Quantification of protein–lipid selectivity using FRET

Membrane proteins exhibit different affinities for different lipid species, and protein–lipid selectivity regulates the membrane composition in close proximity to the protein, playing an important role in the formation of nanoscale membrane heterogeneities. The sensitivity of Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) for distances of 10 Å up to 100 Å is particularly useful to retrieve information on the relative distribution of proteins and lipids in the range over which protein–lipid selectivity is expected to influence membrane composition. Several FRET-based methods applied to the quantification of protein–lipid selectivity are described herein, and different formalisms applied to the analysis of FRET data for particular geometries of donor–acceptor distribution are critically assessed

Surface response methodology towards optimal carotenoids production by Gordonia Alkanivorans Strain 1B [Poster]

ABSTRACT: The process of obtaining carotenoids, mainly towards sectors that may influence the human health, such as pharmaceutical and cosmetic, is strictly regulated because of the potential toxicity of the synthetically derived pigments. Thus, microbial pigments are in increasing demand since they are a promising natural and safe alternative source for various industrial applications. Gordonia alkanivorans strain 1B is a fructophilic desulfurizing bacterium, which was also shown to be a good producer of carotenoids. However, its production abilities presented a great variation, depending on the conditions it was submitted to. In previous works, both the carbon source and sulfur source, demonstrated a great influence in the total carotenoid concentration, especially when combined with the presence of a light source. So, in this study, a surface response methodology based on the Doehlert distribution for two factors (% of glucose in a mix glucose + fructose (10 g/L total sugars), and sulfate concentration) was used aiming to get the optimal carotenoids production by G. alkanivorans strain 1B.N/

Influence of culture conditions towards optimal carotenoid production by Gordonia alkanivorans strain 1B

ABSTRACT: With the increasing awareness on the toxicity of several synthetic dyes, demand for pigments from natural sources, such as microbial carotenoids, has gained interest as a promising safe alternative colour additive. In this study, a surface response methodology based on the Doehlert distribution for two factors [% of glucose in a mixture of glucose + fructose (10 g/L total sugars), and sulfate concentration] was used towards the optimal carotenoids production by Gordonia alkanivorans strain 1B in the presence of light (400 lx). Time influence on pigment production by this bacterium was also evaluated, as well as the cell viability profile during longer incubation periods at optimal conditions. Indeed, the highest carotenoid production (2596-3100 mu g/g(DCW)) was obtained when strain 1B was cultivated in the optimal conditions: glucose 10 g/L and sulfate >= 22 mg/L, in the presence of light for 19 days at 30 degrees C, 150 rpm. Flow cytometry showed that the highest production was somehow related with the cellular stress. These results highlight the great potential of strain 1B as a new hyperpigment producer to be exploited towards several applications.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

BIO4DIA: Early detection and monitoring of metabolic progression of type 2 diabetes

According to the latest International Diabetes Federation 2015 report, the total health expenditure with type 2 diabetes (T2D) spent globally was of 673 billion USD in 2015 and it expected that this effort increases up to 802 billion in 2040. Additionally, patients experienced a series of complications, ranging from eye, cardiovascular, and kidney disease as well as pregnancy complications, nerve damage, foot infections and impaired regeneration. Based on the most recent research in this area the cornerstone of treatment of T2D is the adoption of a healthy diet, increased physical activity and maintenance of a normal body weight and those are modifiable risk factors.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Neotectónica e períodos de recorrência de grandes sismos e tsunamis na margem SW Ibérica e Golfo de Cádis

Neste trabalho usámos o método numérico das placas finas (Bird, 1999) para modelar a Neotectónica no Golfo de Cadiz e estimar os períodos de recorrência de grandes sismos e tsunamis. Foram testadas várias configurações de falhas e condições fronteira, e os resultados comparados com as observações de GPS, tensão e deformação sísmica. O melhor ajuste às observações é obtido com um modelo que apresenta uma taxa de movimentação de 1 mm/a nos cavalgamentos com orientação E-O e NE-SO, o que corresponde a períodos de recorrência de 1150, 3620 e 9900 anos para sismos de magnitude Mw de 7, 8 e 8.75

Improved both sides diffusion (iBSD): A new and straightforward stabilization approach for viscoelastic fluid flows

This paper reports the developments made to improve the numerical stability of the open-source finite-volume computational library OpenFOAM (R) developed for the numerical computation of viscoelastic fluid flows described by differential constitutive models. The improvements are based on the modification of the both-sides diffusion technique, named improved both-sides diffusion (iBSD), which promotes the coupling between velocity and stress fields. Calculations for two benchmark 2D case studies of an upper-convected Maxwell (UCM) fluid are presented and compared with literature results, namely the 4:1 planar contraction flow and the flow around a confined cylinder. The results obtained for the first case are computed in five meshes with different refinement levels and are compared with literature results. In this case study it was possible to achieve steady-state converged solutions in the range of Deborah numbers tested, De = {0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5}, for all meshes. The corner vortex size predictions agree well with the literature and a relative error below 0.6% is obtained for De <= 5. In the flow around a confined cylinder, steady-state converged solutions were obtained in the range of Deborah numbers tested, De = {0, 0.3, 0.6, 0.8), in four consecutively refined meshes. The predictions of the drag coefficient on the cylinder are similar to reference data with a relative error below 0.08%. For both test cases the developed numerical method was shown to have a convergence order between 1 and 2, in general very close to the latter. Moreover, the results presented for both case studies clearly extend the previous ones available in the literature in terms of accuracy. This was a direct consequence of the capability of performing the calculation with more refined meshes, than the ones employed before.This work is funded by FEDER funds through the COMPETE 2020 Programme and National Funds through FCT - Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology under the project UID/CTM/50025/2013 and under the scholarship SFRH/BPD/100353/2014. The author M.S.B. Araujo acknowledges funding from CAPES (Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior) proc. BEX 1902-14-8. The authors would like to acknowledge the Minho University cluster under the project Search-ON2: Revitalization of HPC infrastructure of UMinho, (NORTE-07-0162-FEDER-000086), co-funded by the North Portugal Regional Operational Programme (ON.2-0 Novo Norte), under the National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF), through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The authors thank Professor M.A. Alves and F. Pimenta from University of Porto for insightful comments regarding this work and availability of the deferred correction discretization schemes.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Development and experimental assessment of a numerical modelling code to aid the design of profile extrusion cooling tools

On the extrusion of thermoplastic profiles, upon the forming stage that takes place in the extrusion die, the profile must be cooled in a metallic calibrator. This stage must be done at a high rate, to assure increased productivity, but avoiding the development of high temperature gradients, in order to minimize the level of induced thermal residual stresses. In this work, we present a new coupled numerical solver, developed in the framework of the OpenFOAM® computational library, that computes the temperature distribution in both domains simultaneously (metallic calibrator and plastic profile), whose implementation aimed the minimization of the computational time. The new solver was experimentally assessed with an industrial case study.SFRH/BPD/100353/2014info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

O contributo do Instituto Politécnico de Bragança para a mão-de-obra qualificada

Abrangendo os diferentes sectores empregadores da região Norte de Portugal, nomeadamente na NUT III de Alto Tâmega, Tâmega e Sousa, Terras de Trás-os-Montes e Douro e centrando-se, em especial, na formação superior conferida pelo Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, a presente investigação pretendeu conhecer, os meios e práticas de recrutamento e seleção de diplomados, e respetivas competências transversais reconhecidos pelas empresas para os seus quadros superiores. Para tal, foram aplicados dois inquéritos por questionário; um aplicado aos empresários da região em estudo, e um outro aplicado aos diplomados. No total validaram-se 172 questionários, 92 por parte dos empresários e 80 por parte dos diplomados. Este trabalho de investigação foi realizado com referência ao período compreendido entre 2010 e 2015. Sendo o objetivo principal do estudo avaliar a resposta do Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, na perspetiva do empregador, como formador de mão-de-obra qualificada nas necessidades das empresas da região, e atendendo aos resultados obtidos, pode concluir-se, de um modo geral, que os mesmos são favoráveis do ponto de vista do empregador e do diplomado. Relativamente à prática organizacional de contratação de diplomados, tanto para os indicadores da remuneração mensal, como da formação profissional se mostram consensuais no que diz respeito à flexibilização e precariedade, de notar ainda que tanto as empresas como os diplomados afirmaram escassez de competências transversais. Ainda, em resposta ao objetivo principal do estudo, verificou-se que apesar de já existir alguma proximidade entre o Instituto Politécnico de Bragança e o tecido empresarial, este poderá adotar medidas para melhorar e adequar o ensino ao mercado de trabalho, como por exemplo estabelecer uma ligação e/ou cooperação com empresas da região; a promoção de estágios ao longo das licenciaturas; avaliar regularmente a adequação das graduações ao mercado de trabalho e incentivar ao empreendedorismo.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

O contributo do Instituto Politécnico de Bragança para a mão-de-obra qualificada

Abrangendo os diferentes sectores empregadores da região Norte de Portugal, nomeadamente na NUT III de Alto Tâmega, Tâmega e Sousa, Terras de Trás-os-Montes e Douro e centrando-se, em especial, na formação superior conferida pelo Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, a presente investigação pretendeu conhecer, os meios e práticas de recrutamento e seleção de diplomados, e respetivas competências transversais reconhecidos pelas empresas para os seus quadros superiores. Para tal, foram aplicados dois inquéritos por questionário; um aplicado aos empresários da região em estudo, e um outro aplicado aos diplomados. No total validaram-se 172 questionários, 92 por parte dos empresários e 80 por parte dos diplomados. Este trabalho de investigação foi realizado com referência ao período compreendido entre 2010 e 2015. Sendo o objetivo principal do estudo avaliar a resposta do Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, na perspetiva do empregador, como formador de mão-de-obra qualificada nas necessidades das empresas da região, e atendendo aos resultados obtidos, pode concluir-se, de um modo geral, que os mesmos são favoráveis do ponto de vista do empregador e do diplomado. Relativamente à prática organizacional de contratação de diplomados, tanto para os indicadores da remuneração mensal, como da formação profissional se mostram consensuais no que diz respeito à flexibilização e precariedade, de notar ainda que tanto as empresas como os diplomados afirmaram escassez de competências transversais. Ainda, em resposta ao objetivo principal do estudo, verificou-se que apesar de já existir alguma proximidade entre o Instituto Politécnico de Bragança e o tecido empresarial, este poderá adotar medidas para melhorar e adequar o ensino ao mercado de trabalho, como por exemplo estabelecer uma ligação e/ou cooperação com empresas da região; a promoção de estágios ao longo das licenciaturas; avaliar regularmente a adequação das graduações ao mercado de trabalho e incentivar ao empreendedorismo.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Weld lines in extrusion: Understanding the role of the flow conditions

This work reports the implemen tation and verification of a new so lver in OpenFOAM® open source computational library, able to cope w ith integral viscoelastic models based on the integral upper-convected Maxwell model. The code is verified through the comparison of its predictions with anal ytical solutions and numerical results obtained with the differential upper-convected Maxwell modelCAPES, FCT projects PEsT-C/CTM/LA0025/2013, PTDC/MAT/121185/2010 and FEDE