"Ler fora do papel". Integração de audiolivros no Ensino do Português e do Latim

Este relatório incide sobre a Prática de Ensino Supervisionada, realizada na Escola Secundária José Gomes Ferreira e no Colégio de São Tomás, ambos situados em Lisboa, ao longo do ano letivo de 2012/2013. O estágio refere-se à disciplina de Português, ao 11º ano do Ensino Secundário, e a Latim, ao 8º ano do 3º Ciclo, respetivamente. O escopo do trabalho incide na aplicabilidade de audiolivros como complemento às leituras integrais dos currículos de Português, bem como no ensino do Latim. Torna- -se importante refletir sobre a relevância da exposição a textos ouvidos e a avaliação da sua compreensão oral. Em associação, importa tornar consciente nos alunos o conceito do saber ler e ouvir ler para compreender e alcançar os objetivos nas duas línguas. A proposta dos audiolivros surge como instrumento motivacional para a leitura e facilitador na aprendizagem das obras literárias portuguesas, bem como da língua latina. Inclui uma parte reflexiva que explicita os objetivos práticos do tema, e uma parte descritiva na qual se documentam as propostas didáticas e pedagógicas e reflexões da prática letiva.This report focuses on the Supervised Teaching Practice, held in the Escola Secundária José Gomes Ferreira and in the Colégio de São Tomás, both in Lisbon, during the academic year 2012 to 2013. It refers to teaching Portuguese as a language to the 11th grade high school and similarly Latin to the 8th grade middle school. The scope of work focuses on the use of audiobooks to complement the required reading curriculum of Portuguese and the teaching of Latin. It is important to observe the relevance of exposure to audio texts and subsequently assess student listening and understanding skills. In combination, students should be aware of the concept of reading and hearing spoken text to understand and achieve the objectives of both languages. The proposal of audiobooks to be used as a motivational tool for reading and as a facilitator in the learning of Portuguese literature, as well Latin language is demonstrated here. This includes a deliberative section (that stimulates the thought process) and explains the practical objectives of the theme, along with a descriptive section, which documents the didactic and pedagogical aspects together with current concepts of teaching practice

Controlo da qualidade e segurança alimentar no processamento de hortofrutícolas minimamente processados (produtos IV Gama)

Resumo O consumo de produtos minimamente processados (PMP) tem aumentado devido ao estilo de vida da sociedade atual aliada à facilidade e rapidez da utilização deste tipo de alimentos. O presente trabalho teve como principais objetivos o controlo da qualidade e segurança de PMP e o seu estudo de vida útil. Os PMP em estudo foram a cenoura ripada, o feijão-verde ripado, a batata aos palitos e a cebola inteira descascada. Estes produtos foram sujeitos a análises microbiológicas, apreciação sensorial e qualitativa e análise sensorial por avaliadores não treinados. Do ponto de vista microbiológico foram verificados resultados satisfatórios durante o tempo de prateleira dos produtos em estudo. Foi possível concluir que os produtos que sofrem operações mecanicamente menos drásticas são os que apresentam melhores parâmetros de qualidade e durante mais tempo, o que lhes garante um tempo de vida útil mais alargado. Concluiu-se ainda que do ponto de vista sensorial, os atributos como a aparência, a textura, o odor e o sabor, da cenoura ripada, do feijão-verde ripado e da batata aos palitos são mantidos até 3 dias após o seu processamento, enquanto a cebola inteira descascada apresenta características satisfatórias até 5 dias. Palavras-chave: Produtos minimamente processados, tempo de vida útil, qualidade, segurança.Abstract The consumption of minimally processed foods (MPF) has increased due to the current society's lifestyle coupled with the ease and fast use of this type of food. The main objectives of this work were to study the quality control, safety and shelf life of MPFs. The MMFs under study were sliced carrot, ripened green bean, sticks potato and peeled whole onion. These products were subjected to microbiological analysis, sensorial and qualitative rating and sensory analysis by untrained judges. From the microbiological evaluation, satisfactory results were verified during the shelf life of the products under study. It was possible to conclude that the products submitted to mechanical operations less aggressive present better quality parameters over time. This also ensures them a longer shelf life. It was also concluded that, from a sensorial point of view, the attributes such as appearance, texture, odor and flavor, from sliced carrot, ripened green bean and sticks potato are preserved up to 3 days after processing, while the whole peeled onion has satisfactory characteristics up to 5 days. Keywords: Minimally processed foods, shelf life, quality, safety

The antiageing efficacy of donkey milk in synergy with pomegranate extract and UV protection

Poster presented at IFSCC 201

The antiageing efficacy of donkey milk in combination with pomegranate extract and UV protection: A traditional ingredient in a modern formulation.

Donkey milk, allegedly used by Cleopatra, is a complex, traditional cosmetic ingredient composed of hydrating substances. In this work, donkey milk was mixed with pomegranate extract and an optimised blend of UV filters in a cosmetic O/W emulsion. The antiageing efficacy of this synergistic blend was assessed by imaging, biomechanical and electrometric methods on 32 volunteers, after 28 days of application. The wrinkle count decreased by 32.9% and the wrinkle length was reduced by 9.6%. Skin hydration increased by 11.4%, while skin firmness and elasticity increased by 9.6% and 16.1%, respectively. Furthermore, skin colour homogeneity was enhanced. Thus, this product was proven to have antiageing effects, both by preventing photoageing and by diminishing existing signs of ageing

Síntese e caracterização de nanopartículas magnéticas para a remoção de metais nobres em água

Mestrado em Química - Química Inorgânica e MateriaisAs nanopartículas de magnetite são materiais tecnologicamente relevantes devido às suas características magnéticas, podendo ser usadas, por exemplo, na remoção de poluentes de águas por separação magnética. As nanopartículas de metais nobres têm um papel importantíssimo em nanotecnologia devido a propriedades dependentes do tamanho ou morfologia, tornando possível o desenvolvimento de um vasto conjunto de aplicações. No âmbito deste trabalho, foram sintetizadas nanopartículas de magnetite para posteriormente serem usadas na remoção de nanopartículas coloidais de metais nobres, mais concretamente de paládio, platina, prata e ouro. As nanopartículas magnéticas foram revestidas por uma camada de sílica amorfa funcionalizada à superfície com grupos ditiocarbamato, visto a elevada afinidade deste ligando com metais nobres, procurando tornar este processo mais eficaz. Demonstrou-se com esta investigação que a utilização de nanopartículas de magnetite funcionalizadas com grupos ditiocarbamato, em processos de separação magnética, é eficaz. Este resultado é de enorme importância no contexto atual da preparação de nanopartículas, dado que permite o reaproveitamento de metais nobres, nomeadamente em ambiente laboratorial e estações de tratamento de águas.Magnetite nanoparticles are technologically relevant materials due its magnetic characteristics that can be used, for example, in the magnetic removal of water pollutants. Noble metal nanoparticles have an important role in nanotechnology due to their properties size and morphology dependent, making the development of a huge variety of possible applications. In this work, magnetite nanoparticles were synthesized to be used later in the removal of colloidal nanoparticles of noble metals, in particular palladium, platinum, silver and gold. The magnetic nanoparticles were coated with an amorphous silica layer functionalized with dithiocarbamate groups at the surface, since the high affinity of this ligand with noble metals, thus trying to make this process more effective. It was demonstrated with this investigation that the use of magnetite nanoparticles functionalized with dithiocarbamate groups is effective in magnetic separation processes. This result is important in the current context of the preparation of nanoparticles, since it allows the reuse of noble metals, for example in laboratories and water treatment plants

Formulation, Characterization and Evaluation against SH-SY5Y Cells of New Tacrine and Tacrine-MAP Loaded with Lipid Nanoparticles

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).Tacrine (TAC) was the first FDA approved drug for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, resulting in increased memory and enhanced cognitive symptoms in patients. However, long-term therapy presents poor patient compliance associated with undesired side effects such as nausea, vomiting and hepatoxicity. To improve its therapeutic efficacy and decrease toxicity, the use of nanoparticles could be applied as a possible solution to delivery TAC. In this context, a project has been designed to develop a new nanostructured lipid carrier (NLC) as a delivery system for TAC and conjugate TAC and model amphipathic peptide (MAP) to decrease TAC limitations. Different formulations loaded with TAC and TAC + MAP were prepared using a combination of Compritol 888 ATO as the solid lipid and Transcutol HP as the liquid lipid component. Physical characterization was evaluated in terms of particle size, surface charge, encapsulation efficiency and in vitro drug release studies. Particle size distributions within the nanometer range were obtained with encapsulation efficiencies of 72.4% for the TAC and 85.6% for the TAC + MAP conjugate. Furthermore, cytotoxicity of all NLC formulations was determined against neuroblastoma cell line SH-SY5Y. The optimized TAC delivery system revealed low toxicity suggesting this could be a potential carrier system to deliver TAC. However, TAC + MAP conjugated even encapsulated in the NLC system demonstrated toxicity against the SH-SY5Y cell line.This research was funded by FCT and FEDER (European Union), grant number IF/00092/2014/CP1255/CT0004. This work was financed by FEDER—Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional through the COMPETE 2020—Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalization (POCI), Portugal 2020, and by Portuguese funds through FCT—Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, in a framework of CINTESIS, R&D Unit (reference UIDB/4255/2020) and iMed.ULisboa (UIDB/04138/2020 and UIDP/04138/2020). SS thanks FCT for supporting this article with her PhD Grant (PD/BD/135456/2017) and PhD Programme in Medicines and Pharmaceutical Innovation (i3DU) from the University of Lisbon (Portugal) and the University of Porto (Portugal) for all support.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Estudo da actividade anti-tumoral de complexos organometálicos

Tese de mestrado, Bioquímica, Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências, 2009Estudos anteriores demonstraram que os complexos organometálicos de molibdénio (II) possuem boas actividades anti-tumorais. Assim, sintetizaram-se novos complexos, de forma a expandir a gama de compostos com estas características, e realizar experiências mais esclarecedoras. A maioria dos complexos estudados apresentou actividades anti-tumorais interessantes. Foram feitos testes de inibição de crescimento para 8 compostos (A, B, C, D, E, F, G e H) em três linhas celulares: HeLa (linha celular derivada do cancro cervical humano), MCF-7 (linha celular derivada do cancro mamário humano) e N1E-115 (neuroblastoma derivado de rato, células não diferenciadas e diferenciadas). As células foram incubadas com os compostos numa gama de concentrações (1 a 1000 μM) durante 48 horas. O efeito antiproliferativo foi medido pelo ensaio do MTT. Os valores de IC50 obtidos para os diferentes compostos, variaram entre 2,1 e 458,6 μM, apresentando diferenças entre as linhas celulares. Estudou-se igualmente a estabilidade dos compostos durante o tempo de incubação, e concluiu-se que os compostos B e E mantêm a sua estrutura. Para avaliar a possibilidade de intercalação dos compostos com a molécula de DNA, efectuaram-se estudos espectrofotométricos e determinou-se a viscosidade de soluções de DNA com diferentes concentrações de compostos. Os resultados obtidos parecem indicar que os compostos B, G e H são intercaladores. Finalmente, os estudos biológicos, mostraram que existe degradação do DNA das células incubadas com os compostos. Embora a análise morfológica e a citometria de fluxo permitissem identificar células em apoptose, esta não foi detectada por electroforese. Por citometria de fluxo foi também possível detectar o aumento de espécies reactivas de oxigénio nas células incubadas com os compostos em estudo. Os mecanismos de acção dos compostos parecem assim envolver a indução de apoptose e a produção de espécies reactivas de oxigénio, contudo os estudos realizados não permitiram esclarecer a relevância de cada um destes processos.Organometallic complexes of molybdenum (II) have shown antitumor activity in previous studies. In order to expand the range of compounds and to perform more complete experiments, new complexes were synthesized. The majority of organometalic studied complexes have interesting antitumoral properties. Cytotoxicity studies were developed for 8 compounds (A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H), in three cell lines: HeLa (cervical cancer cells), MCF-7 (breast cancer cells) and N1E-115 (mouse neuroblastoma cells, in two different states: nondifferentiated, and differentiated). Cells were incubated with compounds in concentrations ranging from 1 to 1000 μM, during 48 hours. The antiproliferative effect was evaluated using MTT viability assay. The IC50 values ranged from 2, 1 to 458,6 μM, showing some differences between the cell lines. Stability studies were performed and showed that both compounds B and E, kept their structure during the incubation intervals. Spectrofotometric assays and determination of the viscosity of DNA solutions with increasing amounts of compounds were undertaken to evaluate the possibility of interaction between the compounds and the DNA molecule. The results showed that B, G and H compounds may be intercalative agents. Electrophoresis of cellular DNA confirmed the degradation of DNA after the incubation of the cells with the compounds. Morphological analysis of cells, by staining with Hoechst 33342 and flow cytometry, allowed the identification of apoptotic cells. Flow cytometry showed the increase of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cells incubated with the compounds. The results didn’t allow the elucidation of the relevance of each of these processes, but suggest that the mechanisms of action of the compounds are related to the induction of apoptosis and production of ROS

Design and Characterization of a New Quercus Suber-Based Pickering Emulsion for Topical Application

© 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).Quercus Suber Bark from Quercus suber L. is a natural, renewable and biodegradable biomaterial with multifunctional proprieties. In this study, we used it as solid particles to stabilize a Pickering emulsion. The main goal was to produce an optimized topical formulation using biocompatible organic particles as stabilizers of the emulsion instead of the common surfactants, whilst benefiting from Quercus suber L. proprieties. In this work, a Quality by Design (QbD) approach was successfully applied to the production of this emulsion. A screening design was conducted, identifying the critical variables of the formula and process, affecting the critical quality attributes of the emulsion (droplet size distribution). The optimization of the production was made through the establishment of the design space. The stability was also investigated during 30 days, demonstrating that Quercus Suber Bark-stabilized emulsions are stable since the droplet size distribution lowers. In vitro studies were performed to assess antioxidant and antiaging efficacy, which revealed that the formulation had indeed antioxidant proprieties. A physicochemical characterization demonstrated that the formulation presents a shear-thinning fluid, ideal for topical administration. The in vivo compatibility study confirmed that the final formulation is not skin irritant, being safe for human use. A sensorial analysis was also performed, using a simple sensory questionnaire, revealing very positive results. Thus, the use of Quercus Suber Bark particles as a multifunctional solid ingredient contributed to achieve a stable, effective and innovative Pickering emulsion with a meaningful synergistic protection against oxidative stress.This research was funded by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal (UID/DTP/04138/2013 and PTDC/MEC-DER/30198/2017).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Antioxidant-Loaded Mucoadhesive Nanoparticles for Eye Drug Delivery: A New Strategy to Reduce Oxidative Stress

© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).There are several approaches to treat ocular diseases, which can be invasive or non-invasive. Within the non-invasive, new pharmaceutical strategies based on nanotechnology and mucoadhesive polymers are emerging methodologies, which aim to reach an efficient treatment of eye diseases. The aim of this work was the development of novel chitosan/hyaluronic acid nanoparticle systems with mucoadhesive properties, intended to encapsulate antioxidant molecules (e.g., crocin) aiming to reduce eye oxidative stress and, consequently, ocular disease. An ultraviolet (UV) absorber molecule, actinoquinol, was also added to the nanoparticles, to further decrease oxidative stress. The developed nanoparticles were characterized and the results showed a mean particle size lower than 400 nm, polydispersity index of 0.220 ± 0.034, positive zeta potential, and high yield. The nanoparticles were also characterized in terms of pH, osmolality, and viscosity. Mucoadhesion studies involving the determination of zeta potential, viscosity, and tackiness, showed a strong interaction between the nanoparticles and mucin. In vitro release studies using synthetic membranes in Franz diffusion cells were conducted to unravel the drug release kinetic profile. Ex vitro studies using pig eye scleras in Franz diffusion cells were performed to evaluate the permeation of the nanoparticles. Furthermore, in vitro assays using the ARPE-19 (adult retinal pigment epithelium) cell line showed that the nanoparticles can efficiently decrease oxidative stress and showed low cytotoxicity. Thus, the developed chitosan/hyaluronic acid nanoparticles are a promising system for the delivery of antioxidants to the eye, by increasing their residence time and controlling their delivery.This research was funded by the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, Portugal (UIDB/04138/2020 and UIDP/04138/2020 to iMed.ULisboa, CEECINST/00145/2018 to J.Marto and Principal Researcher grant CEECIND/03143/2017 (L.Gonçalves); FCT fellowship SFRH/BD/130476/2017).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Safety of a nano-sized UV filter in a multifunctional product

Poster presented at IFSCC 201