The legal concept and application of trade secret protection in the European Union

No mundo da economia de mercado e do ambiente competitivo todas as empresas tentam destacar-se da multidão de concorrentes, protegendo as suas inovações e todas as informações eventualmente rentáveis. Os segredos comerciais distinguem-se de outras formas de proteção da propriedade intelectual, uma vez que combinam as características tradicionais do direito da propriedade intelectual com características únicas. Desde a aplicação da Diretiva relativa aos segredos comerciais, aumentou o debate sobre o regime jurídico dos segredos comerciais. Isso faz do segredo comercial um instrumento valioso para a proteção de ativos economicamente benéficos. No entanto, sendo um recurso útil para as empresas, os segredos comerciais também podem ter desvantagens. Com efeito, num século de digitalização em que a grande maioria dos dados se encontra online, o controlo global da informação é limitado. Nesta perspetiva, o nível de utilidade do regime pode mudar de acordo com a entidade, a esfera empresarial e o próprio objeto do segredo. Portanto, este estudo investiga segredos comerciais sob duas perspetivas diferentes: perceção de negócios e perceção de políticas públicas. A investigação observa como os segredos comerciais podem ser utilizados pelas empresas diferentes e quais os prós e contras que os segredos comerciais podem implicar para as empresas em geral. Além disso, este trabalho investiga a correlação dos segredos comerciais com as políticas públicas. O sigilo é um regime que influencia o desenvolvimento e o comportamento de uma empresa com concorrentes e empregados; por conseguinte, poderá haver perspetivas diferentes sobre a forma como as diferentes entidades e pessoas coletivas interagem com o sigilo. Este estudo explica o papel e o lugar dos segredos comerciais como parte do direito da propriedade intelectual e para além dele. Assim, o segredo é explicado sob diferentes ângulos e reflete a aplicabilidade do regime às empresas modernas. Sendo um tipo amplo de proteção de propriedade quase intelectual, os segredos comerciais podem ser potencialmente valiosos para todos os tipos de empresas. A amplitude das formulações da Diretiva relativa aos segredos comerciais confere às empresas uma liberdade em termos de proteção e requisitos. Por conseguinte, coloca-se a seguinte questão - a proteção dos segredos comerciais é suficientemente equilibrada para ser prática para as empresas e fiável para a política pública e a publicidade em geral?In the world of market economy and competitive environment, all companies try to stand out from the crowd by protecting their innovations and every possibly profitable bit of information. Trade secrets are distinctive from other forms of intellectual property protection, as they combine traditional intellectual property law features with unique characteristics. Since the implementation of the Trade Secrets Directive, the discussion about the legal regime of trade secrets has been risen. This makes trade secrets a valuable instrument for the protection of economically beneficial assets. However, being a useful resource for business, trade secrets can have serious downsides as well. Indeed, in a century of digitalization where the vast majority of data are located online, comprehensive control of information is limited. In this light, the level of usefulness of the regime can change according to the entity, sphere of business, and subject of secrecy itself. Therefore, this study investigates trade secrets from two different perspectives: business perception and public policy perception. The research observes how trade secrets can be used by different companies and which pros and cons trade secrets can entail for business in general. Moreover, this work investigates the correlation of trade secrets with public policy. Secrecy is a regime which influences the development and behavior of a company with competitors and employees; therefore, there could be different perspectives on how different entities and legal persons interact with it. This study explains the role and place of trade secrets as a part of Intellectual Property law and apart from it. Thus, secrecy is explained from different angles and mirrors the applicability of the regime to modern businesses. Being a broad type of quasi-intellectual property protection trade secrets can be potentially valuable for all types of companies. The broadness of formulations in the Trade Secrets Directive provide companies with a relatively extensive freedom in terms of protection and requirements. Therefore, the following question arises – is the trade secrets protection balanced enough to be practical for businesses and reliable for public policy and publicity in general

Remarkable formaldehyde photo-oxidation efficiency of Zn2SnO4 co-modified by Mo doping and oxygen vacancies

his work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51808080), China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2022M710830), Venture and Innovation Support Program for Chongqing Overseas Returnees (cx2022005), the Natural Science Foundation Project of CQ CSTC (CSTB2022NSCQ-MSX1267), Research Project of Chongqing Education Commission Foundation (KJQN201800826), Science and Technology Research Program of Chongqing Municipal Education Commission of China (KJZD-K202100801), Post-doctoral Program Funded by Chongqing, and Chongqing University Innovation Research Group project (CXQT21023). SACC also acknowledges FCT for the Scientific Employment Stimulus - Institutional Call (CEECINST/00102/2018).Formaldehyde (HCHO) is one of the major volatile organic compounds (VOCs) contributing to both urban and indoor air pollution. It is emitted from several industrial activities and construction materials. Photocatalytic oxidation is a green promising technology aiming at HCHO removal. However, it still has some scientific challenges not fully addressed, like insufficient reaction active sites and not enough active species. This results in low HCHO removal efficiency, several toxic intermediates and poor stability. Therefore, the design of photocatalysis with surface-active sites, improved mineralization activity and recycling stability is of crucial importance. Herein, we report a facile one-pot hydrothermal method to prepare Zn2SnO4 (ZSO) with transition metal Mo doping (using Na2MoO4·2H2O as molybdenum source). Our experiments show that Mo is successfully incorporated into the ZSO lattice and contributes to the generation of oxygen vacancies (OVs). Moreover, the introduction of Mo enhances the separation and migration of photogenerated carriers and hinders their recombination. Furthermore, in-situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that switching the active sites from O terminals to Mo ones effectively improves adsorption and activation of the target molecules (O2, H2O, and HCHO), and promotes conversion of the reaction intermediates. Thus, ZSO co-modified by Mo doping and oxygen vacancies allows to achieve an efficient HCHO removal activity of 96%, which is much higher than pristine ZSO (21%) and other previously reported photocatalysts.authorsversionpublishe

Mechanosensory bristles mediate avoidance behavior by triggering sustained local motor activity in Drosophila melanogaster

This work was supported by Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (FCT) (PTDC/BIA-COM/0151/2020), iNOVA4Health (UIDB/04462/2020 and UIDP/04462/2020), and LS4FUTURE (LA/P/0087/ 2020) to C.S.M. A.M. was supported by a doctoral fellowship from FCT (PD/BD/128445/2017).During locomotion, most vertebrates-and invertebrates such as Drosophila melanogaster-are able to quickly adapt to terrain irregularities or avoid physical threats by integrating sensory information along with motor commands. Key to this adaptability are leg mechanosensory structures, which assist in motor coordination by transmitting external cues and proprioceptive information to motor centers in the central nervous system. Nevertheless, how different mechanosensory structures engage these locomotor centers remains poorly understood. Here, we tested the role of mechanosensory structures in movement initiation by optogenetically stimulating specific classes of leg sensory structures. We found that stimulation of leg mechanosensory bristles (MsBs) and the femoral chordotonal organ (ChO) is sufficient to initiate forward movement in immobile animals. While the stimulation of the ChO required brain centers to induce forward movement, unexpectedly, brief stimulation of leg MsBs triggered a fast response and sustained motor activity dependent only on the ventral nerve cord (VNC). Moreover, this leg-MsB-mediated movement lacked inter- and intra-leg coordination but preserved antagonistic muscle activity within joints. Finally, we show that leg-MsB activation mediates strong avoidance behavior away from the stimulus source, which is preserved even in the absence of a central brain. Overall, our data show that mechanosensory stimulation can elicit a fast motor response, independently of central brain commands, to evade potentially harmful stimuli. In addition, it sheds light on how specific sensory circuits modulate motor control, including initiation of movement, allowing a better understanding of how different levels of coordination are controlled by the VNC and central brain locomotor circuits.publishersversionpublishe

Differential role of PGC-1α isoforms in the modulation of astrocytes reactive phenotype

The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) is a family of transcriptional coactivators that coordinate physiological adaptations in metabolically demanding tissues. In the brain, PGC-1α1, the most well studied PGC-1α isoform, has been implicated in mitochondrial function and reactive oxygen species detoxification. However, our understanding of the remaining isoforms' functions is far from complete. Interestingly, preliminary results from our laboratory showed that in a toxin-based mice model of Parkinson's Disease (PD), the expression levels of PGC-1α2 and PGC-1α3 are increased and that PGC-1α3 overexpression in astrocytes causes detrimental effects on neurons. Herein we aimed to identify the molecular pathways modulated by PGC-1α isoforms by analyzing the transcriptome of astrocytes transduced with adenovirus expressing the different PGC-1α isoforms by massively parallel sequencing, followed by assays to determine the role of these variants in cellular processes identified by this analysis, such as migration, proliferation, adhesion, and inflammatory response. Our results show for the first time that PGC-1α3 ectopic expression significantly decreases mRNA levels of integrins, cadherins and protocadherins, and decreases U118 human glioblastoma and astrocyte cell adhesion. Moreover, PGC-1α3 expression hampers the induction of C-C motif chemokine ligand 2, and lipocalin 2 expression levels in U118 cells treated with a cytokine cocktail used to mimic activation by microglial secretome, and the reactive phenotype of astrocytes when transduced with adenovirus. To identify transcription factors interacting with PGC-1α3 and involved in the regulation of pathways for cell adhesion and immune response, we performed reporter gene assays to identify aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) as a potential transcription factor modulated by PGC-1α3. Preliminary results suggest that PGC-1α3 may modulate the transcriptional activity of AHR, but this effect might be promoter and cell-specific. Collectively, our results highlight PGC-1α isoforms as modulators of astrocytes reactivity and promising therapeutic targets for the treatment of PD and other neurodegenerative disorders.O co-activador 1α do recetor γ ativado por proliferadores de peroxissoma (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α - PGC-1α) é uma família de co-activadores transcricionais que coordenam adaptações fisiológicas em tecidos metabolicamente exigentes. No encéfalo, o PGC-1α1, a isoforma do PGC-1α mais bem estudada, tem sido associado à função mitocondrial e destoxificação de espécies reativas de oxigénio. No entanto, o nosso conhecimento em relação ao papel das restantes isoformas está longe de estar completo. Curiosamente, resultados preliminares do nosso laboratório mostraram que, num modelo da doença de Parkinson de murganho baseado em toxinas, os níveis de expressão do PGC-1α2 e PGC-1α3 estão aumentados e que a sobreexpressão do PGC-1α3 em astrócitos causa efeitos adversos nos neurónios. Neste estudo, o nosso objetivo foi identificar as vias moleculares moduladas pelas isoformas do PGC-1α através da análise do transcritoma de astrócitos transduzidos com adenovírus a expressar as diferentes isoformas do PGC-1α, por sequenciação paralela massiva, seguido de ensaios para determinar o papel destas variantes nos processos celulares identificados por esta análise, tais como migração, proliferação, adesão, e resposta inflamatória. Os nossos resultados mostram pela primeira vez que a expressão ectópica do PGC-1α3 diminui significativamente os níveis de mRNA de integrinas, caderinas e protocaderinas, e diminui a adesão celular de células do glioblastoma humano U118 e de astrócitos. Adicionalmente, a expressão do PGC-1α3 impede a indução de expressão do ligando 2 de quimiocina de motivo C-C e lipocalina 2 em células U118 tratadas com um cocktail de citocinas utilizado para reproduzir a ativação provocada pelo secretoma microglial, e o fenótipo reativo observado quando os astrócitos são transduzidos com adenovírus. Para identificar fatores de transcrição que interagem com o PGC-1α3 e que estão envolvidos na regulação das vias de adesão celular e resposta imunitária, realizámos ensaios de gene repórter para identificar o recetor de hidrocarbonetos arilo (aryl hydrocarbon receptor - AHR) como um fator de transcrição cuja atividade poderá ser potencialmente modulada pelo PGC-1α3. Os resultados preliminares sugerem que o PGC-1α3 pode modular a atividade transcricional do AHR, mas este efeito poderá ser específico do promotor e da célula. Coletivamente, os nossos resultados destacam as isoformas do PGC-1α como moduladores da reatividade dos astrócitos e alvos terapêuticos promissores para o tratamento da doença de Parkinson e de outras doenças neurodegenerativas

Atypical culture conditions and process intensification to enhance vaccine production using insect cells

"Prophylactic vaccination still remains the most efficient measure of counteracting the spread of infectious diseases and attenuating their symptoms. Important advancements have been made over the years to improve the load of vaccines manufactured. Nevertheless, the emergence of novel viruses and virus strains demands the continued development of improved platforms of vaccine production, purification, and storage."FP7-HEALTH-2013-INNOVATION-1, GA n. 602640F/01704/2014/CP1229/CT000

Cryobiophysics: Structure-Function-Property-Design Interplay of Polysaccharides in Crystal Binding

A criopreservação de matéria biológica tem despertado grande interesse na ciência médica pelo seu potencial em prolongar o tempo de preservação de órgãos, alimentos e alongar a esperança média de vida. Esta dissertação explora profundamente as relações estrutura-função de polissacáridos biocompatíveis em crioproteção, revelando novos mecanismos e desafiando pressupostos científicos em criobiologia. Polissacáridos crioprotetores provenientes de microorganismos aclimatizados ao frio apresentam um maior peso molecular, conteúdo em ácidos urónicos electronegativos e uma incidência para possuir fucose na cadeia polimérica, corroborado experimentalmente pelo perfil composicional de crioprotetores eficientes na criopreservação de células Vero. O papel-chave da fucose parece estar conectado, ao contrário dos ácidos urónicos, a um mecanismo independente de carga formal que regula a estabilização da membrana celular, contrapondo-se às flutuações volumétricas citosólicas durante o congelamento. Os polissacáridos crioprotetores também possuem uma conformação estrutural mais ordenada em vez de disposições “random coil”, permitindo que passem por uma transição sol-gel a temperaturas hipotérmicas. A anticipação do ponto de solidificação da água leva a cristais de gelo menores e advém de uma forte influência na nucleação de gelo, perturbando a organização difusiva de moléculas de água em núcleos de gelo estáveis. O FucoPol em particular demonstrou um carácter mais determinístico na distribuição de temperaturas de nucleação, associado a uma redução na estocasticidade da nucleação, levando a um maior controlo experimental e sendo benéfico no “design” de protocolos de biopreservação. Por fim, o efeito dualista anti-nucleação e pró-nucleação do FucoPol foi racionalizado através dos formalismos da Teoria Clássica da Nucleação. A hipótese assente é que o desempenho crioprotetor do FucoPol surge de uma inibição cinética, mediada pela viscosidade, da dinâmica de difusão molecular, um efeito modulatório Gibbs-Thomson da cristalização similar a proteínas anticongelamento, e a formação de um gel que exerce influência em ambas as interfaces polisacárido-célula e polisacárido-gelo, respetivamente ao minimizar o dano mecânico na membrana celular durante a congelação e confinando volumetricamente moléculas de água em poros de tamanho definido, aumentado a tensão interfacial, promovendo a nucleação em dimensões uniformes e impedindo a formação de núcleos maiores, assim explicando o viés assimétrico de sobrevivência de núcleos pequenos.Cryopreservation of biological matter has accumulated apex interest in medical science for its potential in elongating organ shelf-life, food storage and human life expectancy. Here, hidden structure-function relationships of biocompatible polysaccharides in successful cryoprotection were deeply explored, to unveil novel mechanistic rationales and challenge pre-established assumptions in cryobiology. Cryoprotective polysaccharides from cold-adapted microorganisms show an increased molecular weight, prominent negatively charged uronic acids and a particular incidence towards fucose in the polymer chain, which correlates experimentally with the compositional profile of the high-tier cryoprotectants in Vero cell cryopreservation. The key role of fucose appears connected, unlike uronic acids, to a charge-independent mechanism regulating cell membrane stabilization counteracting cytosolic volumetric fluctuations during freezing. Cryoprotective polysaccharides also possess an ordered structural conformation rather than random coil dispositions, allowing them to undergo a sol-gel transition at hypothermic temperatures. The freezing point supercooling attenuation as an anticipation of crystal growth leads to smaller ice crystals and arises from a strong influence in ice nucleation, disrupting diffusive assembly of water molecules into stable ice nuclei. FucoPol in particular demonstrated an increased determinism in nucleation temperature distribution, associated to a reduction in nucleation stochasticity, enhanced experimental control, thus beneficial to biopreservation protocol design. Lastly, the anti-nucleation and pro-nucleation effect duality of FucoPol was rationalized using Classical Nucleation Theory formalisms. The withstanding hypothesis is that polysaccharide cryoprotective performance arises from a combination of a kinetic viscosity-mediated impairment of diffusive dynamics, a Gibbs-Thomson ice modulatory effect similar to antifreeze proteins, and the formation of a gel-like matrix which exerts influence both in polysaccharide-cell and polysaccharide-ice interfaces, respectively by minimizing cell membrane mechanical strain during freezing and volumetrically confining water molecules in defined pores, which increases interfacial tension, promotes nucleation and size uniformity, and quenches larger nuclei from forming, thus explaining the asymmetric small nuclei survivorship bias.Fulbright Portugal Visiting Student Researcher funding (21-066); Fundacão Luso-Americana para o Desenvolvimento, FLAD (Proj. 2021/0070 G-2021-0052); The Company of Biologists Research Fellowship (JCSTF2105556)

Private equity challenge: Gerhard Schubert group - investment committee paper on a German packaging machinery manufacturer with a focus on a comprehensive analysis of the packaging machinery market

The following paper deals with the development of an investment thesis for the potential LBO transaction of Gerhard Schubert Group, a German packaging machinery manufacturer. This paper comprises a company analysis including positioning and historical financials as well as an in-depth analysis of the packaging machinery market, including market characteristics, drivers, entry barriers and competitive landscape. On the basis of these analysis, an investment thesis and value creation strategies were developed. The value creation strategies in the areas of top-line growth, profitability, Mergers & Acquisitions (Carve-Out, Add-On) and sustainability are analysed in the business plan, which is followed by a return analysis and depiction of exit options. An analysis of the Covid-19 impact on the Private Equity industry concludes this paper

Barreiras e facilitadores para o planeamento, a implementação, a avaliação e a sustentabilidade de intervenções de base comunitária para promover alimentação saudável em contexto escolar: um estudo qualitativo em Portugal

RESUMO - Introdução: O presente estudo pretende explorar a perspetiva das partes interessadas de projetos de base comunitária para a promoção de alimentação saudável em contexto escolar sobre as principais barreiras e facilitadores para o planeamento, a implementação, a avaliação e a sustentabilidade das intervenções de base comunitária. Materiais e Métodos: Foi realizado um estudo qualitativo através da aplicação de entrevistas semiestruturadas em profundidade com 10 informantes-chave pertencentes às equipas dos projetos de base comunitária para a promoção da alimentação saudável em Portugal, tendo sido realizada análise de conteúdo dos dados. Resultados: Os fatores mencionados transversalmente em todas as fases dos projetos foram o suporte financeiro, o planeamento bem efetuado, a equipa multidisciplinar coesa e motivada, incluindo a aceitabilidade, colaboração, adesão e envolvimento de todos os interveniente. A equipa multidisciplinar, os professores, os alunos, a família, os dirigentes, a comunidade e os parceiros foram elementos destacados em todas as barreiras e facilitadores das diversas etapas dos projetos. O sucesso das intervenções deve ter na sua génese a ideia de continuidade e de compromisso entre todos os intervenientes. Conclusão: Esta investigação contribui para uma maior compreensão sobre as barreiras e facilitadores que podem surgir nas fases inerentes ao desenvolvimento de projetos comunitários. Assim, os resultados obtidos permitem aferir com maior rigor os desenvolvimentos nesta área auxiliando os profissionais a desenvolver e a melhorar as intervenções para a promoção da alimentação saudável em ambiente escolar.ABSTRACT - - Introduction: The present study aims to explore the perspective of stakeholders in community-based projects promoting healthy eating in a school context regarding the main barriers and facilitators for planning, implementation, evaluation, and sustainability of community-based interventions. Methods and materials: A qualitative study was conducted through the application of in-depth semi-structured interviews with 10 key informants belonging to teams involved in community-based projects promoting healthy eating in Portugal. Data was subjected to content analysis. Results: Factors consistently mentioned across all phases of the projects were financial support, well-executed planning, a cohesive and motivated multidisciplinary team, including acceptability, collaboration, adherence, and involvement of all stakeholders. The multidisciplinary team, teachers, students, families, leaders, the community, and partners highlighted elements in both barriers and facilitators at various stages of the projects. The success of interventions should be rooted in the idea of continuity and commitment among intervening parties. Conclusion: This research contributes to a better understanding of the barriers and facilitators that may arise during the development of community projects. Consequently, the results provide greater insight in this area, which can assist professionals in developing and enhancing interventions for promoting healthy eating in a school environment

Characterization of biofilm formation by bacteria associated with the midgut of Anopheles mosquito, vector of malaria

"Malaria is the most prevalent vector-borne disease, caused by Plasmodium parasites, transmitted by female Anopheles mosquitoes. One malaria control approach involves the Anopheles midgut microbiota manipulation. According to the literature, Pseudomonas spp. may reduce Plasmodium infection in Anopheles mosquitoes, which could be associated with their high capacity of biofilm production. Bacterial biofilms at the midgut epithelium may restrict the ookinetes´ movement, therefore with potential application as a malaria transmission blocking tool.(...)"N/

o exemplo do 1º Conde de Figueiró e o 3º comendador-mor de Avis

UIDB/00417/2020 UIDP/00417/2020publishersversionpublishe