Description of four new filamentous cyanobacterial taxa from freshwater habitats in the Azores Archipelago.

Simple filamentous cyanobacteria comprise a diverse and polyphyletic group of species, primarily in the orders Leptolyngbyales and Oscillatoriales, that need more sampling to improve their taxonomy. Oceanic islands, such as the Azores archipelago, present unique habitats and biogeographic conditions that harbor an unknown range of diversity of microorganisms. Filamentous cyanobacteria isolated from aquatic habitats in the Azores and maintained in the BACA culture collection were described using morphology, both light and transmission electron microscopy, ecology, and genetic data of the 16S rRNA gene sequences and 16S-23S Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) rRNA region secondary structure. Our analyses revealed two new monophyletic genera: Tumidithrix elongata gen. sp. nov. (Pseudanabaenaceae) and Radiculonema aquaticum gen. sp. nov. (Leptolyngbyaceae). In addition, two new species Leptodesmis lacustris sp. nov. (Leptolyngbyaceae) and Pycnacronema lacustrum sp. nov. (Wilmottiaceae) are reported as the first aquatic species for these genera. The description of these new taxa and the genetic study of an isolate of Leptodesmis alaskaensis from the Azores followed the polyphasic approach, identifying diacritical features. Our results reinforce the need for taxonomic studies on cyanobacteria from less-studied habits and geographic regions, which have a potential for new taxa description.

Phylogeography of the Macaronesian Lettuce Species Lactuca watsoniana and L. palmensis (Asteraceae).

The phylogenetic relationships and phylogeography of two relatively rare Macaronesian Lactuca species, Lactuca watsoniana (Azores) and L. palmensis (Canary Islands), were, until this date, unclear. Karyological information of the Azorean species was also unknown. For this study, a chromosome count was performed and L. watsoniana showed 2n = 34. A phylogenetic approach was used to clarify the relationships of the Azorean endemic L. watsoniana and the La Palma endemic L. palmensis within the subtribe Lactucinae. Maximum parsimony, Maximum likelihood and Bayesian analysis of a combined molecular dataset (ITS and four chloroplast DNA regions) and molecular clock analyses were performed with the Macaronesian Lactuca species, as well as a TCS haplotype network. The analyses revealed that L. watsoniana and L. palmensis belong to different subclades of the Lactuca clade. Lactuca watsoniana showed a strongly supported phylogenetic relationship with North American species, while L. palmensis was closely related to L. tenerrima and L. inermis, from Europe and Africa. Lactuca watsoniana showed four single-island haplotypes. A divergence time estimation of the Macaronesian lineages was used to examine island colonization pathways. Results obtained with BEAST suggest a divergence of L. palmensis and L. watsoniana clades c. 11 million years ago, L. watsoniana diverged from its North American sister species c. 3.8 million years ago and L. palmensis diverged from its sister L. tenerrima, c. 1.3 million years ago, probably originating from an African ancestral lineage which colonized the Canary Islands. Divergence analyses with *BEAST indicate a more recent divergence of the L. watsoniana crown, c. 0.9 million years ago. In the Azores colonization, in a stepping stone, east-to-west dispersal pattern, associated with geological events might explain the current distribution range of L. watsoniana.

Inesperadamente... a perturbação mental!: a intervenção do enfermeiro especialista no apoio à família / Unexpectedly the mental disturbance!: the intervention of the specialist nurse in family support

Este relatório centra-se na família da pessoa com perturbação mental e na sua necessidade de apoio no processo reconstrutivo de si, motivado pelo impacto transformador de um acontecimento traumático causador de efeitos indesejados no seu bem-estar. Partindo da necessidade de compreender como prestar suporte aos familiares da pessoa com lesão vertebro-medular, e ainda que a perturbação mental não seja de instalação tão súbita procurou-se, no âmbito da Saúde Mental, entender como a definição diagnóstica traduz um momento que, inesperadamente, os confronta com a necessidade de uma desconstrução e reconstrução de expectativas face à pessoa com perturbação mental. Para cumprir os objetivos de compreender a problemática da vivência da pessoa com perturbação mental e sua família, de experimentar a prestação de cuidados a estes indivíduos e de desenvolver competências de suporte relativamente à expressão e gestão emocional da família em crise, realizaram-se dois estágios ­ quatro semanas num internamento de Psiquiatria e onze semanas na Comunidade. Neste tempo, a prestação de cuidados passou pelo experimentar a relação terapêutica ao realizar intervenções de âmbito grupal e individual junto de utentes/famílias; realizar entrevistas de ajuda; participar na preparação de um Grupo de Intervenção Psicoeducativa para famílias e observar sessões de dois Grupos de Ajuda Mútua para famílias. Nestes contactos foi possível perceber as suas dificuldades e necessidades relativamente a suporte emocional e conhecimentos sobre a perturbação mental, áreas onde o enfermeiro especialista pode fazer a diferença. Considerando a transição imposta à família, onde a mobilização das suas capacidades é essencial para o processo de recovery, foram imprescindíveis os contributos das teorias de Meleis e de Gottlieb. A estes juntaramse questões teóricas relativas às emoções, às narrativas e seu valor na enfermagem, aos processos comunicacionais, à escuta ativa e relação terapêutica, que se revelaram de grande importância e conferiram um novo sentido ao cuidar.

This report focuses on the family of the person with a mental disorder and on their need for support during the process of rebuilding themselves, caused by the transforming impact of a traumatic event that results in unwanted effects in their wellbeing. Starting from the need to understand how to support the family of the person with spinal cord injury, and even though mental disorders do not set so suddenly, it were made all the efforts to understand, within the Mental Health scope, how the definition of a diagnosis represents a moment that, unexpectedly, confronts them with the need to deconstruct and rebuild their expectations related to the person with mental disorder. In order to fulfil the main goals of understanding the experience of the person with a mental disorder and family, experimenting nursing care to these individuals and develop nursing skills of support concerning the emotional expression and management of the family in crisis, two practice periods in context were developed ­ four weeks in a Psychiatric ward and eleven weeks in the community environment. During this time, nursing care consisted of experimenting the therapeutic relationship by implementing individual and group interventions with patients/families; conducting helping interviews, participating in the preparation of a Psychoeducational Intervention Group for families and observing sessions of two Self Help Groups for families. In these moments of contact it was possible to understand their difficulties and needs related to emotional support and knowledge of the mental disorder itself, two areas where the nursing specialist can make a difference. Considering the transition imposed on the family, where mobilizing their capacities is essential to the recovery process, the contributions of Meleis and Gottlieb's Theories were indispensable. Apart from these, theory aspects related to emotions, narratives and their value in nursing, communicational processes, active listening and the therapeutic relationship also revealed to be of great importance and gave a new meaning to the nursing care.

Geographical distance and barriers explain population genetic patterns in an endangered island perennial.

Island plants are frequently used as model systems in evolutionary biology to understand factors that might explain genetic diversity and population differentiation levels. Theory suggests that island plants should have lower levels of genetic diversity than their continental relatives, but this hypothesis has been rejected in several recent studies. In the Azores, the population level genetic diversity is generally low. However, like in most island systems, there are high levels of genetic differentiation between different islands. The Azores lettuce, Lactuca watsoniana, is an endangered Asteraceae with small population sizes. Therefore, we expect to find a lower level of genetic diversity than in the other more common endemic Asteraceae. The intra- and interpopulation genetic structure and diversity of L. watsoniana was assessed using eight newly developed microsatellite markers. We included 135 individuals, from all 13 known populations in the study. Because our microsatellite results suggested that the species is tetraploid, we analysed the microsatellite data (i) in codominant format using PolySat (Principal Coordinate Analysis, PCoA) and SPAgedi (genetic diversity indexes) and (ii) in dominant format using Arlequin (AMOVA) and STRUCTURE (Bayesian genetic cluster analysis). A total of 129 alleles were found for all L. watsoniana populations. In contrast to our expectations, we found a high level of intrapopulation genetic diversity (total heterozigosity = 0.85; total multilocus average proportion of private alleles per population = 26.5 %, Fis = -0.19). Our results show the existence of five well-defined genetic groups, one for each of the three islands São Miguel, Terceira and Faial, plus two groups for the East and West side of Pico Island (Fst = 0.45). The study revealed the existence of high levels of genetic diversity, which should be interpreted taking into consideration the ploidy level of this rare taxon.

Towards a more holistic research approach to plant conservation: the case of rare plants on oceanic islands.

Research dedicated to rare endemic plants is usually focused on one given aspect. However, holistic studies, addressing several key issues, might be more useful, supporting management programmes while unravelling basic knowledge about ecological and population-level processes. A more comprehensive approach to research is proposed, encompassing: phylogenetics/systematics, pollination biology and seed dispersal, propagation, population genetics, species distribution models (SDMs), threats and monitoring. We present a holistic study dedicated to Veronica dabneyi Hochst. ex Seub., an endangered chamaephyte endemic to the Azores. Veronica dabneyi was mainly found associated with other endemic taxa; however, invasive plants were also present and together with introduced cattle, goats and rabbits are a major threat. Most populations grow at somewhat rocky and steep locations that appeared to work as refuges. Seed set in the wild was generally high and recruitment of young plants from seed seemed to be frequent. In the laboratory, it was possible to germinate and fully develop V. dabneyi seedlings, which were planted at their site of origin. No dormancy was detected and time for 50 % germination was affected by incubation temperature. Eight new microsatellite markers were applied to 72 individuals from 7 sites. A considerable degree of admixture was found between samples from the two islands Flores and Corvo, with 98 % of the genetic variability allocated within populations. Levels of heterozygosity were high and no evidence of inbreeding was found. Species distribution models based on climatic and topographic variables allowed the estimation of the potential distribution of V. dabneyi on Flores and Corvo using ecological niche factor analysis and Maxent. The inclusion of land-use variables only slightly increased the information explained by the models. Projection of the expected habitat in Faial largely coincided with the only historic record of V. dabneyi on that island. This research could be the basis for the design of a recovery plan, showing the pertinence of more holistic research approaches to plant conservation.