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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.
- Unravelling carotenoid digestion: insights into bioaccessibility and functional propertiesPublication . Rocha, Helena R.; Morais, Rui; Pintado, Manuela E.; Gomes, Ana M.; Coelho, Marta C.Carotenoids, vital lipid-soluble compounds essential for human health, face bioaccessibility challenges during digestion due to resistance and degradation within protein complexes and plant cell walls. This complexity is influenced by factors like dietary sources, seasonal variations, food composition, matrix structure, lipid presence, dosage, and absorption rate. Understanding the delicate interplay of these elements is crucial for unlocking the full potential of carotenoids in promoting human health. To explore the impact of digestion on carotenoid stability and functionality, beta(β)-carotene, lutein, lycopene, a mixture of these three carotenoids, and Osmundea pinnatifida underwent simulated gastrointestinal digestion, using the INFOGEST methodology, and absorption (dialysis membrane with 3 kDa) and were evaluated in terms of functional properties. The results revealed distinct transformations during in vitro gastrointestinal simulation, with the generation of carotenoids different from the initial sample (e.g., β-cryptoxanthin), emphasizing the intricate changes carotenoids undergo. Recovery indexes highlighted the challenge of retrieving carotenoids during digestion (less than 0.5%), emphasizing the complexity of their fate in the digestive process. The absence of detected or identified carotenoids in O. pinnatifida by HPLC analysis suggests that, within a complex matrix like algae, the bioaccessibility of carotenoids may be significantly compromised, requiring extraction methods to release these pigments and isolate them effectively. UPLC-qTOF MS analysis provided detailed fragment patterns, revealing variable relationships among fragments across different gastrointestinal phases. Functional property assessment showcased notable antioxidant (17.5 µM TE) and antidiabetic (7.6 – 97 % inhibition) activities in the tested carotenoid solutions. The Alga and the β-carotene groups displayed the highest values in absorbed fractions, revealing their effectiveness. Additionally, all carotenoid samples exhibited antimutagenic effects regardless of concentration, with no observed cytotoxicity except at higher concentrations. This study provides valuable insights for optimizing carotenoid utilization and realizing theirmultifaceted health benefits. Despite bioaccessibility challenges, understanding these complexities contributes to unlocking the full potential of carotenoids for human health.
- Perceção dos enfermeiros de unidades cuidados intensivos sobre futilidade terapêuticaPublication . Casqueira, Raquel Sofia Ruela; Fernandes, Sérgio Joaquim DeodatoThe main purpose of this Report is to highlight my journey of developing skills as a Specialist Nurse in Medical-Surgical Nursing in the area of Nursing for the Person in Critical Situation and Master in Nursing, throughout the Curricular Unit Final Internship and Report of the 15th Master's Course in Medical-Surgical Nursing: Nursing for the Person in a Critical Situation, from the Lisbon School of Nursing of the Catholic University of Portugal. Based on the objectives outlined in the internship projects, this report intended, from a critical and reflective perspective, to give visibility to the main activities carried out in the different internship fields that took place in the context of an Emergency Service and an Intensive Care Unit. Regardless of the distinction verified in the internship contexts, they demanded specialized care for the person in critical situation and family with a practice essentially developed by Jean Watson's Theory of Human Caring. As a future Master in Nursing, it seemed pertinent to me to develop a theme that concerned me, that would meet an answer to some questions that I had already had during my professional practice. The development of medical and health sciences, with the consequent need for technological complementarity with the care provided, has notoriously caused an increase in survival. Very positive advances, but nonetheless a challenge for nurses. In Intensive Care Units, the multidisciplinarity and existing devices seem to offer an extension of life. However, do they guarantee quality of life? Thus, the research question arises: For nurses who work in adult intensive care units, what are their perceptions of therapeutic futility in critically ill patients hospitalized in an intensive care unit?
- Adesão ao regime terapêutico na pessoa submetida a transplante de órgão sólido : uma intervenção de enfermagem especializadaPublication . Jesus, Susana Veiga de; Marques, Rita Margarida DouradoThis internship report intends to describe the course of the competence acquisition process throughout the curricular unit “Final Internship and Report” of the third semester of the master’s degree in medical-Surgical Nursing in the Specialization Area: Person in Critical Situation, of Instituto of Health Sciences - Lisbon, from Catholic University of Portugal. This document presents a critical and reasoned reflection on the development of master's and specialist skills based on the Regulation of specific skills of specialist nurses in Medical-Surgical Nursing in the Area of Nursing for the Person in Critical Situation and on the Regulation of Common Skills of Specialist Nurses. For the conclusion of this curricular unit, I carried out an internship in an Intensive Care Unit, Emergency and Resuscitation Medical Vehicle and in a Central Emergency Operating Room. In the internship locations, in addition to acquiring skills, I had the opportunity to present to the team a work on effective nursing interventions for the prevention of delirium in critically ill patients, during the internship in intensive care and I was also able to elaborate a rule of procedure regarding the maintenance of normothermia in the context of the operating room. Across the various contexts, I worked on a systematic literature review of evidence of effectiveness on effective interventions in promoting adherence to the therapeutic regimen in people undergoing solid organ transplantation. The results of this research work were published in poster format at the V International Seminar of the master’s in nursing. As a guiding line of thinking in nursing, I integrated two theoretical references in my care provision: Afaf Meleis' Theory of Transitions and Katharine Kolcaba's Theory of Comfort.