Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2021-11-01"
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- Drystone walls in the Algarve, Portugal. Characterization and interconnection with the geology and lithologyPublication . Feroldi, Ada; Da Silva, Elisa Maria De Jesus; Marçal Gonçalves, MartaDrystone walls can be frequently observed along the Algarve, south region of Portugal, performing both support and property division. This region is also known by its geological diversity and, consequently, lithology, which are intimately related to the orography. The combination of all these factors allowed the proliferation of this traditional drystone walls during the last centuries, and they represent not only an important element of the landscape, but also a perspective of the social, economic and technical bases of Algarve’s heritage. This article intends to present this diversity and the relationship between its various facets. In order to achieve the objectives, several field surveys were carried out to different geological zones, with the intention of gathering information related to the natural material used and its construction technique, as well as interaction with local inhabitants. These visits were supported by bibliographic and “Web-graphic” research, to substantiate the hypotheses. Based on the data results it is possible to identify a close interconnection between the geology and wall structure typology, since they are made with the natural rock fragments (raw material) found nearby. However, its function is more related to the orogeny and lithology, the latter defining also the type of agricultural culture. The study is enriched by the enormous diversity of rock types, although the Algarve is a relatively small region. The main limitations found during the development of the study are related to the physical access to the walls and the interviews with the locals. These constrictions were due to the lack of land maintenance, allowing vegetation to growth naturally, invading and covering the walls, and also due to the pandemic situation brought by the COVID-19 virus, which interdict the interaction between persons and also the travels. Despite the restrictions mentioned, the fieldtrips gave enough data to support the correlation between the geology, lithology and the raw material used on the drystone walls, as well as their relation to the terraces that proliferate in specific areas of Algarve. In view of the scarcity of bibliographic elements associated with this subject, in the studied territory, the elaboration of documents that allow the identification, characterization, geo-location and dissemination of the object of study, is considered as an asset for this theme. Finally, the study aims to alert and counter the tendency to abandon this type of heritage, valuing it and making it known.
- Characterization of the dry stone heritage of the Barrocal region (Algarve, Portugal)Publication . Balsells, Cèlia Mallafrè; Marçal Gonçalves, Marta; Jover, Agustí Costa; Pla, Sergio CollThe paper aims to value the diverse and important dry stone heritage located in the Barrocal area (Algarve, Portugal). The dry stone construction technique and the set of constructions that derive from its application are present in all parts of the world where stone is present. Throughout the Iberian Peninsula and specifically in the territory of Portugal, there are different dry stone constructions that make up the rural landscape. They are an example of the work in the field and the use of local natural resources during different generations. The recognition by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (2018) highlights the importance of maintaining a construction technique that, transmitted orally, is materialized in different constructions according to the constructive heritage and the stone typology of the nearby environment. The study focuses on a specific partially cultivated area of the Barrocal where different types of construction of dry stone elements exist. Starting from the contextualization of the studies carried out throughout Portugal, the predominant dry stone constructions of the Barrocal, the area with the greatest presence of a variety of types of the Algarve, are being identified, recorded and analysed. The work provides a classification of the present constructions in the area linked to their use and provides data on the construction characteristics and the typology of the stone. The knowledge of these constructions makes it possible to explain the economic and social context of a certain period and to plan reactivation measures for other economic sectors not linked to tourism. The Algarve, one of the most touristic areas of Portugal, has focused most of its economy on beach tourism, leaving the cultural and dry stone architectural heritage almost unnoticed.The constructions and the dry stone construction technique are a way of preserving the rural landscape and the cultural memory so that the benefits related to ecology and biodiversity are observed through this document.
- Dual role of allele-specific DNA hypermethylation within the TERT promoter in cancerPublication . Lee, Donghyun D.; Komosa, Martin; Sudhaman, Sumedha; Leão, Ricardo; Zhang, Cindy H.; Apolonio, Joana D.; Hermanns, Thomas; Wild, Peter J.; Klocker, Helmut; Nassiri, Farshad; Zadeh, Gelareh; Diplas, Bill H.; Yan, Hai; Gallinger, Steven; Pugh, Trevor J.; Ramaswamy, Vijay; Taylor, Michael D.; Castelo-Branco, Pedro; Nunes, Nuno Miguel; Tabori, UriAberrant activation of telomerase in human cancer is achieved by various alterations within the TERT promoter, including cancer-specific DNA hypermethylation of the TERT hypermethylated oncological region (THOR). However, the impact of allele-specific DNA methylation within the TERT promoter on gene transcription remains incompletely understood. Using allele-specific next-generation sequencing, we screened a large cohort of normal and tumor tissues (n = 652) from 10 cancer types and identified that differential allelic methylation (DAM) of THOR is restricted to cancerous tissue and commonly observed in major cancer types. THOR-DAM was more common in adult cancers, which develop through multiple stages over time, than in childhood brain tumors. Furthermore, THOR-DAM was especially enriched in tumors harboring the activating TERT promoter mutations (TPMs). Functional studies revealed that allele-specific gene expression of TERT requires hypomethylation of the core promoter, both in TPM and TERT WT cancers. However, the expressing allele with hypomethylated core TERT promoter universally exhibits hypermethylation of THOR, while the nonexpressing alleles are either hypermethylated or hypomethylated throughout the promoter. Together, our findings suggest a dual role for allelespecific DNA methylation within the TERT promoter in the regulation of TERT expression in cancer.