Search

This study aims to evaluate whether mitochondrial changes occur in the early stages of bipolar disorder (BD). Using fibroblasts derived from BD patients and matched controls, the levels of proteins involved in mitochondrial biogenesis and dynamics (fission and fusion) were evaluated by Western Blot analysis. Mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) was studied using the fluorescent probe TMRE. Mitochondrial morphology was analyzed with the probe Mitotracker Green and mitophagy was evaluated by quantifying the co-localization of HSP60 (mitochondria marker) and LC3B (autophagosome marker) by immunofluorescence. Furthermore, the activity of the mitochondrial respiratory chain and the glycolytic capacity of controls and BD patients-derived cells were also studied using the Seahorse technology. BD patient-derived fibroblasts exhibit fragmented mitochondria concomitantly with changes in mitochondrial dynamics and biogenesis in comparison with controls. Moreover, a decrease in the MMP and increased mitophagy was observed in fibroblasts obtained from BD patients when compared with control cells. Impaired energetic metabolism due to inhibition of the mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) and subsequent ATP depletion, associated with glycolysis stimulation, was also a feature of BD fibroblasts. Overall, these results support the fact that mitochondrial disturbance is an early event implicated in BD pathophysiology that might trigger neuronal changes and modification of brain circuitry. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Promover a sustentabilidade deve ser um objetivo de todas as entidades, públicas e privadas. As instituições públicas deviam ter um papel de incentivo às boas práticas sociais e ambientais. Este trabalho tem como objetivo alertar para a importância da implementação dos Objetivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentável (ODS) pelos Municípios, e as dificuldades que estes podem sentir, principalmente, em altura de pandemia. Neste sentido, analisamos todos os ODS implementados pela Organização das Nações Unidas (ONU) nos Municípios portugueses para tentar compreender a sensibilidade e a importância dada ao tema, bem como quais as medidas adotadas por cada Autarquia. O método de recolha de informação foi o questionário, enviado aos 308 Municípios de Portugal, tendo-se obtido um total de 52 respostas. Os dados foram analisados através de técnicas de estatística descritiva. Tendo em conta o número de respostas, percebemos que ainda é dado pouco relevo ao assunto e de acordo com os resultados analisados verificámos que nem todos estão em igualdade de efetivação do referido objetivo.

Johnson e Johnson (1999), Bessa e Fontaine (2002), Freitas e Freitas (2003) e Fontes e Freixo (2004), entre outros, apresentam a aprendizagem cooperativa como uma metodologia capaz de desenvolver nos alunos competncias cognitivas e sociais. O presente artigo decorre de um trabalho de investigao no mbito do mestrado em Educao Especial. Visou a implementao do modelo jigsaw numa turma de 2 ciclo, onde existiam quatro alunos com diferentes problemticas de necessidades educativas especiais. Definiu-se como objetivo principal alcanar o sucesso acadmico de todos os alunos, promovendo o seu envolvimento na aprendizagem individual e dos pares. Seguiu-se a metodologia de investigao-ao e aplicaram-se tcnicas de investigao qualitativa que possibilitaram a recolha de dados para a caracterizao inicial da situao problema e para a avaliao da interveno. A aplicao da metodologia levou ao sucesso acadmico de todos e melhoria das interaes no grupo.

A investigação-ação que levámos a cabo numa escola de 1º ciclo do ensino básico, próxima da cidade de Tomar, em 2009-2010, no âmbito do mestrado em Educação Especial, foi o ponto de partida para a elaboração deste artigo. Teve como principal objetivo promover o sucesso na aprendizagem de um grupo de alunos, onde se encontrava inserida uma criança considerada com necessidades educativas especiais de caráter permanente com diagnóstico de galactosemia e défice cognitivo. Partindo do contexto educativo concreto desta turma de 2º e 3º anos de escolaridade, à qual tínhamos de prestar apoio como professora de educação especial, interviemos no sentido de fazer emergir um ambiente educativo inclusivo para cada aluno da turma. Através de uma cooperação efetiva entre docentes parceiros, gerámos mudanças nas metodologias, rompendo com algumas práticas tradicionais de sala de aula quando professores do ensino regular e educação especial se encontram no mesmo espaço pedagógico. Pela implementação sistemática de estratégias de aprendizagem cooperativa entre alunos e a aplicação de técnicas de recolha qualitativa de dados antes e após a intervenção - entrevista, observação naturalista, sociometria e pesquisa documental -, aumentámos a qualidade e a quantidade das suas aprendizagens e a sua participação nas atividades de sala de aula, promovendo, ao mesmo tempo, uma outra forma de ‘olhar’ a diferença. The action-research we have held at the primary education, in a school placed near the town of Tomar, in 2009-2010, under the master's degree in Special Education, was the starting point for writing this article. The research had as main objective to promote the successful learning of a heterogeneous group of students, where a child considered with longstanding special educational needs is included - diagnosis of galactosaemia and cognitive impairment. Starting from the educational context of a particular classroom of 2nd and 3rd grades, where we were working as special education teacher, we had created an inclusive learning environment for each student in the class. Through effective collaboration between fellow teachers, we generated changes in methodologies, breaking with some traditional practices in the classroom, when regular teachers and special education are in the same learning space. By a systematic implementation of cooperative learning strategies among students, and applying qualitative data gathering techniques of research, before and after the intervention - interview, naturalistic observation, sociometry and documental research -, we have increased the quality and quantity of learning and promoted another way of ‘looking to’ the difference. La recherche-action que nous avons réalisée, dans une école primaire, près de la ville de Tomar, en 2009-2010, a été le point de départ pour écrire cet article. Cette recherche a eu pour objet d’encourager le succès dans l’apprentissage d’un groupe d’élèves diversifié, où se trouvait une élève avec des besoins éducatifs spéciaux permanents. Au sein du contexte éducatif spécifique d’une classe de 2ème et 3ème années de l’enseignement primaire, nous avons intervenu dans le but de faire naître une ambiance éducative inclusive pour chacun des élèves de la classe. Par une réelle coopération entre des enseignants cointéressés, nous avons réussi à produire des changements au niveau des méthodologies, tout en brisant quelques pratiques traditionnelles, au moment où se rencontrent, dans le même espace pédagogique, le professeur de la classe et celui d’éducation spéciale. Tout en utilisant des stratégies de l’apprentissage coopératif avec les élèves et des techniques de recherche qualitative pour la collecte d’information, avant et après l’intervention - interview, observation naturaliste, sociométrie et recherche documentaire -, nous avons accru la qualité et la quantité de savoirs et nous avons réussi à créer une autre façon de ‘regarder’ la différence.

The BEAS-2B continuous cell line is an extensively used in vitro model for normal human bronchial epithelium. Inspection of the literature reveals that the culturing conditions used to maintain this cell line vary greatly among the different research groups that employ it. In this study, we showed that changes in the growth medium and/or the mixture used to promote attachment produced alterations in several growth characteristics (cell morphology, pattern of growth and adhesion to the substrate) of this cell line. On the contrary, doubling times remained unchanged. Considering that this cell line is recommended for the study of long-term processes, namely carcinogenesis, we have also examined the impact of extended passaging on its growth characteristics and genomic stability. Our study showed that culturing these cells over an extended period of time resulted in significant alterations in cell morphology, pattern of growth, adhesion to the substrate, doubling time and chromosomal complement. On the other hand, sensitivity to fetal bovine serum (FBS), an inducer of squamous differentiation, remained unchanged. Altogether, the phenotypic changes observed in our study might explain, at least partly, different study outcomes using this cell line that can be found in the literature.

Background Array-based comparative genomic hybridization has been assumed to be the first genetic test offered to detect genomic imbalances in patients with unexplained intellectual disability with or without dysmorphisms, multiple congenital anomalies, learning difficulties and autism spectrum disorders. Our study contributes to the genotype/phenotype correlation with the delineation of laboratory criteria which help to classify the different copy number variants (CNVs) detected. We clustered our findings into five classes ranging from an imbalance detected in a microdeletion/duplication syndrome region (class I) to imbalances that had previously been reported in normal subjects in the Database of Genomic Variants (DGV) and thus considered common variants (class IV). Results All the analyzed 1000 patients had at least one CNV independently of its clinical significance. Most of them, as expected, were alterations already reported in the DGV for normal individuals (class IV) or without known coding genes (class III-B). In approximately 14 % of the patients an imbalance involving known coding genes, but with partially overlapping or low frequency of CNVs described in the DGV was identified (class IIIA). In 10.4 % of the patients a pathogenic CNV that explained the phenotype was identified consisting of: 40 class I imbalances, 44 class II de novo imbalances and 21 class II X-chromosome imbalances in male patients. In 20 % of the patients a familial pathogenic or potentially pathogenic CNV, consisting of inherited class II imbalances, was identified that implied a family evaluation by the clinical geneticists. Conclusions As this interpretation can be sometimes difficult, particularly if it is not possible to study the parents, using the proposed classification we were able to prioritize the multiple imbalances that are identified in each patient without immediately having to classify them as pathogenic or benign.