Chromosome location and characterization of genes for grain protein content in Triticum dicoccoides

Dissertação de Mestrado em História, apresentada à Faculdade de Letras da Universidade de Coimbra.No início do século XX, com a instalação da República portuguesa, surgiu a oportunidade de se construir um lar judaico num território português de além-mar. Angola foi uma forte possibilidade. Vários fatores contribuíram para que tal oportunidade fosse possível. Os constantes massacres feitos ao povo judaico em variadíssimos países europeus, nomeadamente nos países de leste, e as dificuldades encontradas por Theodor Herzl, fundador do movimento sionista, para a edificação do desejado Estado judaico na Palestina, levou a que alguns líderes judaicos começassem a estudar outras hipóteses para o estabelecimento da comunidade judaica para além da Palestina. Era urgente encontrar uma solução para que o sofrimento dos judeus terminasse. Por outro lado, é preciso não esquecer que Portugal se debatia com uma grande questão, a necessidade de ocupar efetivamente as suas colónias, a fim de contrariar as pretensões alemãs e inglesas. A hipótese de criar uma colónia judaica em Angola, como forma de enfrentar as aspirações alheias, e a necessidade de valorizar aquele território, faziam da colonização judaica uma boa solução para Portugal. Tendo em conta as dificuldades de um povoamento de Angola com elementos naturais da metrópole, devido à fraca capacidade financeira do Estado português e a razões sociais e mentais, a colonização judaica aparecia como uma alternativa viável. No entanto, este projeto não se concretizaria. Serão identificados os fatores internos e externos que levaram a que este projeto não fosse posto em prática e tratar-se-á da posterior criação do Estado de Israel na Palestina, depois da Segunda Guerra Mundial.In the early XXth century, with the establishment of Portuguese Republic, arises an opportunity of setting a jewish home in a portuguese land overseas. Angola was a strong possibility. Several factors contributed for the possibility of such opportunity. The constant massacres the Jewish people suffered in numerous different European countries, mainly in Eastern countries, and the difficulties encountered by Theodor Herlz, founder of the Zionist movement, in order to build the desired Jewish State in Palestine, drove some of jewish leaders to study other options to establish the home of Jewish people beyond Palestine. It was urgent to find a solution for the suffering of the Jews to end. On the other hand, it’s important not to forget that Portugal was struggling with a big question, the necessity of effectively settling its colonies, in order to fight back the German and English pretensions. The possibility of creating a jewish colony in Angola as a way to prevent third-parties aspirations and the need of increase the value of Angola land turned the jewish settlement into a good solution to Portugal. As the colonization of Angola with natives from the metropolis appeared hard to reach, due to a poor financial capacity of the portuguese State as well as social and mental factors, the Jewish colonization appeared as a viable alternative. However, this project wasn’t meant to achieve the goal. We’ll describe the internal and external factors that caused the failure of this project and we’ll talk about the creation, later on, of the Jewish State in Palestine, after Second World Wa

Identification of chromosomes responsible for crown rot resistance in durum wheat

Dissertação de mestrado em Saúde Ocupacional, apresentada á Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de CoimbraA Segurança, Higiene e Saúde no Trabalho (SHST) tem como objetivo conservar o bem-estar físico, mental e social dos trabalhadores, para isso, é necessário adotar medidas que exigem a interação de várias áreas como a medicina do trabalho, a higiene do trabalho, a engenharia de segurança, a ergonomia, a psicologia, entre outras. Este assunto começou a ser tido em conta, em meados do Séc. XX. Até aí o único aspeto importante relacionado com o trabalho era a produtividade, não havendo preocupação com lesões, doenças nem mesmo se essas situações conduzissem à morte do trabalhador. Tem-se verificado que os riscos psicossociais são riscos emergentes de saúde ocupacional, ou seja, são riscos novos, que estão a aumentar e cujos efeitos sobre a saúde dos trabalhadores estão a agravar-se. As novas formas de contratos de trabalho e insegurança no emprego, a mão-de-obra em envelhecimento, a intensificação do trabalho, as exigências emocionais elevadas no trabalho e a difícil conciliação entre a vida profissional e pessoal são os principais geradores de consequências negativas para os trabalhadores, para as organizações e para a sociedade. Estes riscos requerem grande preocupação por parte das empresas, no entanto devido à delicadeza necessária para abordar esta temática, à escassez dos recursos e à falta de sensibilização, muitas vezes não lhe é dada a devida importância. Os objetivos deste estudo são analisar o nível de exposição da população ativa aos riscos psicossociais, avaliar a capacidade para o trabalho e analisar os efeitos dos riscos psicossociais no trabalho na capacidade para o trabalho. Para atingir os objetivos anteriormente referidos, a metodologia utilizada foram dois questionários, autoadministrados, numa amostra de 140 trabalhadores residentes na localidade de Outil. Com os dados obtidos, foi possível inferir que a população se encontra numa situação de risco intermédio relativamente à exposição aos riscos psicossociais. Este facto não se deve ao sexo do trabalhador nem ao setor em que exerce a sua atividade profissional. Concluiu-se também que a população em estudo apresenta, de um modo geral um bom Índice de Capacidade para o Trabalho (ICT). Este índice vai diminuindo com o avançar Riscos Psicossociais e Capacidade no Trabalho na população de Outil (Cantanhede) XV da idade do trabalhador. O ICT não está correlacionado linearmente com o sexo nem com o setor profissional. Com este estudo verifica-se também que o nível de exposição aos riscos psicossociais se relaciona com a capacidade para o trabalho na medida em que alguns aspetos psicossociais do trabalho potenciam ou inibem a capacidade para o trabalho. Os aspetos que inibem a capacidade para o trabalho são: as exigências quantitativas, os conflitos laborais, a confiança horizontal e vertical, o compromisso face ao local de trabalho, a saúde em geral e os problemas em dormir. Já pelo contrário, o significado do trabalho, a importância que o trabalhador atribui ao trabalho é um fator que potencia a capacidade para o trabalho. A crise económico-financeira atravessada pelo país, e um pouco por toda a Europa, neste momento origina muitas alterações organizacionais e estruturais nas empresas, o que potencia o aparecimento dos riscos psicossociais afetando a saúde física e mental do trabalhador e consequentemente a sua capacidade para o trabalho. O reconhecimento e a gestão dos riscos psicossociais a que estão sujeitos os trabalhadores e a avaliação da sua capacidade para o trabalho tornam mais fácil e eficaz a tomada de decisão e o desenrolar de programas de ação que ajudem as empresas a ultrapassar este momento conturbado a nível socioeconómico e financeiro, mantendo os trabalhadores saudáveis física e mentalmente.The Safety and Health at Work aims to conserve the physical well-being, mental and social workers, for that is necessary to adopt measures that require the interaction of several areas such as occupational medicine, hygiene at work safety engineering, ergonomics, psychology, among others. This issue began to be taken into account in the mid-century. XX, until then the only important aspect related to the work was productivity, with no concern for injury, illness or even if these situations would lead to the death of the workers. It has been found that psychosocial risks are emerging risks to occupational health, it means that they are new risks that are increasing and whose effects on the health of workers are getting worse. The new forms of contracts of work and job insecurity, the hand labor aging, work intensification, high emotional demands at work and the difficult balance between work and personal life are the main triggers of negative consequences for workers, to organizations and to society. These risks require major concern of companies, however because of the sensitivity needed to approach this issue, resources are scarce and the lack of awareness often not been given due importance. The objectives of this study are analyze the level of exposure of the workforce to psychosocial risks, assessing the ability to work and analyze the effects of psychosocial risks at work in the capacity for work. To achieve the above objectives, the methodology used were two questionnaires, self-administered on a sample of 140 workers living in Outil. With the data obtained, it was possible to infer that the population is at an intermediate risk for exposure to psychosocial risks. This is not due to the sex of the worker or the sector where he is pursuing his professional activity. It was also concluded that the study population has, in general a good Work Ability Index (WAI). This ratio decreases with advancing age of the worker. The WAI is not correlated linearly with sex or with the professional sector. The level of exposure to psychosocial risk relates to the ability to work in so far some psychosocial aspects of the work potentiate or inhibit the ability to work. The aspects that inhibit the ability to work are: quantitative requirements, labor disputes, the horizontal and vertical trust, commitment towards the workplace, health in general and trouble sleeping. Already the contrary, the meaning of work, the importance that the worker attaches to the work is a factor that enhances the ability to work. The economic and financial crisis experienced by the country, and almost everywhere in Europe at this time gives many organizational and structural changes in companies, which enhances the appearance of psychosocial risks affecting the physical and mental health of the worker and consequently their ability to the work. Riscos Psicossociais e Capacidade no Trabalho na população de Outil (Cantanhede) XVII The recognition and management of psychosocial risks to which they are subject workers and the evaluation of their ability to make work easier and more effective decision-making and the development of programs which help companies overcome this troubled time the level socio-economic and financial, keeping the physical and mentally healthy worker

Multi-Trait and Multi-Environment QTL Analyses for Resistance to Wheat Diseases

BACKGROUND: Stripe rust, leaf rust, tan spot, and Karnal bunt are economically significant diseases impacting wheat production. The objectives of this study were to identify quantitative trait loci for resistance to these diseases in a recombinant inbred line (RIL) from a cross HD29/WH542, and to evaluate the evidence for the presence loci on chromosome region conferring multiple disease resistance. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The RIL population was evaluated for four diseases and genotyped with DNA markers. Multi-trait (MT) analysis revealed thirteen QTLs on nine chromosomes, significantly associated with resistance. Phenotypic variation explained by all significant QTLs for KB, TS, Yr, Lr diseases were 57%, 55%, 38% and 22%, respectively. Marginal trait analysis identified the most significant QTLs for resistance to KB on chromosomes 1BS, 2DS, 3BS, 4BL, 5BL, and 5DL. Chromosomes 3AS and 4BL showed significant association with TS resistance. Significant QTLs for Yr resistance were identified on chromosomes 2AS, 4BL and 5BL, while Lr was significant on 6DS. MT analysis revealed that all the QTLs except 3BL significantly reduce KB and was contributed from parent HD29 while all resistant QTLs for TS except on chromosomes 2DS.1, 2DS.2 and 3BL came from WH542. Five resistant QTLs for Yr and six for Lr were contributed from parents WH542 and HD29 respectively. Chromosome region on 4BL showed significant association to KB, TS, and Yr in the population. The multi environment analysis for KB identified three putative QTLs of which two new QTLs, mapped on chromosomes 3BS and 5DL explained 10 and 20% of the phenotypic variation, respectively. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: This study revealed that MT analysis is an effective tool for detection of multi-trait QTLs for disease resistance. This approach is a more effective and practical than individual QTL mapping analyses. MT analysis identified RILs that combine resistance to multiple diseases from parents WH542 and/or HD29

Survey of the knowledge, attitude and practice of Nigerian surgery trainees to HIV-infected persons and AIDS patients

BACKGROUND: The incidence of HIV infection and AIDS is rising in Nigeria. Surgeons are at risk of occupationally acquired infection as a result of intimate contact with the blood and body fluids of patients. This study set out to determine the knowledge, attitude and risk perception of Nigerian surgery residents to HIV infection and AIDS. METHODS: A self-administered postal questionnaire was sent to all surgery trainees in Nigeria in 1997. RESULTS: Parenteral exposure to patients' blood was reported as occurring 92.5% times, and most respondents assessed their risk of becoming infected with HIV as being moderate at 1–5%. The majority of the respondents were not aware of the CDC guidelines on universal precautions against blood-borne pathogens. Most support a policy of routinely testing all surgical patients for HIV infection but 76.8% work in centers where there is no policy on parenteral exposure to patients' blood and body fluids. Most (85.6%) do not routinely use all the protective measures advocated for the reduction of transmission of blood borne pathogens during surgery, with the majority ascribing this to non-availability. Most want surgeons to be the primary formulators of policy on HIV and surgery while not completely excluding other stakeholders. CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrates the level of knowledge, attitude and practice of Nigerian surgery trainees in 1997 and the need for policy guidelines to manage all aspects of the healthcare worker (HCW), patients, and HIV/AIDS interaction

SnTox3 Acts in Effector Triggered Susceptibility to Induce Disease on Wheat Carrying the Snn3 Gene

The necrotrophic fungus Stagonospora nodorum produces multiple proteinaceous host-selective toxins (HSTs) which act in effector triggered susceptibility. Here, we report the molecular cloning and functional characterization of the SnTox3-encoding gene, designated SnTox3, as well as the initial characterization of the SnTox3 protein. SnTox3 is a 693 bp intron-free gene with little obvious homology to other known genes. The predicted immature SnTox3 protein is 25.8 kDa in size. A 20 amino acid signal sequence as well as a possible pro sequence are predicted. Six cysteine residues are predicted to form disulfide bonds and are shown to be important for SnTox3 activity. Using heterologous expression in Pichia pastoris and transformation into an avirulent S. nodorum isolate, we show that SnTox3 encodes the SnTox3 protein and that SnTox3 interacts with the wheat susceptibility gene Snn3. In addition, the avirulent S. nodorum isolate transformed with SnTox3 was virulent on host lines expressing the Snn3 gene. SnTox3-disrupted mutants were deficient in the production of SnTox3 and avirulent on the Snn3 differential wheat line BG220. An analysis of genetic diversity revealed that SnTox3 is present in 60.1% of a worldwide collection of 923 isolates and occurs as eleven nucleotide haplotypes resulting in four amino acid haplotypes. The cloning of SnTox3 provides a fundamental tool for the investigation of the S. nodorum–wheat interaction, as well as vital information for the general characterization of necrotroph–plant interactions