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- Bioaccessibility of novel bioactive peptides from the body mucus of the Lusitanian Toadfish Halobatrachus didactylus using an in vitro digestion modelPublication . Fernandez Cunha, Marta; Coscueta, Ezequiel R.; Brassesco, María Emilia; Almada, Frederico; Gonçalves, David; Pintado, ManuelaThe bioprospection of marine resources for drug discovery is receiving increasing attention (1). Adverse marine environmental conditions lead organisms to develop a collection of bioactive molecules for survival (1). Mucus, acting as a first line of defense against pathogens (2), is known to protect fish from the surrounding environment. Our previous studies have already demonstrated the bioactive potential of body mucus from the Lusitanian toadfish Halobatrachus didactylus. We performed LC-MS/MS to identify potential peptides within the mucus peptide fraction, selecting them based on in silico predictions of their bioactivities. It was important to assess the capacity of our bioactive peptides to resist the gastrointestinal tract and cross the intestinal epithelial barrier, thereby confirming their possible applicability as health potentiators (3). In this study, two peptides coded HdLPN (sequence PFPGPLPN) and HdVLPN (sequence VYPFPGPLPN) were submitted to an in vitro digestion model using the protocol INFOGEST 2.0. The digested content from the dialysis process after gastrointestinal simulation, both permeate and retentate using 3.5 kDa membranes, were evaluated in vitro for their antioxidant activity through ORAC assay, and the permeate for antihypertensive potential through inhibition of angiotensin-converting enzyme (iACE). The antioxidant activity of the two digested peptides, in both permeate and retentate forms, was comparable to the control (which utilized water in place of peptides); similar results were obtained for their antihypertensive activity in the permeate form. The results for both bioactivities showed no significant differences when comparing the digested peptides' retentate and permeate forms with control. This suggests that the enzymatic hydrolysis occurring during digestion degrades the bioactivity of these peptides, as they exhibited antioxidant activity prior to digestion (HdLPN 0.20±0.02 µmol Eq. Trolox/ mg peptide and HdVLPN 1.51±0.07 µmol Eq. Trolox/ mg peptide), and there was no subsequent activation or potentiation related to antihypertensive activity, which was also absent before digestion. This research primarily focused on evaluating how digestion affects bioactive peptides derived from the mucus of H. didactylus. However, comprehensive analysis, including mass spectrometry, is essential to fully understand the impact of digestion on the hydrolysis of these peptides. A forthcoming study could explore biocompatible materials for safe delivery methods of peptides, e.g. encapsulation, enabling them to withstand gastrointestinal digestion and effectively reach target organs to exert their intended bioactivity (3).
- The Euro Area 12: a comparative assessment of its member states in the period 1998–2022Publication . Santos, Bruna; Costa, Leonardo; Oliveira, Francisca Guedes deThe primary objectives of this research are to compare the economic performance of the Member States (MS) in the Euro Area 12 (EA-12) of the European Union (EU) that served as net contributors and net recipients of its budget during the period 1998–2022. The comparison focuses on aspects related to economic growth and the business cycle, exploring the presence of hysteresis. To achieve these objectives, a novel approach is employed, which integrates the analysis of both growth and cycles. This approach involves using the Seemingly Unrelated Regression Equations (SURE) model to estimate a translog production frontier and assess the impact of lagging output gaps on the potential output or capacity for each of the MS considered. The data used to estimate each frontier and analyze growth decomposition consist of quarterly data filtered using the Kalman filter. The results reveal that lagging output gaps, occurring one or two quarters prior, significantly affect the potential output or capacity of the EA-12 MS, thereby supporting the existence of hysteresis. However, the impacts appear to be minimal. Furthermore, the research concludes that changes in total factor productivity (TFP), mainly due to technical change, play a more crucial role in the growth of MS that are net contributors to the EU budget. Conversely, total factor accumulation (TFA), mainly physical capital accumulation, has a more pronounced impact on the growth of MS net recipients from the EU budget. Interestingly, the heterogeneity observed among the EA-12 MS extends beyond the simple division between net contributors and net recipients of the EU budget. This heterogeneity raises questions about the European Central Bank’s (ECB) ability to stabilize the economies of these various MS solely through conventional monetary policy.
- 2023 outstanding papers published in the Environmental Science journals of the Royal Society of ChemistryPublication . Cai, Zongwei; Donahue, Neil; Gagnon, Graham; Jones, Kevin C.; Manaia, Célia; Sunderland, Elsie; Vikesland, Peter J.
- How public are public programs in museums? Rethinking care via “Jamaika is Portugal too”Publication . Rato, Joana Almeida Flor dos Santos; Silva, Ana Luísa dos Santos Diniz daCare encompasses numerous aspects of our lives and reflects our mutual interdependencies (Chatzidakis et al. 2020, 5). The 1970’s Ecomuseum movement brought to light the great power museums hold to create caring spaces, as well as to amplify the voices of the communities they serve, through practices such as accessibility, inclusivity, and representativeness. These can focus on visitor engagement, decolonization, or public programs, for instance. The latter may serve as a tool for care in those institutions, curated to engage with targeted audiences, embracing them as collaborative visitors rather than clients and providing a more human-centered approach (as opposed to an object-centered one). This dissertation seeks to discuss the relationships and connections between art museums, care, and public programs, in addition to the analysis of “Jamaika is Portugal too”, a 2021 public program at the maat (museum of art, architecture and technology), through the lens of care. Inspired by Model of Jamaika (2021), a collaborative piece between artists Paulo Moreira and José Sarmento Matos and CHÃO, with the residents of the Jamaika neighborhood, the event aimed to discuss the uncertain housing and rehousing experiences of the inhabitants over debates, performances, and informal talks. A program not about Jamaika but with Jamaika as an example of a care practice in the museum.
- 2023 outstanding papers published in the Environmental Science journals of the Royal Society of ChemistryPublication . Cai, Zongwei; Donahue, Neil; Gagnon, Graham; Jones, Kevin C.; Manaia, Célia; Sunderland, Elsie; Vikesland, Peter J.