University of Lisbon

About: University of Lisbon is a education organization based out in Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Context (language use). The organization has 19122 authors who have published 48503 publications receiving 1102623 citations. The organization is also known as: Universidade de Lisboa & Lisbon University.

Rapid determination of anti-tuberculosis drug resistance from whole-genome sequences

Abstract: Mycobacterium tuberculosis drug resistance (DR) challenges effective tuberculosis disease control. Current molecular tests examine limited numbers of mutations, and although whole genome sequencing approaches could fully characterise DR, data complexity has restricted their clinical application. A library (1,325 mutations) predictive of DR for 15 anti-tuberculosis drugs was compiled and validated for 11 of them using genomic-phenotypic data from 792 strains. A rapid online ‘TB-Profiler’ tool was developed to report DR and strain-type profiles directly from raw sequences. Using our DR mutation library, in silico diagnostic accuracy was superior to some commercial diagnostics and alternative databases. The library will facilitate sequence-based drug-susceptibility testing.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis protein ESAT-6 is a potent activator of the NLRP3/ASC inflammasome.

Abstract: Interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) represents one of the most important mediators of inflammation and host responses to infection. Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of human tuberculosis, induces IL-1beta secretion at the site of infection, but the underlying mechanism(s) are poorly understood. In this work we show that Mtb infection of macrophages stimulates caspase-1 activity and promotes the secretion of IL-1beta. This stimulation requires live intracellular bacteria expressing a functional ESX-1 secretion system. ESAT-6, an ESX-1 substrate implicated in membrane damage, is both necessary and sufficient for caspase-1 activation and IL-1beta secretion. ESAT-6 promotes the access of other immunostimulatory agents such as AG85 into the macrophage cytosol, indicating that this protein may contribute to caspase-1 activation largely by perturbing host cell membranes. Using a high-throughput shRNA-based screen we found that numerous NOD-like receptors (NLRs) and CARD domain-containing proteins (CARDs) were important for IL-1beta secretion upon Mtb infection. Most importantly, NLRP3, ASC and caspase-1 form an infection-inducible inflammasome complex that is essential for IL-1beta secretion. In summary, we show that recognition of Mtb infection by the NLRP3 inflammasome requires the activity of the bacterial virulence factor ESAT-6, and the subsequent IL-1beta response is regulated by a number of NLR/CARD proteins.

Upwelling Patterns off Portugal

Abstract: Remotely sensed sea surface temperatures are used to characterize the Portuguese coastal upwelling from the distribution and evolution of its surface thermal signature. During the summer, upwelled waters occupy the surface layers over the whole western shelf and part of the upper slope of Portugal, and their areal extent pulsates onshore-offshore in response to cycles of northerly winds, reaching 30–50 km from the coast under calm conditions and extending to 100–200 km during and shortly after strong north winds.

Detection of orbital motions near the last stable circular orbit of the massive black hole SgrA

Abstract: We report the detection of continuous positional and polarization changes of the compact source SgrA* in high states (“flares”) of its variable near-infrared emission with the near-infrared GRAVITY-Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) beam-combining instrument. In three prominent bright flares, the position centroids exhibit clockwise looped motion on the sky, on scales of typically 150 μ as over a few tens of minutes, corresponding to about 30% the speed of light. At the same time, the flares exhibit continuous rotation of the polarization angle, with about the same 45(±15) min period as that of the centroid motions. Modelling with relativistic ray tracing shows that these findings are all consistent with a near face-on, circular orbit of a compact polarized “hot spot” of infrared synchrotron emission at approximately six to ten times the gravitational radius of a black hole of 4 million solar masses. This corresponds to the region just outside the innermost, stable, prograde circular orbit (ISCO) of a Schwarzschild–Kerr black hole, or near the retrograde ISCO of a highly spun-up Kerr hole. The polarization signature is consistent with orbital motion in a strong poloidal magnetic field.

Burden on the families of patients with schizophrenia: results of the BIOMED I study.

Abstract: The burden, the coping strategies and the social network of a sample of 236 relatives of patients with schizophrenia, living in five European countries, were explored by well-validated assessment instruments. In all centres, relatives experienced higher levels of burden when they had poor coping resources and reduced social support. Relatives in Mediterranean centres, who reported lower levels of social support, were more resigned, and more often used spiritual help as a coping strategy. These data indicate that family burden and coping strategies can be influenced by cultural factors, and suggest that family interventions should have also a social focus, aiming to increase the family social network and to reduce stigma.