Veritati

Institutional Repository of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa

The Institutional Repository (Veritati) is a reference platform for those who want to access scientific production, as well as master's dissertations and doctoral theses, developed within the scope of the teaching and research activities of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa (UCP).

As part of the RCAAP project (Repositórios Científicos de Acesso Aberto de Portugal), it aims to preserve and disseminate scientific production, thus increasing its visibility and impact.

The Institutional Repository is also integrated into the UCP science management ecosystem, which includes, namely, the Ciência-UCP platform and the Scientific Journals of Universidade Católica Portuguesa portal

Universidade Católica Portuguesa Resources

Email repositorio@ucp.pt

Recent Submissions

Innovation plans in Portuguese schools: the importance of the aspects and locus of action on the slow path to metamorphosis

Publication . Martins, Natália; Palmeirão, Cristina; Alves, José Matias

Academic failure and social inequalities are becoming more prevalent in schools. While knowledge has evolved and society has undergone significant transformation, schools have largely remained structured around a uniform model applied indiscriminately to all. In Portugal, efforts were made to initiate change through the conceptualisation and implementation of innovation plans to alter the prevailing grammar of schooling, prompting an inquiry into whether these initiatives yielded the intended outcomes. To this end, a case study was conducted in two such schools, aiming to capture the perspectives, ideas, and perceptions of various stakeholders: students and teachers through questionnaires, coordinating teachers via narrative accounts, and school leaders through semi-structured interviews. The findings reveal that the contexts of implementation, the scale of the initiative, and the number of schools involved significantly influence both practices and leadership outcomes. Nonetheless, despite these constraints, the innovation plans facilitated the emergence of more collaborative dynamics and the creation of more meaningful learning environments, wherein students assumed a more active role in their educational processes. The results further indicate that these innovation plans encountered obstacles rooted in entrenched professional and organisational cultures, which hindered profound changes in the structuring of teaching and learning practices.

2025-11-13Research article

Open access

Pedagogias do luto: arte, estudos culturais e cosmovisões do bem-viver

Publication . Cardoso, Eduardo Prado; Prado, Irene Chaves

A partir de uma experiência artístico-pedagógica realizada em 2025 com um grupo de mulheres aposentadas em Portugal, discute-se como o entrelaçamento dos estudos culturais com cosmovisões que propagam o bem-viver – como visto em Werá (2024) e Acosta (2016) – promove ricos debates sobre percepções, experiências e memórias do luto na sociedade ocidental contemporânea. A discussão segura, ampla e aberta aos grupos vulneráveis (como mulheres mais velhas em situação de solidão) ao mesmo tempo que tocou no desamparo, também provocou um deslocamento crítico (Noguera, 2022) que conecta os rituais de luto e de perda com a cosmovisão moderna hegemônica, marcada pela extrema individualização. Recupera-se a importância, com isso, de se reforçar a ação comunitária e integrativa das pessoas em propostas pedagógicas e/ou artísticas que valorizem a livre expressão e a escuta coletiva.

2025-11-12Research article

Open access

Sequential injection chromatographic system for the expeditious molecular weight screening in hydrolysates

Publication . Teixeira, Raquel; Ribas, Tânia C. F.; Almeida, André; Pintado, Manuela; Rangel, António O. S. S.

Introduction and objective: According to European Union regulations, the use of additives in animal feed must be rigorously evaluated to ensure safety, efficacy, and quality. The guidelines highlight the importance of reliable and efficient analytical tools for characterizing bioactive compounds in feed. Currently, protein evaluation is predominantly performed using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Despite its robustness, presents disadvantages. The main objective is to develop a low-pressure chromatographic flow-based spectrophotometric method for the molecular weight screening of peptides used in animal feed. Method: This work presents a low-pressure chromatographic method based on a sequential injection analysis (SIA) system. A laboratory-made chromatographic column was coupled to the flow system, enabling a rapid molecular weight-based separation and quantification. This method approach provides an expeditious, cost-effective, miniaturized, and automated solution with strong potential for real- time control in industrial production environments. On going work: Optimization of the chromatographic conditions aiming for a higher chromatogram resolution and improved sensitivity through the evaluation of different column sizes, sample volume and flow-rate.

2025-11-10Conference poster not in proceedings

Embargoed access

Sequential injection chromatographic system for the expeditious molecular weight screening in hydrolysates

Publication . Teixeira, Raquel; Ribas, Tânia C. F.; Almeida, André; Pintado, Manuela; Rangel, António O. S. S.

According to the regulations of the European Union, the use of additives in animal nutrition must be rigorously assessed to ensure safety, efficacy, and quality. These guidelines emphasize the importance of reliable and efficient analytical tools for characterizing bioactive compounds in feed formulation [1]. Currently, the evaluation of proteins is predominantly performed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). This is a well-established technique known for its robustness, but on the other hand, it is associated with high operational costs, lengthy analysis times, and complex instrumentation. In response to these limitations, this work presents the development of a sequential injection analysis (SIA) system incorporating a laboratory-made chromatographic column, specifically designed to determine compounds across a range of molecular weights, with particular focus on species below 10 kDa (Figure 1). Integrating the column into the SIA circuit enables selective separation and quantification of low-molecular-weight compounds, significantly enhancing analytical throughput and overall process efficiency. The sequential injection chromatography offers distinct advantages, including improved precision, automation, and reduced reagent consumption [2]. This method approach provides a cost-effective, miniaturized, and automated solution with strong potential for real-time control in industrial production environments. This is particularly relevant in the animal feed manufacturing sector, where accurate monitoring of peptides, amino acids, and other bioactive molecules under 10 kDa is essential to ensure nutritional quality, regulatory compliance, and optimized formulation strategies.

2025-11-10Conference object

Open access

Perceptions about family foster care and intention of becoming a foster family: a short report

Publication . Alves, Stephanie; Camilo, Cláudia; Pereira, Luísa; Correia, Madalena; Araújo, Kamila; Ornelas, Sandra; Justo, Mariana; Grangeia, Helena; Negrão, Mariana; Baptista, Joana

Family foster care (FFC) is associated with positive developmental outcomes for children. However, the recruitment and retention of foster families prepared to respond to children's needs are a cross-cutting challenge worldwide and require a better understanding of which factors may influence it. This study analysed the associations between personal characteristics, perceptions about FFC and intention of becoming a foster family in a community sample. A total of 348 Portuguese adults completed an online cross-sectional survey. Participants completed the Integrated Model of Family Foster Care-Perceptions about Family Foster Scale (MIAF-PFFS; ProChild CoLAB & SCML, 2024), comprising five dimensions (perceptions about caregiving, about foster children, about the biological family, about the foster family and about the decision-making process) and answered two questions reporting on their intention of becoming a foster family. Female participants, with higher education, and with children reported higher intention for fostering. More adequate perceptions about caregiving, the biological family and the decision-making process were associated with higher intention for fostering. Regression analyses showed that being female, having children and more adequate perceptions of caregiving of foster children were the factors that most contributed to the intention for fostering. These results highlight how specific perceptions of FFC can enhance individuals' intention for fostering, thus informing targeted recruitment strategies.

2025-11-07Research article

Open access