Despojos alimentares encontrados em abrigos de polvo comum (Octopus vulgaris) (Mollusca: Cephalopoda) do Faial (Açores) : dados preliminares.

VIII Expedição Científica do Departamento de Biologia – Ilha do Faial - 1993.The prey remains found around the dens of 6 octopus (Octopus vulgaris) were collected during the "Expedition Faial-93" (28 June to 3 July 1993) in "Reserva do Monte da Guia" by SCUBA diving (total of 4 dives). Based on this very preliminary work, the small crabs (Xantho spp.), bivalves (Limaria hians), and ormers (Haliotis tuberculata), seems to be the most important food items in the octopus feeding regime. Drill holes made by the octopus were observed on crab carapaces and chelipeds, but were not found on molluscan shells. The drill holes on the chelipeds or crabs are reported for the first time

Unlocking the in vitroanti- inflammatory and antidiabetic potential of Polygonum maritimum

Context: Several Polygonum species (Polygonaceae) are used in traditional medicine in Asia, Europe and Africa to treat inflammation and diabetes. Objective: Evaluate the in vitro antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antidiabetic potential of methanol and dichloromethane extracts of leaves and roots of the halophyte Polygonum maritimum L. Material and methods: Antioxidant activity was determined (up to 1mg/mL) as radical-scavenging activity (RSA) of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS), copper (CCA) and iron (ICA) chelating activities and iron reducing power (FRAP). NO production was measured in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophages for 24 h at concentrations up to 100 mu g/mL and antidiabetic potential was assessed by alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase inhibition (up to 10 g/mL) assays. The phytochemical composition of the extracts was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Results: The methanol leaf extract had the highest activity against DPPH center dot (IC50 = 26 mu g/mL) and ABTS1(+)center dot (IC50 = 140 mu g FRAP (IC50 = 48 mu g/mL) and CCA (IC50 = 770 mu g/mL). Only the dichloromethane leaf extract (LDCM) showed anti-inflammatory activity (IC50 = 48 mu g/mL). The methanol root (IC50 = 19 mu g/mL) and leaf (IC50 = 29 mu g/mL) extracts strongly inhibited baker's yeast alpha-glucosidase, but LDCM had higher rat's alpha-glucosidase inhibition (IC50 = 2527 mu g/mL) than acarbose (IC50 = 4638 mu g/mL). GC-MS analysis identified beta-sitosterol, stigmasterol, 1-octacosanol and linolenic acid as possible molecules responsible for the observed bioactivities. Conclusions: Our findings suggest P. maritimum as a source of high-value health promoting commodities for alleviating symptoms associated with oxidative and inflammatory diseases, including diabetes.XtremeBio project - Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) [PTDC/MAR-EST/4346/2012]; Portuguese National Budget; FCT [CCMAR/Multi/04326/ 2013, IF/00049/2012, SFRH/BPD/86071/2012, UID/Multi/00612/2013

Biodegradation of bioaccessible textile azo dyes by Phanerochaete chrysosporium

Azo dyes are important chemical pollutants of industrial origin. Textile azo dyes with bioaccessible groups for lignin degrading fungi, such as 2-methoxyphenol (guaiacol) and 2,6-dimethoxyphenol (syringol), were synthesised using different aminobenzoic and aminosulphonic acids as diazo components. The inocula of the best biodegradation assays were obtained from a pre-growth medium (PAM), containing one of the synthesised dyes. The results of the dye biodegradation assays were evaluated every 7 days, by the decrease of the absorbance at the maximum wavelength of the dye, by the decrease of the sucrose concentration in the culture medium and by the increase of the biomass during the 28 days of assay. It was observed that the extent of dye biodegradation depended on the sucrose concentration, on the degraded dye structure and, on the dye present in the PAM medium.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - PRAXIS XXI/BD/15878/98, PRAXIS XXI/BD/9120/96.Instituto de Biotecnologia e Química Fina (IBQF)

Joining by forming of lightweight sandwich composite panels

Este trabalho foi financiado pelo Concurso Anual para Projetos de Investigação, Desenvolvimento, Inovação e Criação Artística (IDI&CA) 2016 do Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa. Código de referência IPL/2016/CompSBJ_ISELThis paper presents a new joining by forming process to assemble longitudinally two metal-polymer sandwich composite panels perpendicular to one another. The process combines sheet-bulk forming with mortise-and-tenon joints to produce mechanically interlocked joints with large and stiff flat-shaped heads. Experimentation and finite element modelling with representative unit cells give support to the presentation and special emphasis is placed on the application of the process to the fabrication of lightweight composite panels for structural applications. Failure of the joints takes place by cracking and not by disassembling after unbending the flat-shaped head of the joint back to its original shape. The required forces to produce the new type of joints are below 15 kN, allowing them to be an easy to implement alternative to existing solutions based on adhesives or fasteners.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Estudos de biodegradabilidade de corantes azo de aplicação têxtil por Phanerochaete chrysosporium

Sintetizaram-se corantes azo de aplicação têxtil, usando como componentes diazo ácidos aminobenzóicos e aminossulfónicos e como componentes de acoplamento 2- metoxifenol e 2,6-dimetoxifenol. A utilização destas componentes de acoplamento teve como objectivo aumentar a bioacessibilidade dos corantes ao fungo lenhinolítico da podridão branca Phanerochaete chrysosporium, já que estes grupos estão presentes na estrutura da lenhina e têm sido referidos como pontos de acesso para o sistema enzimático lenhinolítico do fungo. As experiências de biodegradação realizaram-se em meio líquido, com sacarose e em condições limitantes de azoto, com agitação e temperatura controladas. A biodegradação dos corantes foi acompanhada por espectrofotometria UV-Visível, quantificando a diminuição da intensidade da banda de absorção máxima (λmax) do corante. Em estudos preliminares estabeleceram-se condições experimentais optimizadas relativamente ao meio de préadaptação e à concentração de sacarose utilizada. Estabeleceram-se algumas correlações entre a estrutura química dos corantes e a sua biodegradação.Praxis XX

Relationship of chemical structures of textile dyes on the pre-adaptation medium and the potentialities of their biodegradation by Phanerochaete chrysosporium

Azo dye derivatives of azobenzene constitute the largest group of dyes used in the textile industry and possess recalcitrant chemical groups, such as those of azo and sulphonic acid. Some microorganisms are able to degrade these aromatic compounds. In the present work, decolourisation of culture media containing azo dyes by the ligninolytic fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium was achieved under nitrogenlimited conditions. The dyes used in the study are derivatives of meta- or para-aminosulphonic or aminobenzoic acids and include in their structures groups such as guaiacol or syringol, which are bioaccessible to the lignin degrading fungus P. chrysosporium. The aim of this study was to pre-adapt the microorganism to the structure of the dyes and to establish the relationships of the chemical structure of the dye present in the pre-adaptation medium with the chemical structure of the dye to be degraded. The azo dye used in the pre-adaptation medium that gave the best overall decolourisation performance was a meta-aminosulphonic acid and guaiacol derivative. The azo dye derivative of a meta-aminobenzoic acid and syringol showed a better performance in the decolourisation assays. Preliminary GC-MS studies indicated the formation of a nitroso substituted catechol metabolite, a precursor of aromatic ring cleavage, which was confirmed to occur by an enzymatic assay. The presence of this type of metabolite allows the establishment of a possible metabolic pathway towards mineralisation.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - PRAXIS XXI/BD/15878/98.Instituto de Biotecnologia e Química Fina (IBQF)

BioRePortAP, an electronic clinical record coupled with a database : an example of its use in a single

Aims: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the treatment of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonists in the Rheumatology Department of Hospital de Santa Maria using the BioRePortAP. Methods: The Portuguese Society of Rheumatology (SPR) developed an electronic medical chart coupled with a database for the follow up of PsA patients, the BioRePortAP, which was launched in May 2009. This evaluation was based on all the PsA patients that were on active treatment with TNF antagonists in September 2009 and were registered in the BioRePortAP. All the previous data on these patients were introduced in BioRePortAP using the prospective paper based follow up protocol that this Department was using since 1999. Only patients with more than 9 months of treatment were analyzed. Results: Forty-two patients with PsA, actively treated with anti-TNF agents in September 2009, for at least 9 months, were analyzed in BioRePortAP. Twenty-three patients were male (55%) and nineteen were female (45%). The average age of these patients was 49.8±10.9 years old, the average disease duration was of 10.7±5.6 years and the mean duration of biological therapy was of 37.8±27.8 months. For the 81% of patients with peripheral joint disease there was a mean reduction of more than 80% in the swollen and tender joint counts, and almost 50% in the health assessment questionnaire (HAQ) value. In the 19% of the patients with axial involvement the reduction of BASDAI and BASFI was not statistically significative. On top of that, PASI score suffered a reduction of 64%. Fourteen patients (33.3%) had to switch their TNF antagonist treatment. 58.8% of the switches were due to adverse effects and 41.2% due to therapy failure. Regarding the 56 adverse reactions registered, only one was a severe reaction. The remaining adverse reactions were not severe and 67% of them were due to infections. Discussion: The results of this first report of the use of the BioRePortAP in clinical practice confirm the efficacy and safety of TNF antagonist treatment in PsA. The results shown here elucidate the potential applications of BioRePortAP as a tool for efficacy and safety assessment of PsA patients treated with biotechnological drugs

Comparative studies of fungal degradation of single or mixed bioaccessible reactive azo dyes

A screening using several fungi (Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Pleurotus ostreatus, Trametes versicolor and Aureobasidium pullulans) was performed on the degradation of syringol derivatives of azo dyes possessing either carboxylic or sulphonic groups, under optimized conditions previously established by us. T. versicolor showed the best biodegradation performance and its potential was confirmed by the degradation of differently substituted fungal bioaccessible dyes. Enzymatic assays (lignin peroxidase, manganese peroxidase, laccase, proteases and glyoxal oxidase) and GC-MS analysis were performed upon the assay obtained using the most degraded dye. The identification of hydroxylated metabolites allowed us to propose a possible metabolic pathway. Biodegradation assays using mixtures of these bioaccessible dyes were performed to evaluate the possibility of a fungal wastewater treatment for textile industries.Instituto de Biotecnologia e Química Fina (IBQF). Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - Praxis XXI/BD/15878/98

On the mobility of dialkyl adipates by PFGSE NMR, computer simulations and other property measurement methods

Encontro realizado em Alacalá de Henares (Madrid), de 22 a 25 de Setembro de 2014Dialkyl adipates are a class of esters materials used as components of lubricants and plasticizers. Diffusion of plasticizers in polymers is a complex process that is difficult to study [1]. As a contribution to understand this phenomenon, the self-diffusion coefficients of five dialkyl adipates (dimethyl, diethyl, dipropyl, dibuthyl and bis(2-ethylhexyl)) were measured by the PFGSTE method in the temperature range 20 to 60ºC. It was shown that these compounds follow the Stokes-Einstein equation [2]. In effect, the self-diffusion coefficients change linearly with T.η-1(η is the viscosity). The dependence of the activation energies for self-diffusion is discussed in terms of size and branching of the alkyl chains of the adipates. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were done for these sytems in order to predict the diffusion coefficients as a function of temperature [3]. Acknolwedgements: This work was supported by the Strategic Projects PEst-OE/QUI/UI0100/2011 and PEst-OE/QUI/ UI0100/2013, both funded by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal). We thank also FCT for funding the NMR facility through Project RECI/QEQ-QIN/0189/2012. References: [1] Rahman M.; Brazel C. S., Prog. Polym. Sci. 2004, 29, 1223–1248. [2] Price W.S, NMR Studies of Translation Motion, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2009. [3] Pereira, L. A. M.; Martins, L. F. G.; Ascenso, J. R; Morgado, P.; Ramalho, J. P. P.; Filipe, E. J. M., J. Chem. Eng. Data 2014, accepted for publication

New records and notes on little known shrimps (Crustacea, Decapoda) from Azorean waters.

Five species of shrimps (Crustacea, Decapoda) are recorded for the first time from the Azores: Funchalia villosa (Bouvier, 1905), Parapasiphae sucatifrons S.I. Smith, 1884 Heterocarpus ensifer A. Milne-Edwards, 1881, Heterocarpus laevigatus Bate, 1888 and Plesionika williamsi Forest, 1964. The variability of Plesionika gigliolii (Senna, 1903) and its relationship with P. sindoi (Rathbun, 1906) are discussed