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Background Arthropod eyes have diversified during evolution to serve multiple needs, such as finding mates, hunting prey and navigating in complex surroundings under varying light conditions. This diversity is reflected in the optical apparatus, photoreceptors and neural circuits that underpin vision. Yet our ability to genetically manipulate the visual system to investigate its function is largely limited to a single species, the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster . Here, we describe the visual system of Parhyale hawaiensis , an amphipod crustacean for which we have established tailored genetic tools. Results Adult Parhyale have apposition-type compound eyes made up of ~ 50 ommatidia. Each ommatidium contains four photoreceptor cells with large rhabdomeres (R1–4), expected to be sensitive to the polarisation of light, and one photoreceptor cell with a smaller rhabdomere (R5). The two types of photoreceptors express different opsins, belonging to families with distinct wavelength sensitivities. Using the cis- regulatory regions of opsin genes, we established transgenic reporters expressed in each photoreceptor cell type. Based on these reporters, we show that R1–4 and R5 photoreceptors extend axons to the first optic lobe neuropil, revealing striking differences compared with the photoreceptor projections found in related crustaceans and insects. Investigating visual function, we show that Parhyale have a positive phototactic response and are capable of adapting their eyes to different levels of light intensity. Conclusions We propose that the visual system of Parhyale serves low-resolution visual tasks, such as orientation and navigation, based on broad gradients of light intensity and polarisation. Optic lobe structure and photoreceptor projections point to significant divergence from the typical organisation found in other malacostracan crustaceans and insects, which could be associated with a shift to low-resolution vision. Our study provides the foundation for research in the visual system of this genetically tractable species.

Background: Arthropod eyes have diversified during evolution to serve multiple needs, such as finding mates,hunting prey and navigating in complex surroundings under varying light conditions. This diversity is reflected in theoptical apparatus, photoreceptors and neural circuits that underpin vision. Yet our ability to genetically manipulate thevisual system to investigate its function is largely limited to a single species, the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Here,we describe the visual system of Parhyale hawaiensis, an amphipod crustacean for which we have established tailoredgenetic tools.Results: Adult Parhyale have apposition-type compound eyes made up of ~50 ommatidia. Each ommatidium containsfour photoreceptor cells with large rhabdomeres (R1–4), expected to be sensitive to the polarisation of light, and onephotoreceptor cell with a smaller rhabdomere (R5). The two types of photoreceptors express different opsins, belongingto families with distinct wavelength sensitivities. Using the cis-regulatory regions of opsin genes, we establishedtransgenic reporters expressed in each photoreceptor cell type. Based on these reporters, we show that R1–4 andR5 photoreceptors extend axons to the first optic lobe neuropil, revealing striking differences compared with thephotoreceptor projections found in related crustaceans and insects. Investigating visual function, we show thatParhyale have a positive phototactic response and are capable of adapting their eyes to different levels of lightintensity.Conclusions: We propose that the visual system of Parhyale serves low-resolution visual tasks, such as orientation andnavigation, based on broad gradients of light intensity and polarisation. Optic lobe structure and photoreceptorprojections point to significant divergence from the typical organisation found in other malacostracan crustaceans andinsects, which could be associated with a shift to low-resolution vision. Our study provides the foundation for researchin the visual system of this genetically tractable species.

La presente Investigación/creación se denomina “Podcast para Niños: “Curioso SentiPensante: Un Mundo de Música y Emociones” Episodio 1: La Muerte”, desarrollado desde la línea de investigación de sensibilidades y expresiones artísticas de la Maestría en Desarrollo Humano y Educación Socioafectiva. Dentro de esta tesis, se examina cómo los podcasts pueden considerarse como un recurso pedagógico práctico y sensible para la educación socioafectiva y para abordar el delicado tema de la muerte con niños de 8 a 10 años. Este podcast crea espacios seguros a través del juego y la música infantil, donde se pueden llevar a cabo conversaciones importantes sobre el fallecimiento y el duelo, favoreciendo la resolución de las inquietudes y la expresión de las emociones en las infancias.Además, se presentan las razones por las cuales es crucial hablar de este tema desde la infancia en los entornos inmediatos del niño. La investigación tiene en cuenta las reflexiones derivadas de entrevistas realizadas a un grupo de voluntarios de estas edades sobre su percepción de la muerte y experiencias con esta, así como de encuestas a padres, pedagogas y psicólogas infantiles sobre cómo se ha tratado este tema sensible. Se discuten las mejores prácticas para abordar la muerte tanto en el hogar como en la escuela, destacando la importancia de crear un entorno de apoyo y comprensión sobre un tema inevitable, fomentando la expresión emocional, el aprendizaje y la familiarización con la muerte entendiendo ésta como parte fundamental del ciclo de la vida.

Quality comes up as a concern for all of the companies worldwide since the 20th century. Also, at the level of health, the concern in improving the quality and performance of the health system has been growing up and developing over time. Therefore, it is essential for each institution of health to develop strategies of continuous improvement, elaborating ways of monitoring and evaluating that quality. The quality indicators are tools that allow the monitoring and evaluation of the health care. Quality indicators aimed at Intensive Care Units have been developed worldwide by the scientific community. The purpose of the indicator panels is to standardize the indicators to be used, as well as to homogenize their operationalization and monitoring, in order to compare results, develop improvement strategies, promote quality of care, and reduce hospital costs. Due to the lack of a uniform set of indicators to be used in Portuguese Intensive Care Units, this study aims to serve as a proposal for standardization by identifying indicators that can be applied to all ICUs. Consulting the existing literature on the topic, which reflects indicator panels being applied in other countries, a total of twenty-eight quality indicators were developed for ICUs. Those were categorized into four structural indicators, fifteen process indicators, and nine outcome indicators. They are described considering the indicator number, name, dimension and justification, monitoring formula, and associated terms and population. It is also referenced its data source and the standard associated with each indicator, as well as the bibliographic references that support its elaboration. A local or national critical care network can greatly benefit from involvement in the process of finding and defining indicators with subsequent data retrieval. Intensive care units with uniform quality indicators can compare results with each other and jointly find improvement strategies, with opportunities for sharing and transmitting knowledge.

Este trabalho está dividido em três partes: Dois relatórios de estágio (Parte I e II) ambos com uma análise SWOT identificativa dos pontos fortes, pontos fracos, ameaças e oportunidades encontradas ao longo do período de estágio. A primeira parte refere-se ao estágio em Assuntos Regulamentares de produtos cosméticos na BasePoint Consulting Services e a segunda parte refere-se ao estágio em farmácia comunitária, na Farmácia da Estação. Na terceira e última parte (Parte III) encontra-se a monografia intitulada “Células T CAR e novas abordagens terapêuticas: terapia combinada com vírus oncolíticos e células NK” que fala sobre: A capacidade de as células imunológicas atingirem e eliminarem organismos infeciosos e invasores é estudada há várias décadas. As terapias com células adotivas que expressam recetores de antigénio quiméricos (CAR) geraram muito interesse e investimento nos últimos anos devido aos resultados clínicos sem precedentes. No entanto, a natureza autóloga (específica do paciente) dessa terapia celular, os complexos processos de produção e o risco de doença do enxerto contra o hospedeiro (graft versus host disease (GVHD)) suscitaram preocupações sobre o seu custo e segurança. Da mesma forma, a obtenção de linfócitos suficientes de um doente, muitas vezes com linfodepleção pode representar uma barreira para garantir quantidades clinicamente relevantes de células T CAR. Devido a essas limitações, os investigadores estão a estudar os vírus oncolíticos em terapia combinada, especialmente o adenovírus (Ad) e as células natural killer (NK) como alternativas viáveis e que ofereçam mais segurança, resultados positivos e menos efeitos indesejáveis nos pacientes.

The worldwide mass vaccination campaign against COVID-19 has been the largest one ever undertaken. Although the short-term safety profile of the different vaccines has been well established, neuroinflammatory complications have been described, including rare cases of acute demyelinating inflammatory polyneuropathy. We report a 63-year-old man who presented to the emergency department with proximal muscle weakness and paresthesia. He had received the first dose of the AZD1222 SARS-CoV-2 vaccine (Oxford, AstraZeneca) two weeks before presentation. The diagnosis of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) was confirmed by clinical features, cerebrospinal fluid analysis, and electromyography. On the second hospital day, progression to flaccid tetraplegia, cranial nerve involvement, and respiratory failure, requiring invasive mechanical ventilation, were noted, and he was admitted to the intensive care unit. Despite the prompt diagnosis and immunosuppressive treatment initiation, the patient was left with severe disability. Although the COVID-19 vaccination was generally safe and socially beneficial, individual adverse reactions, including neuroinflammatory severe complications, may occur.

During morphogenesis, initially flat tissues often must transition into complex 3D shapes, reminiscent of shape-programmable systems in physics and engineering. One key question in developmental biology and physics alike is therefore how distinct mechanical inputs interact to produce the correct shape. To investigate this, we here study the onset of optic cup invagination during vertebrate eye development, combining 3D shape analysis, perturbation experiments, and physical modelling inspired by shape-programmable materials. We find that basal invagination is initiated at the apical surfaces through active, patterned cell behaviours. These behaviours generate in-plane strain patterns reshaping the apical surface and thereby bending the tissue basally. Surprisingly, this means that basal shape initiation is driven by apical dynamics. While retinal pigmented epithelium and neuroepithelium exhibit distinct shape transitions, these are temporally coordinated to jointly shape the optic cup. These findings highlight that 3D shape can emerge from local apical activity of two coordinated patterns.

Um atual desafio nos estudos metabolómicos é o baixo número de metabolitos identificados em comparação com o grande número de metabolitos existentes nos fluidos biológicos. A espectroscopia de ressonância magnética nuclear (RMN) é uma das tecnologias mais usadas para tentar superar este problema. Através da construção de bibliotecas de metabolitos, é possível aumentar o conhecimento nesta área e aumentar a possibilidade da sua deteção com esta tecnologia e caraterizar os seus desvios químicos e multiplicidade. Esta informação fornece um conhecimento importante que ajudará na identificação de metabolitos quando amostras mais complexas, como por exemplo o sangue, forem analisadas. Amostras como o soro/plasma apresentam uma complicação extra quando este tipo de análise é aplicada. A alta concentração de proteínas no sangue provoca interferências nos espectros de RMN. As proteínas originam sinais amplos nos espetros padrão do protão (1H) e impedem a deteção de metabolitos, de baixo peso molecular. Este fenómeno pode ser superado através dos espetro de RMN 1H editado por T2, porém as informações dos metabolitos que se ligam às proteínas serão perdidas. Assim, primeiro os metabolitos devem ser separados das proteínas e, em seguida, as proteínas devem ser removidas. Para atingir o primeiro objetivo foram adicionadas às amostras de soro/plasma substâncias que influenciam a ligação entre proteínas. Essas substâncias podem fazer precipitar proteínas, por exemplo guanidina e sulfato de alumínio, ou funcionar como um ligando das proteínas, hexafluorobenzeno. Em seguida, para remover as proteínas, foram testados diversos métodos referidos na literatura e selecionados os três métodos que se apresentaram mais vantajosos e que mostraram melhores resultados. Destes, dois deles são métodos orgânicos, precipitação de proteínas com metanol e precipitação de proteínas com metanol-diclorometano, e um deles é baseado em propriedades físicas, ultrafiltração. Dos 65 metabolitos que se pretendia identificar, foi possível identificar 64 na biblioteca de metabolitos e 54 nas amostras de sangue. Comparando os diferentes métodos testados, alguns deles demonstraram ser mais eficientes na remoção de proteínas, no entanto alguns dos metabolitos desapareceram, enquanto outros métodos foram capazes de conjugar a remoção de proteínas com uma maior deteção de metabolitos. Os espetros das amostras de soro/plasma contêm ainda muitos sinais não identificados. No futuro, novas experiências para os identificar são necessárias.

Diverse modes of cell migration shape organisms in health and disease and much research has focused on the role of intracellular and extracellular components in different cell migration phenomena. What is less explored, however, is how the arrangement of the underlying extracellular matrix that many cells move upon in vivo influences migration. Combining novel transgenic lines and image analysis pipelines, reveals that during zebrafish optic cup formation cells use cryptopodia-like protrusions to migrate collectively and actively over a topologically changing matrix. These changing topologies correspond to different cell-matrix interactions. Interference with matrix topology results in loss of cryptopodia and inefficient migration. Thus, matrix topology influences the efficiency of directed collective cell migration during eye morphogenesis, a concept likely conserved in other developmental and disease contexts. Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest.

Arthropod eyes have diversified during evolution to serve multiple needs, such as finding mates, hunting prey, and navigating in complex surroundings under varying light conditions. This diversity is reflected in the optical apparatus, photoreceptors and neural circuits that underpin vision. While this diversity has been extensively documented, our ability to genetically manipulate the visual system to investigate its function is largely limited to a single species, the fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster. Here, we describe the visual system of Parhyale hawaiensis, an amphipod crustacean for which we have established tailored genetic tools. Adult Parhyale have apposition-type compound eyes made up of ∼50 ommatidia. Each ommatidium contains four photoreceptor cells with large rhabdomeres (R1-4), expected to be sensitive to the polarisation of light, and one photoreceptor cell with a smaller rhabdomere (R5). The two types of photoreceptors express different opsins, belonging to families with distinct wavelength sensitivities. Using the cis.-regulatory regions of opsin genes, we established transgenic reporters expressed in each photoreceptor cell type. Based on these reporters, we show that R1-4 and R5 photoreceptors extend axons to the first optic lobe neuropil, revealing striking differences compared with the photoreceptor projections found in related crustaceans and insects. Investigating visual function, we show that Parhyale has a positive phototactic response and is capable of adapting its eyes to different levels of light intensity. We propose that the visual system of Parhyale serves low-resolution visual tasks, such as orientation and navigation, based on broad gradients of light intensity and polarisation. Optic lobe structure and photoreceptor projections point to significant divergence from the conserved visual circuits found in other malacostracan crustaceans and insects, which could be associated with a shift to low-resolution vision. Our study provides the foundation for research in the visual system of this genetically tractable species.