Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2024-09"
Now showing 1 - 10 of 143
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- Preventing fungal spoilage from raw materials to final product: innovative preservation techniques for fruit fillingsPublication . Carvalho, Teresa Bento de; Silva, Beatriz Nunes; Tomé, Elisabetta; Teixeira, PaulaSpoilage fungi are a significant cause of financial loss in the food and beverage industry each year. These fungi thrive in challenging environments characterized by low acidity, low water activity and high sugar content, all of which are common in fruit fillings used in pastry products. Fruit fillings are therefore highly susceptible to fungal spoilage. Fungal growth can cause sensory defects in foods, such as changes in appearance, odor, flavor or texture, and can pose health risks due to the production of mycotoxins by certain mold species. To reduce food loss and waste and extend product shelf-life, it is critical that we prevent fungal spoilage. Synthetic chemicals such as sorbic acid and potassium sorbate are commonly used as preservatives to prevent fungal spoilage. However, with consumer demand for ‘natural’ and ‘chemical-free’ foods, research into clean-label preservative alternatives to replace chemical preservatives has increased. The objectives of this review are (i) to provide an overview of the sources of fungal contamination in fruit filling production systems, from pre-harvest of raw materials to storage of the final product, and to identify key control factors; and (ii) to discuss preservation techniques (both conventional and novel) that can prevent fungal growth and extend the shelf-life of fruit fillings.
- Considerações sobre o abuso do direitoPublication . Ribeiro, Gonçalo de Almeida
- Scale and scope economies in first-instance courts: Portuguese specialized vs non-specialized courtsPublication . Lopes, Nuno Q. M.; Silva, Maria C. A.This paper analyses the technical efficiency of first-instance courts and investigates the existence of scale and scope economies. To assess the technical efficiency of specialized and non-specialized court benches, we use Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). This study uses data from 2015 to 2021, encompassing every bench within the Portuguese first-instance courts, totalling 3249 observations. Our findings reveal diseconomies of scale, with more than half of the benches experiencing increasing returns to scale, indicating that their performance would benefit from increased scale. The scale diseconomies varied by bench type: benches primarily handling civil cases and generic benches faced mostly increasing returns to scale. In contrast, those dealing predominantly with criminal cases experienced decreasing returns to scale. Additionally, we observe diseconomies of scope, indicating that generic and non-specialized benches were less efficient than specialized ones. Overall, this paper provides empirical evidence supporting the notion that the specialization of benches enhances their efficiency.
- Therapeutical usefulness of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in aggressive or metastatic pituitary tumoursPublication . Lopes-Pinto, Mariana; Lacerda-Nobre, Ema; Silva, Ana Luísa; Marques, PedroTherapeutic options for pituitary neuroendocrine tumours (PitNETs) refractory to temozolomide are scarce. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), particularly inhibitors of the programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) pathway and its ligand (PD-L1), have been experimentally used in aggressive or metastatic PitNETs. We aimed to study the therapeutic usefulness of anti-PD-1 drugs in patients with aggressive or metastatic PitNETs. Published cases and case series involving patients with PitNETs treated with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors were reviewed. Demographic data, clinical–pathological features, previous therapies, drug dosage and posology, and the best radiological and biochemical responses, as well as survival data, were evaluated. We identified 29 cases of aggressive (n = 13) or metastatic (n = 16) PitNETs treated with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors. The hypersecretion of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) was documented in eighteen cases (62.1%), seven were prolactinomas (24.1%), and four were non-functioning PitNETs. All patients underwent various therapies prior to using ICIs. Overall, a positive radiological response (i.e., partial/complete radiological response and stable disease) was observed in eighteen of twenty-nine cases (62.1%), of which ten and four were ACTH- and prolactin-secreting PitNETs, respectively. Hormonal levels reduced or stabilised after using ICIs in 11 of the 17 functioning PitNET cases with available data (64.7%). The median survival of patients treated with ICIs was 13 months, with a maximum of 42 months in two ACTH-secreting tumours. Among 29 patients with PitNETs treated with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors, the positive radiological and biochemical response rates were 62.1% and 64.7%, respectively. Altogether, these data suggest a promising role of ICIs in patients with aggressive or metastatic PitNETs refractory to other treatment modalities.
- Mito e valor dos conceitos indeterminadosPublication . Múrias, Pedro
- Regulating adult-use cannabisPublication . Lourenço, Ana; Carvalho, Maria Carmo; Summavielle, Teresa; Marreiros, Hélia; Ribeiro, MafaldaThe public debate on adult-use cannabis regulation is often driven by prejudice rather than scientific evidence. This policy paper maps clinical, social, economic, and legal literature on cannabis regulation to promote informed discussion and support evidence-based policy design.
- Justa causaPublication . Fonseca, Ana Taveira da; Sequeira, Elsa Vaz de
- Católica talks: conceitos indeterminados e cláusulas geraisPublication . Sequeira, Elsa Vaz deO quinto volume das Católica Talks, que agora se publica, é inteiramente dedicado ao tema dos «Conceitos Indeterminados e Cláusulas Gerais». Ao longo de toda a obra procurou-se não apenas esclarecer estas noções – distinguindo de figuras afins, como por exemplo os conceitos vagos –, mas também densificar alguns dos conceitos indeterminados ou cláusulas gerais com maior relevância na vida prática e nas diferentes áreas do Direito. Nomeadamente: interesse público, legítimas expectativas, negligência, justa causa, abuso do direito, ordem pública, exigibilidade e pobreza.
- The risk–return tradeoff among equity factorsPublication . Barroso, Pedro; Maio, PauloWe examine the time-series risk–return tradeoff among equity factors. We obtain a positive tradeoff for profitability and investment factors, which is consistent with the APT. Such relationship subsists when we control by the covariance with the market factor, which represents consistency with Merton's ICAPM. Critically, we obtain an insignificant risk–return relationship for the market and other factors. The tradeoff is weaker among international equity markets. The out-of-sample forecasting power tends to be economically significant for the investment and profitability factors. Our results suggest that the risk–return tradeoff is stronger within segments of the stock market than for the whole.
- Nursing process related to the nursing focus “airway clearance”: a scoping reviewPublication . Gaspar, Luís; Reis, Neuza; Sousa, Paula; Silva, Abel Paiva e; Cardoso, Alexandrina; Brito, Alice; Bastos, Fernanda; Campos, Joana; Parente, Paulo; Pereira, Filipe; Machado, NatáliaBackground: Airway clearance impairment has a significant impact on self-care and quality of life. Identifying clinical data, nursing diagnoses, and nursing interventions is essential to clinical reasoning and enhancing nursing care. This study aims to map the existing evidence on clinical data, nursing diagnoses, and nursing interventions addressing the nursing focus on “airway clearance”. Methods: Research was conducted based on Joanna Briggs’s Scoping Review Methodology. We searched four databases for published studies until December 2023. Results: From the initial 1854 studies identified, 123 were included in the review. The findings highlighted two areas of nursing attention: one related to signs and symptom management, and the other related to education and coping strategies. The data that led to nursing diagnoses were divided into cognitive and clinical data. The nursing diagnoses were mostly related to secretion retention, excessive mucus production, and airway obstruction. The most commonly identified nursing interventions were educational interventions assembled into predesigned education programs rather than patient-tailored programs. Conclusions: Findings can add substantial value for systematizing the nursing process related to “airway clearance”, improving nursing decision-making and care quality. This study was prospectively registered with the Open Science Framework (OSF) on 02 December 2022, with the registration number wx5ze.