Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2024-03-25"
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- Aquisição de prova transnacional : da admissibilidade da prova obtida no estrangeiroPublication . Brito, Mariana Isabel Rodrigues; Tavares, Sandra Flávia Correia BatistaFace ao crescente e emergente desenvolvimento da criminalidade transfronteiriça, que tem vindo a evoluir nas permissões apostas no espaço Schengen e na harmonização do espaço europeu – pilares da UE – surge a necessidade de entender de que forma a construção de uma cooperação judicial em matéria penal contribui para a eficácia do combate ao crime além fronteiras. Desta forma, e após análise dos mecanismos de obtenção de prova mais relevantes no âmbito da UE, e breve introdução de entidades que nela participam, esta investigação intenta analisar o tema da obtenção de prova transnacional, e o impacto de possíveis constrangimentos transfronteiriços da sua aquisição que, por sua vez, poderão vir a afetar a sua admissibilidade no direito probatório português. São a complexidade e atualidade do tema que nos levaram a desenvolver esta temática, numa pretensão de uniformizar e condensar informação, num tópico que se encontra dissipado numa multiplicidade de instrumentos regulatórios da cooperação internacional. Esta dissertação procura servir a comunidade académica com um estudo aprofundado e coeso, numa temática que em tanto também procura uma harmonização, nomeadamente, da união e cooperação das autoridades judiciárias, em prol da resolução do crescente problema da criminalidade transfronteiriça.
- Impact of nitrite reduction on the technological evaluation of cooked porked hamPublication . Nunes, Maria J. M.; Noronha, Lúcia; Cruz, Inês; Komora, Norton; Barbosa, Joana; Carvalho, Fátima; Teixeira, Paula
- Metal ions retention: polymer inclusion membrane as sorbent materialPublication . Melo, Maria M. P.; Mesquita, Raquel B. R.; Ribas, Tânia C. F.; Rangel, António O. S. S.
- SE-HPLC as a tool to guide the production of novel peptide fractions for textile applicationPublication . Bonifácio-Lopes, Teresa; Afonso, Tiago Barros; Coscueta, Ezequiel; Costa, Eduardo M.; Pintado, ManuelaIntroduction: Textile industry needs more bio centered solutions - the industry needs to adopt circular economy principles to repurpose its by-products; There is a need to re-utilize leather by-products and to develop biobased products1,2; SE-HPLC aids in the selection and production of peptide-rich solutions, these solutions are intended for use as functional coatings in textiles. This methodology helps optimize the formulation of coatings for desired functional properties. Objectives: Utilize SE-HPLC to gather fundamental data on the hydrolysis of protein-rich byproducts. Select and produce peptide-rich solutions suitable for functional textiles coatings. Evaluate different enzymes and hydrolysis conditions using SE-HPLC. Repurpose protein-rich leather by-products effectively using SE-HPLC guided strategies. Conclusions: Alcalase 10% 6 hours had higher hydrolysis degree (70.12%) than all the other enzymes percentage/time of hydrolysis Between time 0 and pre-final, molecules MW lower than 0.2 kDa consistently have a higher area. Conducting an enzyme inactivation (2 hours/90ºC) might result in molecule aggregation, leading to an increase in molecules with MW exceeding 50 kDa. Utilizing this technique facilitates the identification of the optimal time/enzyme concentration ratio. It enables industries to repurpose waste effectively while developing new bio-based products through hydrolysis. Specifically, it aids in the production of functional coatings, offering a sustainable solution for waste utilization and product innovation.
- SE-HPLC as a tool to guide the production of novel peptide fractions for textile applicationPublication . Bonifácio-Lopes, Teresa; Afonso, Tiago Barros; Coscueta, Ezequiel; Costa, Eduardo; Pintado, ManuelaAs the need for more bio centered solutions within the textile industry, complex increases it has been the role of R&D industries and academia to find within themselves tools that can guide the discovery and development of biobased products and solutions. One technique that nowadays plays a key role in the sustainable development of novel textile solutions is Size Exclusion HPLC (SE-HPLC). While on its core SE-HPLC is a high-throughput analytical method that has long been used for the routine analysis of proteins and their aggregation status, it is nowadays being used as key tool in the textile industry efforts of valorizing the estimated 4 million tons of protein- rich wastes generated by the tanning industry. In this setting SE-HPLC is providing fundamental information regarding the hydrolysis of the protein-rich wastes and in selecting and producing peptide rich solutions to be applied as functional coating in textiles. This work provides an example of such process as it shows how SE-HPLC was used to explore different enzymes and hydrolysis conditions to reuse protein rich leather by-products. The commercial enzyme, Protabate P, and an alternative enzyme, Alcalase, were used to hydrolyze leather by-products. Hydrolyzations were done during 6 and 24 hours while also trying to reduce the enzyme concentration used by the industry. The peptide size of the samples was then evaluated using size exclusion (SE- HPLC) to help determine how the hydrolysis can affect the molecular weight of the peptides present within the leather by-products and the prevalent molecular weight was between <0.2, 3-5, and 5-10 kDa. The hydrolysis percentage rate was also determined by using TNBS methodology and both enzymes tested affected the leather by-products, being Alcalase the one with a higher hydrolysis rate (70%). The utilization of this technique can assist in identifying the optimal time/enzyme concentration ratio, thereby enabling the industry to simultaneously repurpose waste and develop new bio- based products through hydrolysis, such as functional coatings.
- O abuso na infância e a re-vitimização na idade adulta : preditores dos comportamentos sexuais de risco e da hipersexualidadePublication . Beito, Ana Catarina Lopes; Costa, Eleonora Cunha VeigaO trauma na infância afeta o bem estar na idade adulta. Particularmente, o abuso sexual foi relacionado a maior disfunção sexual, menor satisfação sexual na idade adulta, mas também a níveis mais elevados de compulsividade e comportamentos sexuais de risco. Objetivos: Analisar se o abuso na infância e a revitimização na idade adulta são preditores dos comportamentos sexuais de risco e da hipersexualidade, bem como estudar as diferenças entre mulheres com e sem história de abuso ao nível das variáveis psicossociais e comportamentais em estudo. A amostra é constituída por 126 mulheres com e sem história de abuso e revitimização na idade adulta, com idades entre os 18 e os 40 anos, que preencheram os seguintes instrumentos: Questionário Sociodemográfico; Questionário do Trauma Infantil (CTQ); Questionário do Abuso Sexual na Idade Adulta; Questionário do Comportamento Sexual Passado; vários questionários de autorrelato acerca dos comportamentos sexuais de risco e a Escala das Consequências do Comportamento Hipersexual. Verificou-se que os diferentes tipos de abuso na infância foram relacionados positivamente entre si, bem como, o abuso na infância e a revitimização na idade adulta foram positiva e significativamente correlacionados com os comportamentos sexuais de risco e a hipersexualidade. A maioria dos estudos sobre abuso infantil e violação de adultos não incluiu mulheres usuárias de serviços públicos de cuidados de saúde primários. Por esse motivo, este estudo contribui para a nossa compreensão da prevalência e dos preditores dos comportamentos sexuais de risco e da hipersexualidade em um grupo de mulheres pouco investigado.
- Functional curcumin scaffolds to tackle chronic woundsPublication . Barros, Tiago Silva; Oliveira, Ana Leite de Almeida Monteiro de; Ventura, José Manuel Gonçalves; Madureira, Sara Maria Gomes TiagoChronic wounds represent a significant challenge to global health, leading to prolonged patient suffering, increased healthcare costs, and decreased quality of life. Addressing this issue requires innovative strategies in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. This master’s thesis investigates the potential use of support structures composed of collagen, functionalized with hydroxyapatite and curcumin as skin substitutes in the treatment of chronic wounds. The aim of this study is to explore the multifaceted properties of these biomaterials and their synergistic effects in promoting wound healing, while providing a structure similar to natural skin. Collagen, as the primary structural protein in the extracellular matrix, offers excellent biocompatibility and bioactivity, facilitating cell adhesion, proliferation, and tissue regeneration. Hydroxyapatite, known for its osteoconductive properties, contributes to the stability and bioactivity of the structure, while curcumin, with its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, can help mitigate the complications of chronic wounds. In this study, porous support structures composed of hydroxyapatite and collagen were manufactured, incorporating different concentrations of curcumin. These structures exhibited desirable levels of interconnected porosity, reaching 75.7%, and demonstrated satisfactory mechanical properties. However, contrary to expectations, they did not demonstrate any antioxidant properties. The results of the Resazurin assay indicated that even at lower doses, the presence of curcumin in the support structures did not induce cell death. However, it had an impact on cell adhesion, restricting and reducing this important process, compared to the control group. The work developed within the scope of this master’s thesis allowed the development and validation of these supports based on collagen, hydroxyapatite, and curcumin as a promising solution to improve wound healing processes and improve the quality of life of individuals suffering from chronic wounds.
- The potential of tuna bone char as a sorbent material for pharmaceuticals removal from wastewatersPublication . Miranda, Catarina; Piccirillo, Clara; Tiritan, Maria Elizabeth; Castro, Paula M. L.; Amorim, Catarina L.The extensive consumption of pharmaceuticals combined with the limited removal capacity of wastewater treatment processes result in their continuous accumulation in water bodies which can adversely affect the environment and human health. Thus, efficient strategies to avoid the release of these persistent compounds in the environment are needed. The adsorption-based processes are promising methodologies to reduce the impact of pharmaceutical residues on the environment.In the present work, the efficiency of a tuna bone char (TBC) material to adsorb tramadol (TRA) and venlafaxine (VNF) from different aqueous matrices, namely water, non-saline wastewater, and saline wastewaters with different salinity levels (7.5 and 12 g/L) was evaluated. The pharmaceuticals were present individually or in a mixture in each aqueous matrix, at an initial concentration of 10 mg/L. Over 24 hours, the concentration of pharmaceuticals was monitored using a validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method. Overall, the TBC presented a higher affinity for adsorbing TRA than VNF, with the highest adsorption capacities achieved in non-saline matrices. Although the TBC adsorption capacity was lower in saline matrices, the TBC was still effective for pharmaceuticals adsorption. If the matrix only contains one pharmaceutical, the TBC adsorption capacity ranged from 0.72 to 1.69 and 0.77 to 1.17 mg/g for TRA and VNF, respectively, depending on the aqueous matrix. Whenever both pharmaceuticals were present in the aqueous matrices, the TBC adsorption capacities for TRA and VNF were reduced to 0.57-0.73 and 0.79-0.96 mg/g, respectively. The TBC has shown promise in removing VNF and TRA from saline and non-saline wastewaters, highlighting its potential for environmental remediation applications.
- The potential of tuna bone char as a sorbent material for pharmaceuticals removal from wastewatersPublication . Miranda, Catarina; Piccirillo, Clara; Tiritan, Maria Elizabeth; Castro, Paula M. L.; Amorim, Catarina L.The extensive consumption of pharmaceuticals combined with the limited removal capacity of wastewater treatment processes result in their continuous accumulation in water bodies which can adversely affect the environment and human health. Thus, efficient strategies to avoid the release of these persistent compounds in the environment are needed. The adsorption-based processes are promising methodologies to reduce the impact of pharmaceutical residues on the environment.In the present work, the efficiency of a tuna bone char (TBC) material to adsorb tramadol (TRA) and venlafaxine (VNF) from different aqueous matrices, namely water, non-saline wastewater, and saline wastewaters with different salinity levels (7.5 and 12 g/L) was evaluated. The pharmaceuticals were present individually or in a mixture in each aqueous matrix, at an initial concentration of 10 mg/L. Over 24 hours, the concentration of pharmaceuticals was monitored using a validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method. Overall, the TBC presented a higher affinity for adsorbing TRA than VNF, with the highest adsorption capacities achieved in non-saline matrices. Although the TBC adsorption capacity was lower in saline matrices, the TBC was still effective for pharmaceuticals adsorption. If the matrix only contains one pharmaceutical, the TBC adsorption capacity ranged from 0.72 to 1.69 and 0.77 to 1.17 mg/g for TRA and VNF, respectively, depending on the aqueous matrix. Whenever both pharmaceuticals were present in the aqueous matrices, the TBC adsorption capacities for TRA and VNF were reduced to 0.57-0.73 and 0.79-0.96 mg/g, respectively. The TBC has shown promise in removing VNF and TRA from saline and non-saline wastewaters, highlighting its potential for environmental remediation applications.
- Antioxidant activity and total phenolic content of different extracts from depilified olive oil pomacePublication . Martins, V. F. R.; Ribeiro, T. B.; Pintado, M. E.; Morais, R. M. S. C.; Morais, A. M. M. B.Introduction: The use of by-products as a source of bioactive compounds with economic added value is one of the objectives of the circular economy. Olive oil industry is a source of olive pomace, as a by-product. The olive pomace used in the present study was the exhausted (delipidified) olive pomace, which is the by-product generated after drying and subsequent hexane extraction of residual oil from the olive pomace. This exhausted olive oil pomace may contain remaining bioactive compounds, such as phenolic compounds, which can be of interest not only for the food industry, but also for the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Objectives: Various types of green methodologies, such as solvent extraction (water and hydroalcoholic), ultrasound-assisted extraction, ultra-turrax-assisted extraction and enzyme-assisted extraction (cellulase; viscoenzyme) were used to obtain extracts rich in bioactive compounds from the exhausted olive oil pomace. The bioactivity of these extracts was evaluated through the antioxidant activity. Conclusions: Among all methodologies used the extractions with enzymes produced the best yields of extraction and the conventional extraction with water at 50 °C produced the best results for the total phenolic content and antioxidant activity: ABTS, DPPH and ORAC.