho de Projecto apresentado para cumprimento dos requisitos necessários à obtenção do grau de Mestre em Património Artístico

Os reais hospitais militares em Portugal administrados e fundados pelos Irmãos Hospitaleiros de S. João de Deus 1640-1834

RESUMO: Desde 1640 até data extrema de 1834, os Irmãos Hospitaleiros de S. João de Deus foram os responsáveis, directa e indirectamente, pela administração e corpo de enfermagem dos Reais Hospitais Militares em Portugal, actividades que analisamos ao longo dos séculos, desenvolvendo pressupostos temáticos relativamente a sua actuação no tempo e no espaço. É durante o séc. XVII até ao séc. XIX, que vemos os cuidados da corte para com a assistência aos soldados enfermos e doentes, ao publicar inúmera legislação relativamente à complexidade assistencial na área militar, a qual foi por nós compilada para melhor contextualização da importância dos Hospitais Militares em Portugal. Os Regimentos, os Alvarás, os Regulamentos e as Ordens do Dia, constituem um objecto fundamental de pesquisa e análise para caracterizar o quotidiano nesses mesmos locais. Os Hospitais Militares desde a sua fundação, dos primórdios das Guerras da Aclamação em 1640, até ao advento do liberalismo em 1834, eram centros de conhecimento técnico e científico com um corpo assistencial especializado, onde um conjunto pluridisciplinar de profissionais zelava qualitativamente pelos assistidos, e onde os Irmãos Hospitaleiros de S. João de Deus desempenhavam funções de administradores, enfermeiros e capelães. Nesse sentido elaboramos uma listagem cronológica para inter relacionar os Irmãos Hospitaleiros e os Hospitais Militares, pois é impossível separar a Ordem de S. João de Deus da componente assistencial aos enfermos e doentes militares em Portugal. A importância urbana e arquitectónica, que os Reais Hospitais Militares tiveram no contexto orgânico e defensivo nas Praças de Guerra, é realçado pela forma como estes se encontravam implantados e construídos, demarcando-se esteticamente da globalidade edificada, pois constituíam parte integrante dos equipamentos militares, como era teorizado pelos técnicos militares. Assim analisamos a localização dos imóveis, para além do próprio edifício hospitalar, com o meio, ou seja com a urbanidade das Praças de guerra. A sobriedade arquitectónica dos Hospitais Militares, integrada nos grandes ciclos das correntes culturais europeia e nacional, associada à riqueza decorativa e iconoclasta desenvolvida nesses locais, dá-nos uma dimensão da importância científica que esses núcleos assistenciais tiveram, contribuindo para a difusão do culto e circulação da imaginária de S. João de Deus em Portugal e dos Santos venerados nos Hospitais Militares. Desta forma compreendemos o alicerçar devocional que o reino tinha por este Santo, como o fundador do conceito assistencial do hospital moderno. Estando intrinsecamente ligado a este facto vemos o proliferar do culto e da imaginária de S. João de Deus em Portugal, centrando-se a iconografia artística do Santo em torno das localidades onde se enraizaram os Hospitais Militares. Hoje, nos imóveis hospitalares, não é difícil analisar uma lenta evolução da funcionalidade dos seus espaços, gravitando o desenvolvimento estrutural assistencial em torno das enfermarias e salas de cirurgia, mantendo-se perene este arquétipo arquitectónico desde o séc. XVII até meados do séc. XIX, as quais foram levantadas, comparadas e analisadas. Foi com a exclaustração das Ordens Religiosas, pelo Decreto de 29 de Maio de 1834, que acabou a extraordinária e valorosa acção administrativa, tutelar e corpo de enfermagem dos Irmãos Hospitaleiros de S. João de Deus, na área específica da assistência militar em Portugal, extinguindo-se, nalguns casos, os Hospitais Militares, pois o reino não estava preparado para substituir esses profissionais de saúde. O nosso estudo desenvolve-se por cerca de 295 anos, espaço temporal em que os Hospitais Militares foram administrados e fundados pelos Irmãos de S. João de Deus em Portugal.---------ABSTRACT: Since 1640 until 1834 the Hospitaller Brothers of S. John of God were the responsibles, direct and indirectly, for the administration and nursing body of the Royal Military Hospitals in Portugal, activities that we analyse throughout the centuries, developing thematic presuppositions regarding its performance in time and in space. It is during the 17th century until the 19th century, that we see the court’s care with the assistance of the wounded and sick by the publishing of much legislation regarding the assistance complexity in the military area, which was compiled by us in order to achieve a better comprehension of the importance of the Military Hospitals in Portugal. The Regiments, Charters, Regulations and Orders of Day constitute a fundamental object of research and analysis to characterise the quotidian of these locations. The Military Hospitals, since its foundation, in the beginning of the Wars of Acclamation in 1640, until the advent of liberalism in 1834, were centres of technical and scientific knowledge with a specialized assistance body, were a multidisciplinary set of professionals took qualitatively care of the attended, and where the Hospitaller Brothers of S. John of God performed the tasks of administrators, nurses and chaplains. In this perspective, we created a chronological listing in order to relate the Hospitaller Brothers with the Military Hospitals, since it is impossible to separate the Hospitaller Order of S. John of God from the component of assistance to the military sick and wounded in Portugal. The urban and architectural importance that the Royal Military Hospitals had in the organic and defensive context of the War Fortifications is emphasized by the way these were implanted and built and by its architectural demarcation of the edified whole, since they constituted an integrant part of the military equipments, as it was theorized for the military architecture. Therefore we analyse the location of the real estate, analysing not only the hospital building itself, but also its relation with the environment, i. e. with the urbanism of the war fortifications. The architectural sobriety of Military Hospitals, integrated in the big cycles of cultural streams in Europe and Portugal, associated to the decorative and iconoclastic wealth developed in these locations, give us a dimension of the scientific importance that these hospitals had, contributing to the diffusion of the cult and circulation of sculptures and paintings of S. John of God in Portugal and of the Saints revered in the Hospitals. In this way, we understand the consolidation of the devotion that the kingdom had for this Saint, the founder of the assistance concept of the modern hospital. The proliferation of the cult and iconography of S. John of God is intrinsically connected to this fact, the artistic iconography concentrating itself around the localities were the Military Hospitals were built. Today, in the assistance buildings, it is not difficult to analyse a slow evolution of the functionality of its spaces, gravitating the structural assistance development around the infirmaries and surgery rooms, this architectural archetype being perennial from the 17th century until the middle of the 19th century. These infirmaries were pointed out, compared and analysed. It was the expulsion of the Religious Orders, by the Decree of May 29th 1834, that ended with the extraordinary and valorous administrative and tutelary action and nursing body of the Hospitaller Brothers of S. John of God, in the specific area of military assistance in Portugal, extinguishing, in some cases, the Military Hospitals, since the kingdom wasn’t prepared to substitute these health professionals. Our study is developed in a timeframe of 295 years, period in which the Military Hospitals were administrated and founded by the Brothers of S. John of God in Portugal.

One-step preparation of optically transparent Ni-Fe oxide film electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction

Optically transparent cocatalyst film materials is very desirable for improved photoelectrochemical (PEC)oxygen evolution reaction (OER) over light harvesting photoelectrodes which require the exciting light to irradiate through the cocatalyst side, i.e., front-side illumination. In view of the reaction overpotential at electrode/electrolyte interface, the OER electrocatalysts have been extensively used as cocatalysts for PEC water oxidation on photoanode. In this work, the feasibility of a one-step fabrication of the transparent thin film catalyst for efficient electrochemical OER is investigated. The Ni-Fe bimetal oxide films, 200 nm in thickness, are used for study. Using a reactive magnetron co-sputtering technique, transparent(> 50% in wavelength range 500-2000 nm) Ni-Fe oxide films with high electrocatalytic activities were successfully prepared at room temperature. Upon optimization, the as-prepared bimetal oxide film with atomic ratio of Fe/Ni = 3:7 demonstrates the lowest overpotential for the OER in aqueous KOH solution, as low as 329 mV at current density of 2 mA cm 2, which is 135 and 108 mV lower than that of as-sputtered FeOx and NiOx thin films, respectively. It appears that this fabrication strategy is very promising to deposit optically transparent cocatalyst films on photoabsorbers for efficient PEC water splitting.

Analysis of early synthetic dyes with HPLC-DAD-MS: an important database for analysis of colorants used in cultural heritage

Presented thesis at Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologias, Universidade de Lisboa, to obtain the Master Degree in Conservation and Restoration of Textiles

Study of Load Curves Concerning the Influence of Socioeconomic and Cultural Issues

The increase of electricity demand in Brazil, the lack of the next major hydroelectric reservoirs implementation, and the growth of environmental concerns lead utilities to seek an improved system planning to meet these energy needs. The great diversity of economic, social, climatic, and cultural conditions in the country have been causing a more difficult planning of the power system. The work presented in this paper concerns the development of an algorithm that aims studying the influence of the issues mentioned in load curves. Focus is given to residential consumers. The consumption device with highest influence in the load curve is also identified. The methodology developed gains increasing importance in the system planning and operation, namely in the smart grids context.

Educar para a preservação do património cultural : uma proposta de um roteiro pedagégico através do património medieval de Lisboa

Trabalho de Projecto apresentado para cumprimento dos requisitos necessários à obtenção do grau de Mestre em Património, área de Património Urbano

Evolution of IgG antibody response against Toxoplasma gondii tissue cyst in acute and chronic human infections

The recognition profile of the tissue cysts antigens by IgG antibodies was studied during acute and chronic human toxoplasmic infection. Thus the IgG response against Toxoplasma gondii was investigated by immunoblotting in two patients accidentally infected with the RH strain as well as in group of naturally infected patients at acute and chronic phase. There was an overall coincidence of molecular mass among antigens of tachyzoites and tissue cysts recognized by these sera, however, they appear not to be the same molecules. The response against tissue cysts starts early during acute infection, and the reactivity of antibodies is strong against a wide range of antigens. Six bands (between 82 and 151 kDa) were exclusively recognized by chronic phase sera but only the 132 kDa band was positive in more than 50% of the sera analysed. A mixture of these antigens could be used to discriminate between the two infection phases. The most important antigens recognized by the acute and the chronic phase sera were 4 clusters in the ranges 20-24 kDa, 34-39 kDa, 58-80 kDa and 105-130 kDa as well as two additional antigens of 18 and 29 kDa. Both accidentally infected patients and some of the naturally infected patients showed a weak specific response against tissue cyst antigens.

Rapid Evolution of the Sequences and Gene Repertoires

Proteins secreted to the extracellular environment or to the periphery of the cell envelope, the secretome, play essential roles in foraging, antagonistic and mutualistic interactions. We hypothesize that arms races, genetic conflicts and varying selective pressures should lead to the rapid change of sequences and gene repertoires of the secretome. The analysis of 42 bacterial pan-genomes shows that secreted, and especially extracellular proteins, are predominantly encoded in the accessory genome, i.e. among genes not ubiquitous within the clade. Genes encoding outer membrane proteins might engage more frequently in intra-chromosomal gene conversion because they are more often in multi-genic families. The gene sequences encoding the secretome evolve faster than the rest of the genome and in particular at non-synonymous positions. Cell wall proteins in Firmicutes evolve particularly fast when compared with outer membrane proteins of Proteobacteria. Virulence factors are over-represented in the secretome, notably in outer membrane proteins, but cell localization explains more of the variance in substitution rates and gene repertoires than sequence homology to known virulence factors. Accordingly, the repertoires and sequences of the genes encoding the secretome change fast in the clades of obligatory and facultative pathogens and also in the clades of mutualists and free-living bacteria. Our study shows that cell localization shapes genome evolution. In agreement with our hypothesis, the repertoires and the sequences of genes encoding secreted proteins evolve fast. The particularly rapid change of extracellular proteins suggests that these public goods are key players in bacterial adaptation.

Evolution of Drug Resistance: Insight on TEM β-Lactamases Structure and Activity and β-Lactam Antibiotics

Since the discovery of the first penicillin bacterial resistance to β-lactam antibiotics has spread and evolved promoting new resistances to pathogens. The most common mechanism of resistance is the production of β-lactamases that have spread thorough nature and evolve to complex phenotypes like CMT type enzymes. New antibiotics have been introduced in clinical practice, and therefore it becomes necessary a concise summary about their molecular targets, specific use and other properties. β-lactamases are still a major medical concern and they have been extensively studied and described in the scientific literature. Several authors agree that Glu166 should be the general base and Ser70 should perform the nucleophilic attack to the carbon of the carbonyl group of the β-lactam ring. Nevertheless there still is controversy on their catalytic mechanism. TEMs evolve at incredible pace presenting more complex phenotypes due to their tolerance to mutations. These mutations lead to an increasing need of novel, stronger and more specific and stable antibiotics. The present review summarizes key structural, molecular and functional aspects of ESBL, IRT and CMT TEM β-lactamases properties and up to date diagrams of the TEM variants with defined phenotype. The activity and structural characteristics of several available TEMs in the NCBI-PDB are presented, as well as the relation of the various mutated residues and their specific properties and some previously proposed catalytic mechanisms.

Programação cultural enquanto exercício do poder

Dissertação de Doutoramento em Ciências da Comunicação

Abordagem Histórico-cultural do Património Arquitectónico da Barra de Lisboa - Bataria da Parede

Dissertação apresentada para cumprimento dos requisitos necessários à obtenção do grau de Mestre em Estudos Portugueses – Estudos de Cultura