Trichostome ciliates from Australian marsupials. I. Bandia gen nov (Litostomatea : Amylovoracidae)

A new genus of amylovoracid ciliates, Bandia gen.nov., is described. They are endosymbiotic/endocommensal in the stomachs of macropodid marsupials. Six new species, B. beveridgei, B. equimontanensis, B. tammar, B. deveneyi, B. cribbi and B. smalesae, are described from Setonix brachyurus, Petrogale assimilis, Macropus eugenii, M. robustus, M. parryi and M. agilis respectively. The gross morphology of Bandia is similar to that of Bitricha, with holotrichous somatic ciliation in two fields, longitudinal dorsal and oblique ventral. The somatic kineties are arranged in groups between non-ciliated. major interkinetal ridges; the groups of kineties thus give the cell a banded appearance. Several species are bimorphic, one form holotrichous and the other with a glabrous right body groove which appears to be derived from an ingrowth of one of the major interkinetal ridges. The groove may function in attachment either in sequestration or conjugation. The ultrastructure of the somatic kineties and the oral structures is similar to that of Amylovorax. Bandia also has unique ultrastructural features associated with the major interkinetal ridges, right body groove and a karyophore. Morphological evolution within the Amylovoracidae may have proceeded from simple forms such as Amylovorax via a process of cellular torsion and/or oral migration to forms similar to Bitricha and by further torsion and cellular elaboration to Bandia.

Increased expression of the SNARE accessory protein Munc18c in lipid-mediated insulin resistance

Fatty acids inhibit insulin-mediated glucose metabolism in skeletal muscle, an effect largely attributed to defects in insulin-mediated glucose transport. Insulin-resistant mice transgenic for the overexpression of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) in skeletal muscle were used to examine the molecular mechanism(s) in more detail. Using DNA gene chip array technology, and confirmation by RT-PCR and Western analysis, increases in the yeast Sec1p homolog Munc18c mRNA and protein were found in the gastrocnemius muscle of transgenic mice, but not other tissues. Munc18c has been previously demonstrated to impair insulin-mediated glucose transport in mammalian cells in vitro. Of interest, stably transfected C2C12 cells overexpressing LPL not only demonstrated increases in Munc18c mRNA and protein but also in transcription rates of the Munc18c gene. jlr To confirm the relevance of fatty acid metabolism and insulin resistance to the expression of Munc18c in vivo, a 2-fold increase in Munc18c protein was demonstrated in mice fed a high-fat diet for 4 weeks. Together, these data are the first to implicate in vivo increases in Munc18c as a potential contributing mechanism to fatty acid-induced insulin resistance.

GLUT4 recycles via a trans-Golgi network (TGN) subdomain enriched in Syntaxins 6 and 16 but not TGN38: Involvement of an acidic targeting motif

Insulin stimulates glucose transport in fat and muscle cells by triggering exocytosis of the glucose transporter GLUT4. To define the intracellular trafficking of GLUT4, we have studied the internalization of an epitope-tagged version of GLUT4 from the cell surface. GLUT4 rapidly traversed the endosomal system en route to a perinuclear location. This perinuclear GLUT4 compartment did not colocalize with endosomal markers (endosomal antigen I protein, transferrin) or TGN38, but showed significant overlap with the TGN target (t)-soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptors (SNAREs) Syntaxins 6 and 16. These results were confirmed by vesicle immunoisolation. Consistent with a role for Syntaxins 6 and 16 in GLUT4 trafficking we found that their expression was up-regulated significantly during adipocyte differentiation and insulin stimulated their movement to the cell surface. GLUT4 trafficking between endosomes and trans-Golgi network was regulated via an acidic targeting motif in the carboxy terminus of GLUT4, because a mutant lacking this motif was retained in endosomes. We conclude that GLUT4 is rapidly transported from the cell surface to a subdomain of the trans-Golgi network that is enriched in the t-SNAREs Syntaxins 6 and 16 and that an acidic targeting motif in the C-terminal tail of GLUT4 plays an important role in this process.

Spinal stiffness changes throughout the respiratory cycle

Posteroanterior stiffness of the lumbar spine is influenced by factors, including trunk muscle activity and intra-abdominal pressure (IAP). Because these factors vary with breathing, this study investigated whether stiffness is modulated in a cyclical manner with respiration. A further aim was to investigate the relationship between stiffness and IAP or abdominal and paraspinal muscle activity. Stiffness was measured from force-displacement responses of a posteroanterior force applied over the spinous process of L-2 and L-4. Recordings were made of IAP and electromyographic activity from L-4/L-2 erector spinae, abdominal muscles, and chest wall. Stiffness was measured with the lung volume held at the extremes of tidal volume and at greater and lesser volumes. Stiffness at L-4 and L-2 increased above base-level values at functional residual capacity (L-2 14.9 N/mm and L-4 15.3 N/mm) with both inspiratory and expiratory efforts. The increase was related to the respiratory effort and was greatest during maximum expiration (L-2 24.9 N/mm and L-4 23.9 N/mm). The results indicate that changes in trunk muscle activity and IAP with respiratory efforts modulate spinal stiffness. In addition, the diaphragm may augment spinal stiffness via attachment of its crural fibers to the lumbar vertebrae.

Alternatively spliced products of the human kinesin light chain 1 (KNS2) gene

Conventional kinesin is a microtubule-based molecular motor involved in the transport of membranous and non-membranous cargoes. The kinesin holoenzyme exists as a heterotetramer, consisting of two heavy chain and two light chain subunits. It is thought that one function of the light chains is to interact with the cargo. Alternative splicing of kinesin light chain pre-mRNA has been observed in lower organisms, although evidence for alternative splicing of the human gene has not been reported. We have identified 19 variants of the human KNS2 gene (KLC1) that are generated by alternative splicing of downstream exons, but calculate that KNS2 has the potential to produce 285919 spliceforms. Corresponding spliceforms of the mouse KLC1 gene were also identified. The alternative exons are all located 3' of exon 12 and the novel spliceforms produce both alternative carboxy termini and alternative 3' untranslated regions. The observation of multiple light chain isoforms is consistent with their proposed role in specific cargo attachment.

Identification and in vivo characterization of PpaA, a regulator of photosystem formation in Rhodobacter sphaeroides

A regulatory protein, PpaA, involved in photosystem formation in the anoxygenic phototrophic proteobacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides has been identified and characterized in vivo. Based on the phenotypes of cells expressing the ppaA gene in extra copy and on the phenotype of the ppaA null mutant, it was concluded that PpaA activates photopigment production and puc operon expression under aerobic conditions. This is in contrast to the function of the PpaA homologue from Rhodobacter capsulatus, AerR, which acts as a repressor under aerobic conditions [Dong, C., Elsen, S., Swem, L. R. & Bauer, C. E. (2002). J Bacteriol 184, 2805-2814]. The expression of the ppaA gene increases several-fold in response to a decrease in oxygen tension, suggesting that the PpaA protein is active under conditions of low or no oxygen. However, no discernible phenotype of a ppaA null mutant was observed under anaerobic conditions tested thus far. The photosystem gene repressor PpsR mediates repression of ppaA gene expression under aerobic conditions. Sequence analysis of PpaA homologues from several anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria revealed a putative corrinoid-binding domain. It is suggested that PpaA binds a corrinoid cofactor and the availability or structure of this cofactor affects PpaA activity.

Heat resistance of Bacillus spores when adhered to stainless steel and its relationship to spore hydrophobicity

Twenty-one strains of Bacillus (10 B. stearothermophilus, 3 B. cereus, and 8 B. licheniformis strains) were assayed for spore surface hydrophobicity on the basis of three measures: contact angle measurement (CAM), microbial adhesion to hydrocarbons (MATH), and hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC). On the basis of the spore surface characteristics obtained from these assays, along with data on the heat resistance of these spores in water, eight strains of Bacillus (three B. stearothermophilus, three B. cereus, and two B. licheniformis strains) either suspended in water or adhering to stainless steel were exposed to sublethal heat treatments at 90 to 110degreesC to determine heat resistance (D-value). Significant increases in heat resistance (ranging from 3 to 400%) were observed for the eight strains adhering to stainless steel. No significant correlation was found between these heat resistance increases and spore surface characteristics as determined by the three hydrophobicity assays. There was a significant positive correlation between the hydrophobicity data obtained by the MATH assay and those obtained by the HIC assay, but these data did not correlate with those obtained by the CAM assay.

Imagens da escola como mediadoras do processo formativo dos jovens no ensino da arte: diálogos com a história, memória e ambientes intraescolares

Esta pesquisa apresenta as imagens da escola como mediadoras do processo formativo dos jovens no ensino da Arte em diálogo com a história, memória e ambientes intraescolares. Inscreve-se no debate produzido pela linha de pesquisa em Educação e Linguagens. Analisa a formação dos jovens numa turma do terceiro ano do Ensino Médio na Escola Estadual de Ensino Médio “Hunney Everest Piovesan”, localizada no município de Cariacica no Estado do Espírito Santo. O estudo foi realizado em 2013 e tem como objetivo analisar as imagens escolares como mediadoras na formação dos estudantes do Ensino Médio no ensino da Arte em diálogo com a história, memória e ambientes intraescolares. Ao mesmo tempo, por meio de trabalho colaborativo, contribui para (re)construção da história da instituição, significando-a junto aos alunos e comunidade escolar. Por meio de intervenção artística com imagens da escola propõe reflexão crítica, analisando a formação dos jovens no terceiro ano do Ensino Médio. Para compreender os conceitos de mediação e meio social, estabelece um diálogo com as obras de Lev Semenovith Vigotski. A partir dos estudos de Maria Ciavatta e Schütz–Foerste procura entender a mediação imagética e sua dimensão educativa. Dialoga ainda com Frago, Escolano e Buffa, ampliando as reflexões sobre os ambientes intraescolares, dimensionando a imagética desses espaços e o senso de pertencimento à escola a partir da impregnação pela história e memória. A investigação pauta-se nos referenciais do método qualitativo e colaborativo de pesquisa. A produção dos dados contou com o recolhimento e análise documental de um conjunto de fontes primárias e secundárias formadas por livro de registro de funcionários da escola da década de 1970, diários de classe, recortes de jornais, convites de formaturas e registros fotográficos escolares dessa mesma década até a atualidade. Além desses documentos históricos, foram analisadas entrevistas de antigos alunos e questionários dos alunos do terceiro ano do Ensino Médio da instituição. Relata brevemente experiências de curto intercâmbio acadêmico realizado na Universidade de Ancara, na Turquia, com o objetivo de ampliar os horizontes de referência sociocultural, em especial com o contexto educacional do Ensino Médio euroasiático, identificando os espaços de formação dos jovens no contexto turco e suas relações com a educação brasileira. Esta experiência apresentada não integra a análise desta dissertação, mas projeta a discussão para novos estudos. A análise se elabora a partir da triangulação, entre outros, do referencial teórico com o processo de intervenção, produção de dados e no debate acadêmico em diferentes contextos. A partir da caminhada acadêmica permeada pela história e memória, inferimos que as imagens escolares medeiam o processo formativo dos jovens do terceiro ano do Ensino Médio no ensino da Arte. Contribuem para o cultivo da memória escolar, enquanto presença impregnada pela história da instituição, por meio da imagética dos seus ambientes intraescolares. Constatamos ainda que as imagens colaboram para o (re)conhecimento por parte desses sujeitos do seu papel ativo, autônomo e transformador da realidade escolar na qual estão inseridos.

Profiling consumer behaviour in cross-border tourism destinations

Tourism is a phenomenon that moves millions of people around the world, taking as a major driver of the global economy. Such relevance is reflected in the proliferation of studies in the overall area known as tourism, under various perspectives and backgrounds. In the light of such multitude of insights our study aims at gaining a deeper understanding of customer profiling and behavior in cross-border tourism destinations. Previous studies conducted in such contexts suggest that cross-border regions (CBRs) are an attractive and desirable idea, yet requiring further theoretical and empirical research. The new configuration of many CBRs calls for a debate on issues concerning its development, raising up important dimensions, such as, organization and planning of common tourism destinations. There is still a gap in the understanding of destination management in CBRs and the customer profile and motivations. Overall this research aims at attaining a deeper understanding of the profile and behavior of consumers in tourism settings, addressing the predisposition for the destination. The study addresses the following research question: “What factors influence customer behavior and attitudes in a CBRs tourism destination?” To address our question we will take an interdisciplinary perspective bringing together inputs from marketing, tourism and local economics. When addressing consumer behavior in tourism previous studies considered the following constructs: involvement, place attachment, satisfaction and destination loyalty. In order to establish the causal relationships in our theoretical model, we intend to develop a predominant quantitative design, yet we plan to conduct exploratory interviews. In the analysis and discussion of results, we intend to use Structural Equation Modeling. It will further allow understanding how the constructs in the research model relate to each other in the specified context. Results are also expected to have managerial implications. Consequently our results may assist decision makers in developing their local policies.

Destinos turísticos transfronteiriços: uma abordagem ao consumidor

Tourism activities are among the most relevant drivers for economical growth and development in various economies. Every year, competition increases tourist destinations (Farhangmehr & Simões, 1999), making it an increasingly complex and geographically diverse range of activities (Pearce, 1991).Such relevance is reflected in the proliferation of studies in the overall area known as tourism, under various perspectives and backgrounds. Previous studies conducted in such contexts suggest that cross-border regions are an attractive and desirable idea, yet requiring further theoretical and empirical research (Studzieniecki & Mazurek, 2007). The new configuration of many cross-border regions calls for a debate on issues concerning its development, raising up important dimensions, such as, organization and planning of common tourism destinations. In particular, there is still a gap in the understanding of destination management in cross-border regions and the customer profile and motivations. Overall this research aims at attaining a deeper understanding of the profile and behavior of consumers in tourism settings, addressing the predisposition for the destination. To address our question we will take an interdisciplinary perspective bringing together inputs from areas, such as, marketing, tourism and local/regional economics. We developed a theoretical model entailing the following constructs: involvement, place attachment, destination satisfaction and loyalty. We then establish potential the relationships among these variables. We suggest that involvement has a positive and direct effect in the two dimensions of place attachment, as well as indirectly, through the construct of satisfaction. Additionally, satisfaction has a direct effect on destination loyalty. Implications for future research are presented.

Consumer behavior and profile in cross border tourism destinations

Tourism is a phenomenon that moves millions of people around the world, taking as a major driver of the global economy. Such relevance is reflected in the proliferation of studies in the overall area known as tourism, under various perspectives and backgrounds. In the light of such multitude of insights our study aims at gaining a deeper understanding of customer profiling and behavior in cross-border tourism destinations. Previous studies conducted in such contexts suggest that cross-border regions (CBRs) are an attractive and desirable idea, yet requiring further theoretical and empirical research. The new configuration of many CBRs calls for a debate on issues concerning its development, raising up important dimensions, such as, organization and planning of common tourism destinations. There is still a gap in the understanding of destination management in CBRs and the customer profile and motivations. Overall this research aims at attaining a deeper understanding of the profile and behavior of consumers in tourism settings, addressing the predisposition for the destination. The study addresses the following research question: “What factors influence customer behavior and attitudes in a CBRs tourism destination?” To address our question we will take an interdisciplinary perspective bringing together inputs from marketing, tourism and local economics. When addressing consumer behavior in tourism previous studies considered the following constructs: involvement, place attachment, satisfaction and destination loyalty. In order to establish the causal relationships in our theoretical model, we intend to develop a predominant quantitative design, yet we plan to conduct exploratory interviews. In the analysis and discussion of results, we intend to use Structural Equation Modeling. It will further allow understanding how the constructs in the research model relate to each other in the specified context. Results are also expected to have managerial implications. Consequently our results may assist decision makers in developing their local policies.

Concurrent Planning in the U.K.

O Planeamento Concomitante teve a sua origem no Reino Unido. É um método radical de intervenção social, baseado na Teoria de Afecto (Attachment Theory). O Planeamento Concomitante procura garantir que as crianças vulneráveis nas casas de acolhimento do Estado sejam adoptadas mais rapidamente possível. As crianças são acolhidas no âmbito deste Planeamento durante o período em que está em curso a avaliação da capacidade acolhedora dos pais adoptivos. As crianças sem condições de retorno para as suas famílias são desta forma legalmente adoptadas pelos pais adoptivos com quem as crianças já conseguiram desenvolver laços afectivos.

Desesperança e agressividade na adolescência e qualidade de vinculação aos pais

RESUMO: As relações que constituímos com aqueles que de mais perto nos rodeiam são uma das partes, senão a parte mais relevante da nossa vida (Canavarro, 1999). Assim, a teoria da vinculação coloca grande ênfase na natureza da relação de vinculação (Bowlby, 1979). No primeiro capítulo é elucidado o modelo de desenvolvimento da vinculação de Bowlby (1969/1982; 1988) e de Ainsworth e colaboradores (1978). No segundo capítulo são explicadas as mudanças que ocorrem na fase da adolescência. No terceiro capítulo, é destacado o padrão comportamental agressivo do adolescente, o qual se pode traduzir numa vinculação insegura (Almeida, 2000). Estas situações podem levar o sujeito a apresentar comportamentos de desesperança, conceito este que irá ser desenvolvido no quarto capítulo. Sendo o principal objectivo da investigação estudar em que medida a qualidade de vinculação aos pais e a estrutura familiar estão relacionadas com a desesperança e a agressividade nos adolescentes, conclui-se que o adolescente com uma história de vinculação insegura apresenta menos confiança, maior alienação e, consequentemente, maior desamparo e desesperança (Bowlby, 1969/1982, 1973; Bretherton & Waters, 1985). Relativamente à estrutura familiar, o estudo reporta que a coesão e a adaptabilidade estão correlacionadas positivamente com a confiança e negativamente com a alienação. ABSTRACT: The relationships that we form of those who surround us are closer to one party, if not the most important part of our lives (Canavarro, 1999). Thus, attachment theory places great emphasis on the nature of the attachment relationship (Bowlby, 1979). In the first chapter, is elucidated development model of the binding of Bowlby (1969/1982, 1988) and Ainsworth and colleagues (1978). The second chapter explains the changes that occur during adolescence. The third chapter is highlighted the behavioral patterns of aggressive adolescents, which may result in insecure attachment (Almeida, 2000). These situations can cause the subject to present behavior of hopelessness, that this concept will be developed in the fourth chapter. Since the main aim of the research study to what extent the quality of attachment to parents and family structure are related to hopelessness and aggression in teenagers, it is concluded that the adolescent with a history of insecure attachment have less trust, increased alienation and, consequently, greater helplessness and hopelessness (Bowlby, 1969/1982, 1973, Bretherton & Waters, 1985). With regard to family structure, the study reports that the cohesion and adaptability are positively correlated with the confidence and negatively with alienation.

Indicadores de resiliência na criança e sua relação com perceção de risco e qualidade de vinculação nos prestadores de cuidados, em crianças com ou sem intervênção precoce

Dissertação apresentada à Escola Superior de Educação de Lisboa para obtenção do grau de mestre em Ciências da Educação - Especialidade Intervenção Precoce

Qualidade do processamento sensorial e vinculação infantil

Estudou-se a relação entre a segurança da vinculação e a qualidade do processamento sensorial na primeira infância. Para o efeito, seleccionou-se uma amostra normativa de 40 díades mãe-bebé, com crianças entre os 11 e os 18 meses. Avaliou-se a qualidade da vinculação, observando a díade no procedimento Situação Estranha. Classificaram-se 17 (42,5%) das crianças no grupo de vinculação segura, sendo que as restantes 23 (57,5%) revelaram uma vinculação não segura. A qualidade do processamento sensorial avaliou-se através do Teste de Funções Sensoriais. Constatou-se que a segurança da vinculação infantil associava-se a um score agregando quatro factores ambientais (nível sócio-económico dos pais; existência de internamentos hospitalares; coeficiente de número de irmãos; local onde a criança passa o dia). O Teste de Funções Sensoriais não apresentou valor prognóstico relativamente ao tipo de vinculação. Porém, a boa qualidade no processamento da informação sensorial parece constituir um factor de resiliência no desenvolvimento da vinculação.